Top Class of 2019 Wings
In this article:
Who are the best of the best at the wing positions in the 2019 class? It is a solid group of shooting guards and small forwards that has depth at the D1 level. Here are the top players at the wing spot!
SF Terrence Hargrove (East St. Louis)
Current Ranking: #3
Travel Team: Brad Beal Elite
He is an uber athletic 6’5” forward that plays with a high activity level being very effective getting on the offensive glass for put backs. Tenacious rebounder and defensive presence. His skill set is coming along. We saw him early in the season drill five shots from beyond the arc. Hargrove is a high-major prospect.
SF Bryant Brown (Waukegan)
Current Ranking: #5
Travel Team: Illinois Wolves
Brown is an upside small forward that can slide over and play the four when needed as well. He is extremely intriguing at 6’5” with his length, athleticism, and emerging skill. Solid defensive player with his length and toughness. Contests shots and has the defensive versatility to guard on both the perimeter and inside. Brown showed us he could shoot it a little too which we haven’t seen much out of the uber athlete. Mid-major plus prospect that is having an outstanding junior season.
SG Perry Cowan (DePaul Prep)
Current Ranking: #7
Travel Team: Illinois Wolves
Cowan is a smooth shooting guard that has a quality junior year to date. He has been posting consistent numbers leading his team. His jump shot is starting to become steadier especially from mid-range. Working out of the post is an underrated part of his game that when he goes to is pretty effective. Overall he is a rangy shooting guard with upside being able to score at multiple levels. Cowan has added strength in his upper body since we saw him in July. Mid-major plus prospect.
SG Myles Baker (Whitney Young)
Current Ranking: #8
Travel Team: Chicago Select
Baker is one of the best junior wing prospects in the state. This is his first year getting significant minutes on varsity and it is paying off by posting big scoring numbers. The rangy and athletic two guard gets on the offensive glass. Slick ball handler that is getting to the rim at a high rate as a junior and is a sound shooter from 15-18 feet. Mid-major prospect.
SG Anthony Fairlee (Springfield Southeast)
Current Ranking: #9
Travel Team: Illinois Irish
We have always been big fans of the 6’3” shooting guard with his freakish athleticism playing on the circuit with the Illinois Irish. He is a freak athlete that plays above the rim. Fairlee is a plus rebounder that snatches rebounds in traffic at their highest points. Plays so hard! The biggest area of growth is his perimeter shot. Looks much more comfortable shooting it both pulling up and off the catch. Handles have improved as well. D1 programs at the mid-major and low-major level need to jump in now before it is too late!
SF Jeremiah Hernandez (St. Viator)
Current Ranking: #11
Travel Team: Young & Reckless
Offensively he a versatile prospect that can score in a variety of ways. Smooth looking jump shot pulling up off the bounce. Slippery with the rock in his hands being able to get through traffic and score in the paint. Could add some more upper body strength to finish through contact better. His passing was flat out explosive! This season we have seen growth in his passing and overall not forcing things as a scorer. Defensively he contests shots with his length and even blocks threes on occasion. Cuts passing lanes that he takes the other way for transition dunks. Projects as a really good mid-major prospect.
SF Evan Taylor (Glenbard West)
Current Ranking: #14
Travel Team:
Taylor stands at 6’6” with a nice frame and length. Definitely passes the eye test from a prospect standpoint. He is best at getting into the mid-range and pulling up off the bounce for jump shots. Gets elevation off the floor and has a good stroke. At times he can lean a bit forward on his jumper not being as balanced as he could be. Also can stretch it out to three pulling up. Definitely most comfortable shooting the rock off the bounce. Good ball handler that can play some point forward late in the game when his team needs him to do that. Excellent wing passer with an overall quality feel for the game. Not the most explosive athlete vertically or off the bounce. Takes quality angles to the basket and uses his long strides to cover a lot of ground. Defensively has upside to be a plus defender at the next level. Moves well laterally and contests with length. Mid-major prospect.
SG Dajuan Gordon (Curie)
Current Ranking: #15
Travel Team: Team Rose
Gordon is extremely projectable with a 6’4” long frame with broad shoulders where he will definitely be able to add strength. Still fairly thin. His athleticism jumps off the floor. Explosive with the ball in his hands winning off the bounce and getting to the cup. He is learning how to finish in different ways including a euro step. Also is improving as a rebounder getting on the glass for offensive put backs. He is going to be a plus shooter long term with a clean release. Defensively if he wants to lock in he can be really good. He was extremely impressive when we saw him at Pontiac over the holidays. Mid-major prospect.
SG Lance Jones (Evanston)
Current Ranking: #19
Travel Team: Meanstreets
The 6’2” junior has showed more combo guard skills than we had seen in the past out of him this season. Jones has passed it very well especially in the drive and kick and finds guys on the interior. If he can prove he is a point guard at the college level his stock will rise even more! He drills mid-range jumpers for days off the bounce. He is a plus shooter off the dribble getting elevation and balance each time. Can hit a three too when given a clean look. Pushes it in transition and has a great burst with the rock in his hands. Plus athlete that is starting to come into his own. Rebounds well for a guard and competes defensively. Mid-major and low-major D1s need to start investing some time with this guard.
SF Martin Macenis (Stagg)
Current Ranking: #20
Travel Team: ET21 Buckeyes
Macenis is a big wing with size and projectability. Macenis has a European type game. His size allows him to see over the defense and he makes plays in both the half court and in transition. Really handles the ball well for his size. His best asset is his shooting. Deep range on his shot with a bit of a long release, but he makes it consistently. Macenis is a D1 prospect at the mid-major and low-major levels.
SF Deng Reng (Wheaton North)
Current Ranking: #21
Travel Team: ET21 Buckeyes
The 6’7” small forward is a long and rangy forward with a lot of developmental upside. Good skill level which allows him to make an impact on the offensive end of the floor. Reng is a sound perimeter shooter drilling shots from beyond the arc with a fluid three point stroke. He is most comfortable off the catch. He is fairly efficient with his shots scoring on the interior against smaller defenders with the ability to use either hand to convert at the rim. Runs the floor well with his long strides. Rebounds in traffic using his length. Will definitely need to add strength going forward, but we like how his game is progressing. Projects as a D1 prospect at the low-major to mid-major level.
SF Ethan Helwig (Metea Valley)
Current Ranking: #22
Travel Team: Illinois Stars
Helwig is a wiry wing that has good length. Will definitely need to continue to add strength before hitting the college level. Finishes well in the open floor. Quality athlete. Good perimeter shooter that can hit pulling up in mid-range as well as drilling threes from deep. Helwig is a D1 prospect with scoring pop.
SF Landon Wolfe (Effingham)
Current Ranking: #26
Travel Team: Illinois Irish
The 6’5” small forward made huge strides over the summer and has taken another leap in his game as a junior. He is a smooth shot creator that can get his jumper off from pretty much anywhere on the floor and knows how to create space. Moves well without the ball to get open coming off screens and curls. Always ready to shoot as soon as the ball touches his hands. Also has the ability to create his own shot pulling up and taking it to the hoop with solid handles and strength. Soft touch on his three point shot with a lot of arc. He can post up against small defenders with quick moves inside. Wolfe is a quality wing rebounder. Just a tough kid that is a bucket getter. Low-majors need to jump in now!
