Stock Risers: Class of 2021 and 2022s
In this article:
Johaness Kirsipuu, SCS
The top-ranked player in Estonia in the Class of 2021, the 6-foot-1 guard has a natural scoring engine. He had several high 30s and 40-point game as a freshman last season, seizing the hot hand and firing in from beyond the arc in unconscious fashion. He’s developed a tight handle, an aspect which has mirrored his ascension as an oft-creating guard who really knows how to make teammates better.
He averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 boards, 3.7 assists, and 2.6 steals playing for the national team this summer. Kirsipuu established himself as a legitimate 3-point ace this summer. He displayed a deft stroke from near NBA range. He hit a barrage of treys via the step-back and in transition. He’s added a nifty floater to his repertoire, a shot that’s particularly tough to guard. He’s grown both physically and in his ability to break a defender down in the one-on-one game. If he continues to put up big numbers as a battle-tested sophomore, the International talent has the potential to play high major Division-I basketball.
Michael Cooper, Inlet Grove
The Class of 2022 prospect is a surefire 3-point rainmaker with maddening consistency and an ability to free himself up with or without the ball in his hands. After establishing himself as a true sniper on the age appropriate level, Cooper cut his teeth against upperclassmen this summer. His shot is translatable to the higher level because it is a quicker release and he doesn’t pin it up off of his chest, as most his age have the tendency to do.
Cooper can get hot in a hurry, an aspect which enables him to kick-start back breaking spurts and deliver timely treys throughout crucial junctures. If he can continue to ascend through the maturation process and get stronger, he’s got the opportunity to be a very special shooter and all around scorer these next few years.
Adrian Griffin Jr., Stepinac
The 17th ranked player in the Class of 2021, Griffin displayed his high-major athleticism and scoring skill-set when he submitted 19.6 PPG during a four-game stay at Torrey Pines in California. The son of the former Seton Hall star and Chicago Bull, Griffin has serious bounce and ferocious above the rim finishing.
Craig Starks, Miami Beach
The 6-foot-6 forward is developing into a wildly athletic prospect who can finish above the rim and has no trepidation in getting into the lane and throwing down filthy sledgehammer-like dunks. Defensively, he’s got versatility in guarding the 2-5, switching on screens and clamping down on big men in the post. He can go rim to rim with the fours and fives and makes efficient use of his touches in the post. After averaging 10 points and 11 boards during much of last season at Mater Lakes Academy, anticipate a more prominent role for the muscle-bound Starks at Miami Beach. He will have the freedom to score the ball often, especially given his development of a mid-range game and feathery deep jumper. He’ll also have the opportunity to be the focal point and a surefire double double threat as a sophomore.
Ryan Davis, Martin County
The 6-foot-3 guard has a mental moxie and an innate feel for the game as a versatile threat. His sheer toughness is translatable to his ability to carom boards and front bigger players in the post. He’s able to manufacture points at all three levels, with his 3-point shot improving from a work-in-progress to a feathery and reliable facet of his game. He’s able to barrel into traffic and really churn out points, drawing fouls and finishing through contact.
He’s incredibly poised and as he showed during Palm Beach State camp two months ago, he can trigger the transition attack fresh off a defensive board and an outlet pass.
Gabriel Gapard, Dr. Krop
The high-octane Class of 2022 is constantly in attack mode. He’s got a knack for knifing to the rim through traffic and finishing tough shots. Like any hard-driving guard, he possesses an adeptness at protecting the ball and simultaneously adjusting through defenders while producing a crafty, acrobatic layup. He’s shown decent bounce and will continue to keep defenders in chase mode if he can add some muscle onto his spindly frame.
With his ability to finish and get up and down the court, Gapard’s game is tailor-suited for the breakneck, speedball attack.
Kuran Bryant, Coral Gables
The 6-foot-3 wing has prodigious bounce and can throw it down effectively with either hand. He’s also feasted on the competition his own age with a versatile game underscored by all three levels’ scoring acumen and defensive versatility. He’s capable of guarding the 1-4 and has assimilated to the demands of playing the four, crashing the boards at a furious pace and staying active in his shot-blocking and shot-contesting.
While playing for the Florida Lightning on the AAU scene this summer, his performance during a 72-69 defeat of the Dallas Mustangs was emblematic of his multi-positional style: 30 points, 17 boards, and eight assists.
He was a monstrous presence on the boards while playing within his age group, routinely registering double digits in rebounds.
Frank Ireye, Potter’s House
The Class of 2022 forward is still a bit raw, albeit the 6-foot-9 forward brings a great deal of promise with his upper body strength and finishing ability. He’s already drawn comparisons to Bretner Mutumbo, a similar powerful threat with upside and powerful above the rim finishing aptitude.
Ireye will be a supplemental piece on this guard-laden team offensively. Expect him to be on the receiving end of countless lob passes, emerging into a hyper-efficient threat with his touches down low. He’s got exceptional fleet of foot for a player of his size and has gotten significantly better at providing sturdy rim protection.
Lynn Kidd, The Rock School
Following a pedestrian freshman season with the SIAA champions, Kidd has erupted into a multi-tooled talent this summer. He’s gone from a promising big with deceptive hops to a versatile threat who can perform a variety of tasks while consistently winning the plus/minus connotation of the stat sheet. Kidd has developed into a stretch 4/5 who can score the ball on hustle points and lob passes.
He’s added a layer to his game with his outside shot and his ability to take gargantuan rim protectors away from the paint with his feathery touch. Defensively, the vastly improved stretch four/five is able to heavily contest and block shots. His instincts on the defensive end, which add to the unique threat that he poses, solidify him as a high-major prospect. Few have teed off on an off season like Kidd. His sophomore campaign elicits heavy anticipation throughout the state and the country.
Omar Cooper, Indiana Rise
The Class of 2022 prospect showed out this summer, providing quality minutes and instant production as a sparkplug off the bench. He showed an adeptness for depositing corner and straight-away 3-pointers, firing in and injecting life into the offense immediately upon checking in. He’s got good shoulder-to-shoulder defense and doesn’t gamble, unlike most at this level tend to do.
Hes become more crafty with his ball handling and his ability to carve through defenders with his shot creation.
Peter Suta, Indiana Rise
The Class of 2022 prospect possesses high level know-how and a good overall feel for the game, aspects evidenced through his defensive instincts. As Suta continues to grow and play meaningful minutes at higher levels, he’s got the potential and skill set to develop as a real unicorn.
He’s long and versatile and knows how to score from inside and outside. His activeness on the defensive end created all types of disruption for opponents throughout this summer.