Spring Storylines: Class of 2020
The high school basketball season has wrapped up and we are about to hit the road for a long spring of travel team coverage at PrepHoopsIllinois! Let’s look at 5 Storylines in the 2020 Class to track this spring!
Battle for #1
We have ranked the class of 2020 three times so far at PrepHoopsIllinois. The top two in this class are Adam Miller (Morgan Park) and DJ Steward (Fenwick). Steward got the very slight edge in the initial ranking after a strong showing at Nike Elite 100. Adam Miller took the edge after the fall playing at an elite level in various camps. These two friends know they are the head of the class and are looking forward to battling each other for the next two years for the top spot.
Breakout National Prospect
Miller and Steward are the only two ranked national recruits by most outlets at this stage. We think there are three others that have a chance to make a run at a top 100 ranking with a strong spring. Lamontay Daughtery (DuQuoin) is a rangy scorer that has taken the next step in his game scoring at all three levels with athleticism. Isaiah Rivera (Geneseo) is a crafty and uber skilled wing that changes the game with his scoring, passing, and getting on the boards. Tyler Beard (Whitney Young) sat out the majority of his sophomore season after he had a ton of momentum from the fall. The ultra-athletic point guard is looking to reestablish that on the circuit.
Point Guards Dominate at Top
There is no doubt the strength of the 2020 class is the point guards. The position features the top two prospects and six of the top 10. While most focus on Miller and Steward we are looking forward to seeing how the battle progresses between Tyler Beard, Reggie Strong (Farragut), Elliot Sieger (Whitney Young), and Ahron Ulis (Marian Catholic). That group is extremely strong!
More Wings Emerge After Tier One?
I like the wings at the top of the board in the 2020 group with Lamontay Daughtery, Isaiah Rivera, Jayden Johnson (Batavia), and Demarius Splunge (Orr). Each has proven their abilities at the D1 level. A few guys that could make a move are Keshawn Williams (Bloom), Dante Maddox (Bloom), and Ramean Hinton (Curie). Would like to find some more depth at the shooting guard and small forward spots to back up those studs at the top.
Which Posts Will Distinguish Themselves?
Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to the power forward and centers in the 2020 class. I feel good that we have a solid group of big men prospects in 2020 and have identified a lot of them early in the process. There are a lot of things to like about each individual prospect, but they all come with question marks as well. Kee Hargrow (Joliet Central) and Nate Seputis (Lincoln Way East) lead the pact at the power forward and center positions respectively. Hargrow is a huge projection on our part, but we saw a lot of upside last spring. Seputis started to put it together on the high school level. There is a group of 15 post prospects between #11 and #34 in the overall rankings. Some are raw upside prospects while others have more limited ceilings, but are ready now. We can’t wait to dive deep into this group!