1. Deshawn Thomas - OSU commit from Ft Wayne, IN will likely finish his career as Indiana's highest scorer in state history. 6'8 forward is a bit of a tweener in college but more ideally suited as an NBA 3. He is the best player I've seen nationally in the class, but didn't see him playing with the kind of passion I'm used to this last summer in AAU. He's been committed for a long time and has proven his passion in more meaningful games though. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #8, ESPN #13,
2. Jared Sullinger - OSU commit and Ohio native Sullinger has outplayed every big man he's come up against. He's the quintessential winner, and shows leadership from the power forward spot, not as flashy as some other top big kids but strong, smart and consistent. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #1, ESPN #2,
3. Keith Appling - MSU commit and Michigan native gets the the hoop with ease and will be a big time scorer in college. I want to see a little more point out of him to be a better pro prospect and maybe a little more defensive acumen but he's quick and always attacking. National Rankings: ESPN #36,
4. Adreian Payne* - Michigan State commitment is a pretty strong 6'9 kid with great length and athleticism. He's a long power forward from Ohio and is not as consistent as Sullinger but shows more upside. National Rankings; Hoopscoop #100, ESPN #24,
5. Ray McCallum Jr - I saw a lot more of him when he was younger but was reminded this summer just how savvy the kid is. He's athletic enough to be a pro but he plays with the kind of coach's-son heady nature that he'd make it if he had a prosthetic foot. He's a bit of a combo guard and is considering Detroit, UCLA, and a few other schools. National Rankings: ESPN #37,
6. Trey Zeigler - Zeigler is also the son of a mid major coach and like McCallum is considering UCLA, Michigan, and a few other schools. Zeigler has a natural fit at the 2 and is a deadly outside shooter with some strength to finish inside. National Rankings: ESPN #27,
7. Myers Leonard - This Robinson HS (IL) star and Illinois commit is a very athletic 6'11. He plays with some inconsistency still but is versatile while still having the frame to get it done on the low blocks. He'll continue to fill out and bulk up and have a huge career for Bruce Weber. National Rankings: ESPN #53,
8. Jerome Richmond - UI commit was very inconsistent as his loaded Mac Irvin Fire team leaned more heavily on other guards quite often in July. But Richmond is a big time athlete and has the kind of tangibles that are significant even when the intangibles aren't quite as far along. National Rankings: ESPN #18,
9. Terone Johnson - Purdue commit is the best guard in Indiana in his class. He's only about 6'2 and I was once worried he would be between positions in college but his good 3 point shot has become outstanding and his effort on the defensive side is almost college ready right now. The North Central product plays with the strength of a bull much like former NC alum Eric Gordon but lacks the kind of explosion Gordon had. He'll be a good 2 guard in the big ten. National Rankings: ESPN #116,
10. Cameron Wright* - 6'3 Cleveland Benedictine star and Pittsburgh commitment was once committed to Ohio State, but he got the cold shoulder from Matta in the year he sat out recovering from an injury so he opened it up and found himself pursued by Michigan State, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Pittsburgh. The Cleveland product made a huge splash in July as his explosion has finally returned and looked a lot better than the other guards still committed to OSU. He's a shooting guard with the quickness to guard the 1 or 2. Edit to add that Anonymous in the comments added " I like the fact that you have Cameron Wright at #10 he deserves it. hard working on both ends of the floor and one of the quickest first steps I've seen in a while. very good midrange shooter. at 6-5 210 has the ability to guard and play the 1-3 positions. PITT really has a unique player that will just keep getting better and better. YOUR LOSS OHIO STATE!" National Rankings: Hoopscoop #131, ESPN #112,
11. Crishawn Hopkins is a 6'0 Butler commit who moved up from 14 to 11 on the back of some Mongrel readers getting threatening. Anonymous makes a good point saying they are both freakishly athletic (comparing Hopkins to Smith) but Hopkins is a better point but I think some people underestimate how much point Reggie has. I have to give Hopkins seperation over Smith because his outside shot is awesome too. Hopkins plays high school for Manual (Indianapolis).
