Rankings: Top 40 – 15-11
The top 40 countdown continues to #15-11. In this section of the top 40, there are 3 players in the class of 2019. Despite being young, they have plenty of talent. Keep an eye out for these names in the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe top 40 countdown continues to #15-11. In this section of the top 40, there are 3 players in the class of 2019. Despite being young, they have plenty of talent. Keep an eye out for these names in the upcoming season as a couple of them look to earn college scholarships as their high school careers come to an end while others hope to continue to make a name for themselves throughout the high school process.
Top 40
15. D’Maurian Williams (2019 Westview) – Williams uses his body better than any guard in the top 40 and possibly in the state despite only being a sophomore. When attacking the rim, he has a really soft touch and finishes very well. He is also skilled at finding open teammates and dishing to them when the help side rotates. In addition, he has a sneaky athleticism as he has a good vertical and above average lateral quickness. As good as he is at attacking the rim, there were some questions about his shooting consistency. Over the course of the spring and summer, he shot the ball at a higher rate.
14. Josh Green (2019 Hillcrest Prep) – Green received an offer yesterday from Pac-12 Cal. Green is a well-balanced player who is capable of making an impact in an array of ways. Defensively, he is solid on the basketball and does a good job of understanding his help side responsibilities. Offensively, it is impossible to take any plays off when guarding him. He moves without the ball well, is a constant threat with the basketball, and has a high basketball IQ. It will be fun to watch Green compete on a the national level this next season as he has made the transition from Mountain Ridge to Hillcrest.
13. Majok Deng (2019 Salpointe Catholic) – Green appeared to be in a class of his own during the season and would have been the top player of 2019 if these top 40 rankings had been done earlier. However, during club ball, Deng was unbelievably impressive. He has all of the athletic tools that are necessary to play at a high level in college. In addition to being athletically gifted with good quickness, length, and vertical; Deng has a solid skill set. He is a good shooter who attacks the rim well. Moreover, he has good footwork on the block which enables him to take smaller opponents on the block. Deng is a stat stuffer who does all of the little things necessary to be successful. Look for him to have a monstrous season in his sophomore campaign.
12. Dre Marin (2017 Apollo) – One of the top on ball defenders in the state. He is physical, understands angles, and has good lateral quickness. In addition, he has one of the highest basketball IQs in the entire state which aids him greatly in making plays all over the court. On the offensive end, he understands his role and makes plays within it. He rarely makes mistakes and absolutely shoots the heck out of the basketball. Although he is more than a shooter and completely capable of attacking the rim and scoring at a high level, Marin plays within what the team needs and does it remarkably well. I expect Marin to have a lot of success at the next level due to his team first mentality and toughness.
11. Caleb Simmons (2017 Desert Vista) – Simmons provides good length at the wing position and an ability to extend the court. In addition to being a good shooter with solid length, Simmons attacks the rim well and has a long first step. Due to his length and athleticism, he is capable of being an elite level on ball defender and causing problems for the opposition in help side. He is able to guard the 1-3 on most teams and can play anywhere from the 1-3 and some times the 4 on offense. He has a good basketball IQ which assists him in finding the open teammate and using his athleticism to track down lose basketballs and rebounds.