Louisiana 2021 Rankings: Top 5
Javon Ruffin 6’5 SG Newman After his performance last season as a freshman, followed up by his performance this summer playing up a grade for Louisiana Supreme, Javon Ruffin has firmly cemented himself as the top player in Louisiana for…
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Continue ReadingJavon Ruffin 6’5 SG Newman
After his performance last season as a freshman, followed up by his performance this summer playing up a grade for Louisiana Supreme, Javon Ruffin has firmly cemented himself as the top player in Louisiana for the 2021 class. The 6’5 G is about as polished as they come on the offensive end, and is capable of scoring it on all 3 levels. He has the long arms and athleticism to be a really good defender. And his lineage certainly doesn’t hurt. His dad is former NBA player Michael Ruffin, who is currently on staff for the New Orleans Pelicans, giving him full access to NBA trainers and training facility whenever he wants.
Emareyon McDonald 6’0 PG Red River
I will be honest, when I first saw Emareyon McDonald a year ago, I didn’t think that he was this good. I thought he was an above average guard for his age, but I didn’t think that he would even be in the top 15 of the rankings at this time last year. That is a testament to his work ethic and commitment to working on his craft. He was always a really good shooter, but he has become one of the more elite shooter in the country for his age, going 31-35 from 3 while at the Adidas All American Camp, as one of the youngest players there. He has also worked on his body, as well as finishing around the lane. Even as recently as 5 months ago, he was shying away from contact, and every finish around the lane was a floater. But now, he can finish with either hand, and is much better at absorbing and finishing through contact.
Joe Charles 6’7 SF Carencro
Charles is the type of prospect that we don’t find very often in Louisiana. He is a tall, and long 6’7 that can really play 1-5 at the highschool level. He is incredibly skilled for his size and age combination, with the ability to knock down 3s just as easily as he is able to swat shots out of bounds. He has all of the tools and skills to become one of the best players in the state, and might have the highest ceiling of anyone in the state, regardless of class. The question is whether or not he is able to put all of those skills together when it comes to game time. So far in his career, he has yet to assert his dominance, but if he is able to start doing that, the rest of the state better watch out.
Jamond Vincent 6’2 SG Landry Walker
If there is one person that I worry about ranking too low in these initial rankings, it is probably Jamond Vincent, for one simple reason; there really aren’t any holes to his game. He is a really good ball handler, an above average shooter, a good defender, has good feel for the game, plays the game with a high motor, and is an absolute high flyer. He has gotten better at his perimeter game over the past year, and can definitely be labeled as a guard, whereas a year ago at this time, I would have still called him a wing. The only issue I really have with his game, is that he is good at a lot of things, but not really great at any one thing, but as a young player, he has a really good foundation to build on.
Brian Thomas 6’4 SG Walker
If there is one elite player in the 2021 class that I still feel is a bit of a mystery to me, it’s Brian Thomas. Now, I’m not saying that I haven’t seen him play much. I’ve probably seen him play just as much if not more than anyone else on this list, but he has a game that is hard to categorize. He is a good but not great handler, but it always seems like his is able to get to the spots that he wants to on the court. He has really nice size for the guard position, and is a really good passer, but tries to force things a bit at times. He is a much better from 3 than you would expect him to be. He definitely has all of the tools to be an excellent defender, and has really good instincts on the defensive end of the court. And even after saying all of this, he might still be a better prospect on the football field than on the basketball court. All I’m saying is Thomas has a bright athletic future ahead of him, no matter where he ends up.