12. Reggie Smith Mac Irvin point is great athlete with some pg skills (seen above in ST shot).
13. Travis Carrol Danville HS (IN) star is a Purdue commitment that is fundamentally sound and tough. He's a 6'8 power forward that works hard. National Rankings: ESPN #122,
14. Jesse Berry high flying Dayton commit is sensational scorer, explosive personality. He's a 6'2 star from Laffayette (IN) who scored over 45 six seperate times last year. National Rankings: ESPN #173,
15. Ge'lawn Guyn is a 6'2 point for Scott County who has long arms and wonderful athleticism and is looking at some impressive schools after re-opening his recruitment (read my reader comments he has a legion of fans making some really good arguments so I gave him a big jump from 24 to 15). National Rankings: ESPN #166,
16. Juwan Staten is a standout guard from Dayton who committed to Dayton. National Rankings; Hoopscoop #109
17. Josh Sewell Miami commit is athletic off guard with good ball skills.
18. Russell Byrd Michigan State commit is a sensational shooter for Ft Wayne Blackhawk at 6'6 but skinny. National Rankings: ESPN #58,
19. Curtis Washington 6'10 forward is a long, athletic late developer committed to USC. * Had to edit to add some reader input, anonymous says "He's not even the fifth best player on his own AAU team." and I had another suggest Rick Bolus and I were the only ones who liked him. Well, just to remind my readers about late blooming big men its for a reason he's the only high major commitment in KY from 2010. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #130,
20. Justin Martin Xavier commit is a 6'7 forward with great range can play inside and out. He was an outstanding defender for Lawrence North High School (Indianapolis) as well. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #122
21. Lenzelle Smith is an Ohio State commit. He is also a combo guard for Zion-Benton Township High who gets by with strength, guile more than quickness. National Rankings: ESPN #78,
22. Ahmad Starks is commited to play for Oregon State next year. He was an excellent floor leader for the Warriors and Fire over the summer. He's a 5'8 point for state champ Whitney Young (Chicago). National Rankings: ESPN #170,
23. Griffin McKenzie 6'9 Xavier commit is a big man from Cincinnati who can stroke the 3. He missed almost a year with a broken back but came up big in July. Ask him about his phone bill. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #163
24. Jon Horford* 6'9 forward prospect from Gran Ledge (MI) is the younger brother of former Florida star Al. National Rankings: ESPN #115,
25. Brandon Spearman is a 6'3 shooting guard for Simeon (Chicago) who is a Dayton commit. National Rankings: ESPN #152,
26. JD Weatherspoon is a 6'6 kid who played for All-Ohio Red in the summer. He is committed to the Buckeyes after initially committing to Xavier. He's also an athletic wing who is from Northland HS (OH). National Ranking: Hoopscoop #146, ESPN #169,
27. Ricardo Johnson Ohio commit is a winner, cut down the nets in KY state tournament for Covington Holmes. He made waves shutting people down, scoring, rebounding, and with leadership last year in the tournament. Thanks to reader who corrected me I thought I remembered Johnson verballing to Miami. National Rankings: ESPN #185,
28. Levonte Dority* Chicago Foreman point is big time 6'2 scoring pg with nice three point shot. He is going to play in the Big East for Stan Heath's South Florida squad. National Rankings: ESPN #198,
29. Aaron Craft former Tennessee commit now with Ohio State as long awaited point. He's 6'2 and plays for Liberty Benton HS (OH). National Rankings: Hoopscoop #129, ESPN #124,
30. Anthony Johnson Purdue commit is fine off guard for state champ Chicago Whitney Young. His ranking is a bit guesswork as he was an obviously talented prospect and got hurt at the wrong time to make a splash with the rankings.
31. Ben Brust Iowa commitment is one of the best shooters in his class.
32. Jordan Sibert* This 6'4 wing played for All-Ohio Red in the summer and Princeton HS (OH) for school. He is an Ohio State commit coming off an injury. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #50, ESPN #72,
33. Ethan Jacobs 6'11 Ohio commit has put on a lot of strength last year making strides. He was rail thin in school last year for Tipton (IN) but was clearly stronger in the summer.
34. Khristian Smith is a nice 6'5 athlete with good size on the wing is a late blooming kid for Pike. He played summer with the Spiece Indy Heat squad that sported several four and five star kids and looked like he belonged with them in July.
35. Roy Marble Jr* Iowa commit and 6'4 wing is son of former Hawkeye star.
36. Chad Jackson is a 6'4 point guard for Scott County (KY) with nice size plays upright and plays well off the ball.
37. Rayvonte Rice led his Rising Stars teams to some big time finishes in July.
38. Dre McCamey* Baby brother of Illinois star Mike is fine point in his own right.
39. Alex Guana is a 6'8 Michigan State commitment from Eaton Rapids (MI). He has great length, good shot blocking instincts but can be stiff. National Rankings: ESPN #188,
40. Xavier Jones emotional defensive minded point guard can attack the rim. He's a tough kid might need to work on the outside shot a little but can hit it. Transfered from Gary, Indiana to Wayne HS in Ohio for his senior year. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #119, ESPN #110,
41. Eric Fromm Butler commit is versatile 6'7 forward who can put the ball on the floor.
42. Nick Kellog youngest son of Clark is nice shooting wing guard.
43. Alex Dragecevich* Notre Dame commit is sweet shooting 6'6 wing.
44. Crandal Head is a Rich South (IL) star and Illinois commit. He is younger brother of Luther and fine scorer. National Rankings: ESPN #75,
45. Duje Dukan is a 6'8 sweet shooting forward who played with Dority on Chicgao Elite. He committed to Bo Ryan's Wisconsin program where he seems like a great fit. http://ilprepbullseye.com/page24.html
46. Kennis White is a 6'2 WMU wing talent with big time athleticism and leadership skills.
47. Walter Pitchford* is a 6'9 power forward committed to Depaul from Team Detroit.
48. Jordan Manual is a 6'8 skinny forward from Indianapolis with a sweet three point shot.
49. Mike McCall* Chicago Foreman guard is selfless point guard.
50. Jordan Threloff* 6'9 strong forward anchored Rising Stars last July.
50. Elijah Pittman is a 6'7 forward and jumping jack for Kentucky state champs. He has outstanding talent but might be heading for juco as he's behind academically. National Rankings: ESPN #199,
50. Eric Gaines 6'3 Kent State commit has good balance, athleticism, and works baseline well.
50. Donnie Hale is a 6'7 forward from New Albany, Indiana who is committed to Purdue. He's a traditional post up and has outstanding reach and shot blocking ability but will need to learn to guard laterally and be quicker with his developing outside shot in college. National Rankings: Hoopscoop #39, ESPN #149,
50. Dakotah Euton is a 6'8 forward for Scott County, Kentucky who had originally been committed to UK under Billy Gillespie but wound up committing to Akron after the coaching change. Euton is a strong forward with good passing ability.
Honorable Mention:
Julian Boatner,
Ian Chiles,
Brian Fabrizius,
Donovan Gibbs,
Kevin Gray is a 6'3 guard from Reynoldsburg HS (OH) who was once Hoopscoop top ranked 7th grader. He signed an LOI with Morehead St. http://buckeyeprep.blogspot.com/2009/11/kevin-gray-signs-national-letter-of.html
Andre Hampton,
Jay Harris is a 6'0 pg from Oswego East (IL). National Rankings: ESPN #69,
Jon Harris,
Michael Harris,
Ralph Hill,
Juann Howard,
PJ Hubert,
Jack Isenberger,
Phillip Jackson,
John Michael Jarvis,
Garon Johnson is an outstanding wing from Dayton. Hoopscoop #139, ,
Maurice Jones is a 5'7 point for Arthur Hill HS (MI) who is committed to USC. National Rankings: ESPN #134,
Elisha Justice,
Matt Kaminiecki,
Jake Kitchel,
Kenny Knight,
Karl Madison,
Enique Mason,
Devin Oliver,
Allen Payne is an outstanding 6'6 wing from Winton Woods HS (Cincinnati) who committed to Auburn. http://highmajorscoop.com/2009/11/auburn-picks-up-payne/ National Rankings: ESPN #193, Hoopscoop #178,
Corey Petros,
Quinten Rollins,
Ronald Ross,
Alex Rossi is a 6'5 guard from New Trier (IL). National Rankings: ESPN #117,
Storm Stanley,
Isiahh Sykes,
Colin Voss,
Nate VanArendonk
Let me know what you think, I'll include your comments on whomever you advocate for weather or not I move the rankings for the player in question. I think a lot of these players are close calls, the difference in most of these players is less their own potential and more the work ethic and attitude since they are so close in terms of talent. I'll be getting to work on 2011 this week also.
Patrick Lucas Perry is only a Junior.
ReplyDelete17. Curtis Washington 6'10 forward is a long, athletic late developer committed to USC
ReplyDeleteYou are Joking right? LOL LOL LOL LOL
NO Josh Selby? Wow
ReplyDeleteDid Rick Bolus help you with the Rankings? Because only you and Bolus think Washington is a top player. He was not even the 5th best player on his AAU team this summer. He needs alot of work? You have Two of the Best Player in Kentucky behind Washington? Ge'lawn Guyn and Ricardo Johnson are the two best in the State of Kenucky. What is the Deal?
ReplyDeleteJosh Selby is from Maryland.
ReplyDeleteSelby is from Maryland, and it is very common for big kids to develop late like Washington. I got to see quite a bit of Washington after the Bolus camp MVP which was his coming out party. At the Ky Hoopfest I was shocked by how fluid he can be, and he's got wonderful length. I'm not saying he's a better player than the top three kids in Ky (Guyn, Johnson, Sewell in whichever order you like they're all close) but I do think he's a better college prospect.
ReplyDeleteIf you follow recruiting even a little bit, you'll see tons of big kids who aren't very impressive until they are about 17-19 and a "light" comes on. There's a reason he's going to join Kevin O'Niel's strong class at USC.
I like the fact that you have Cameron Wright at #10 he deserves it. hard working on both ends of the floor and one of the quickest first steps I've seen in a while. very good midrange shooter. at 6-5 210 has the ability to guard and play the 1-3 positions. PITT really has a unique player that will just keep getting better and better. YOUR LOSS OHIO STATE!
ReplyDeleteGe'lawn Guyn is the best of the Best in Kentucky!
ReplyDeleteMark my words a Beast! Kentucky's Mr. Basketball Front Runner, Top player in the 11 Region and had the best summer of any kid in Kentucky. The most underrated kids in years. What a shame! Keep Hype alive and well. lol
We have had kids in Kentucky 6'10 or 7'0 that went to big time colleges and never played a lick! Good luck Washington!
ReplyDeleteChrishawn Hopkins is better than both Jesse Berry and Reggie Smith.
ReplyDeleteJustin Martin and Griffen McKenzie are both Xavier commits.
ReplyDeleteHopkins and Smith are very similar players, Berry put up 45 points or more 6 times last year and is terribly overlooked. I have a great deal of loyalty toward all three of them as overlooked prospects, so tell me what makes Hopkins better than the other two and I'll use it...
ReplyDeletealso I'm aware Martin and McKenzie are both Xavier commits, I'll mention it up there but wasn't trying to be completely inclusive with listing who each kid had listed
Hopkins is a better athlete, although it is close (see youtube videos), and a far supiorer PG. Smith isn't much of a PG at all and cant run an offense without making numerous turnovers.
ReplyDeleteAnd, you note that Berry is an exceptional scorer while it was Hopkins who had 60+ twice this summer and 50+ seven times. And Hopkins is cleary the better athlete.
I would rate it as follows: Hopkins, Berry, Smith.
Ricardo Johnson is an Ohio U. verbal ... Eric Gaines is a Kent State verbal
ReplyDelete* Edit to add some reader comments that he had an amazing summer and is the front runner for Mr BBall in Ky and underrated. Anonymous, I agree with you but its already scandalous enough for me to put him above guys like Air Spoon, Dority, Craft, Anthony Johnson, Sibert, and others so I thought I was going out on a limb for Guyn! I'm a fan, but these kids are all really good!
ReplyDeleteYour limb is not going to break! He will be a top player in the nation by the end of this season! Ge'lawn Guyn is the best in Kentucky! But you have Josh Sewell at 15 way? That to me is a mistake. We will see Scott county again plays the best teams in the nation! You will see Ge'lawn go against the best of the best again and again. He is underrated and disrepected again. Is Ge'lawn Guyn thew best player in Kentucky Yes or No! Pick ONE!
Besides Jared Sullinger in Ohio I would not mind to see MR.BASKETBALL shared with CAMERON WRIGHT. He has proven to be the best Guard in Ohio. Good to see him get recognized for the hardwork during the AAU Season. Very explosive, very strong, and a much improved perimeter game.
ReplyDeleteJared Sullinger, number 2? How? What does it take to be number 1. As you clearly stated he has outplayed EVERY big man he has played against. That is not just this summer that is always. Jared played for the winningest AAU Team (3 consecutive high school year National Championships)that I know of. Not a one year or one time wonder but a national champion every year of high school. To this date he has only lost two games in his high school career that he played in. He led his team (Columbus Northland) to their first ever final four appearance and state championship last year. The Vikings play Bishop Leurs this upcoming season. What will it take for jared to assume his spot at the number one slot?
ReplyDeleteJust FYI, Starks is an Oregon State comit and R. Johnson verbaled to Ohio Univ.
ReplyDeleteWhat about STORM SANDERS? from Canton Glen Oak
ReplyDeleteGe'lawn Guyn is too low on your list! He is goes to be Mr. Basketball! Mark my words you will be trying to interview him this year. Just tell him you make a mistake and you are sorry. He will understand because Ge'lawn Guyn gets no credit his whole high school career.
ReplyDeleteGe'lawn Guyn is the best in Kentucky! By far, what has Josh Sewell done?
ReplyDeletewes carlson has got to be on there 6'8" combo forward from cincinnati had a great summer and is considering many schools
ReplyDeleteGe'lawn Guyn is a beast! He is far better than anyone in Kentucky! Mongrel you said you was a fan. The key word is "was"! He is the best and this year he will show! Scott Co. will go as far as Ge'lawn Guyn take them. In the big games he come too play. Now he has a chip! Agree with the other poster underrated! Mongrel show him the love! You are loving on Sewell and Washington. School that are looking at Ge'lawn are Texas, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Alabama, Western kentucky, and Indiana. He is not going to pick a school until spring. If he goes prep for a year he has offers in 2011 on the table from Louisville, Ohio State, Purdue, Xavier.
ReplyDeleteAgree, Ge'lawn is the best in Kentucky, MR. Mongrel you have to see that this kid is the best.
ReplyDeleteGe'lawn Guyn is #1 in Kentucky! Dude,,,,,,
ReplyDeleteI am going to take a trip to Kentucky to watch Ge'lawn Guyn play. My brother watch him in Vegas at a AAU tourney and said he is going to be a great colleg player one day. He told me that Ge'lawn was the best player on the floor in three games he saw. I guest you need to move this player up the ranking Mongrel. lol
ReplyDeleteI hate to be a on the bandwagon but Ge'lawn Guyn played top 50 basketball in the summer. I am a AAU coach for Ohio Basketball Club. I coached Josh Sewell last year and have seen Washington alot this spring and summer no way they are ahead of Ge'lawn on their best day. Kentucky does this more than any other state. That is hype up players that are not on that kind of level. Ge'lawn Guyn is the best player in the State of Kentucky and Ricardo Johnson is the next best player. At the end of the season the Kentucky and Indiana Allstar game both Sewell and Washington will be coming off the bench if Kentucky wants to win. I know Evan from scout.com loves Sewell and Bolus loves Washington. But and the end of the day it will be Ge'lawn and Ricardo the two best in the 2010 class. Please get it right next time you do ranking.
ReplyDeleteGe'lawn is the man! Show the kid some love!
ReplyDeleteOk, the mob has spoken! Guyn is the geatest of all time! I've seen several of Guyn's games and I like him MUCH MUCH more than the national guys do. Give me a little credit.
ReplyDeleteI like Sewell and Johnson as much as Guyn though, those guys are pretty close as far as I'm concerned. Washington, as I said earlier, is just now becoming an excellent player but is very tall and long for his height and on his way to being a wonderful player.
I'll bump Guyn though, I don't want to lose my street cred in Lexington. First time I saw him was high school game against Lex Catholic and Jaylen Beckam and I was pretty impressed with both of them. I got to see a lot of Guyn in AAU and he got outplayed by Appling but so did everyone else. He did a better job guarding Appling than anyone else I saw, and I am a defense man so he gets the break.
But Johnson and Sewell are the real deal too, don't put that Mr Basketball in the bank yet. Johnson shut down the best guard in the state last year in the tournament and is big and strong for a guard while keeping big time athleticism. Sewell is Mr Do It All. All three are under the radar.
Thanks for the great input though!
Other responses, I like Thomas more than Sullinger. I think Sullinger was the best big man in the country this summer and Thomas is the best small forward in the country. Thomas has been the best player in Indiana since Eric Gordon graduated, he's exceptional. He did get criticized a touch for relying on his three point shot too much at times, but its pretty dang good and once it becomes great like the rest of his game... defensively Thomas is exceptional, Thomas has such long arms I think he'll rebound almost as well as Sullinger in college.
ReplyDeleteMake no mistake, it will be Thomas leading the Buckeyes in scoring not Sullinger. Sullinger is awesome, but for me Thomas is the best player in the country even if he was only great this summer instead of the once ever three or four year player I think I've seen most of his career. Thomas has won two state titles in a row also iirc. You'll see, the kid is amazing. You saw that when he went head to head with Harrison Barnes one game and then elite power forwards the next. Thomas is one of a kind.
Wes Carlson and Storm Sanders are both kids I should've considered but not quite top 50 in this class imo.
Thanks again, it was a lot of fun to do this list and I didn't expect it because I don't have a lot of confidence in lists and the difference being meaningful lots of times, especially independent of context (a kid for Belien and a kid for Izzo might have to be totally different types of players for instance). Letting you guys have a say made it a lot of fun and I learned a ton about kids who didn't even make the list.
Mongrel, Now I agree fair is fair Ge'lawn Guyn should be at 15 or 24 but the other players from Kentucky you had in front of him! Now you have him in the right place on the top of the hill in Kentucky Basketball. I can not wait until you see him now. He has put on 20 pounds and has been in the gym 4 to 5 hours a day putting in work. I agree the other player have gotten better and it will be a dog fight in Kentucky this year. So come and see for yourself he is not the same player you watch at the AMC in Bloomington this spring. He has a personal trainer for basketball that he will be working with all season long. His workouts with Chris Lofton was the hardest he ever had to do. He shot the basketball over 1000 times in one day. His ball control has gotten alot better and has even grown a inch or two. Plus he has a big chip he is carrying around with him on the court. It is going to be very fun to watch Ge'lawn Guyn. Plus check out the story tomorrow from Evan at scout.com
ReplyDeleteJust left Scott Co. practice! Ge-lawn Guyn is a beast. He is so much better than last year. He has put on at less 20 pounds and about two inches taller. He is shooting the ball like wild fire. He was clearly the best player on the floor last night. Can not wait to you guys see the kid. He looks like a he is in college right now. Hope he stays in the state for College. WKU would be a steal. This is your Mr. Basketball this year. Mark my words.
ReplyDeleteCameron Wright by far is the best All Around Guard in Ohio. No disrespect to Jordan Sibert or Aaron Craft who play for All OHIO Red but they don't and can't do what Wright does for his team or individually. Wright is a guard with size, explosiveness and great court vision. quickest first step I have ever seen and a very good pull up jumper. a matchup nightmare that can play 3 positions because of his athletic ability, savvy and strength. But what is most impressive is his I.Q on both sides of the ball especially defense because he is premiere lock down physical defender. PITT will have one of the best players in the country.
ReplyDeleteI thought Jared Sullinger and Harrison Barnes were very impressive last night on ESPN. They will both be college studs and top 5 picks after their freshman seasons.
ReplyDeleteIf Jon Harris, a 6'8 wing going to Miami Ohio with Josh Sewell with point guard skills and the best three point shooter in Ohio, isn't in the top 50, I just don't know basketball. No disrespect to anyone else.
ReplyDelete