Winter Climbers: Class of 2020 Part III
The natural curvature of the basketball Earth just began to rotate our impending playoffs into view. It is that time when the upper limb of the playoff sun appears above the horizon as a result of the diurnal rotation of…it…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe natural curvature of the basketball Earth just began to rotate our impending playoffs into view. It is that time when the upper limb of the playoff sun appears above the horizon as a result of the diurnal rotation of…it is a sunrise metaphor. Deal with it.
Time to revisit the Class of 2020 rankings and adjust to account for the player’s growth and stagnation. Also, 23 new players splashed into the pool.
If you want to look at the complete rankings, smash here.
Climbers are either players previously undervalued, unseen, or possibly players that developed their game in the last few months. These players represent the four biggest climbers (LEFT-new rank, RIGHT- spots climbed upward).
#105 Tomario Vereen ⇑6
Physical rebounder Tomario Vereen truthfully looks more like a power forward than a college wing. He stands about 6-foot-4, which is encouraging. His whole career prepared him to dominate the Class AAA glass, but will he be able to adapt away from the basket? Vereen also runs the ball for Clarksville Northeast’s football team, so his future could follow a couple of different athletic paths.
#15 Emory Lanier ⇑6
Son of a University of Tennessee basketball coach, Emory is all class. Mature beyond his years Lanier lagged a little behind the elite 2020’s last spring. Recent months showcased a swift physical maturation for the now 6-foot-3 guard. This is a player that will lead a program. He just has that kind of non-threatening confidence and self-assuredness coupled with drive to succeed that great leaders often possess. Lanier is now playing point guard with Webb of Knoxville. It was a change that felt a little unnatural from this outsider’s perspective, but Head Coach Ricky Norris knew Lanier could do it and he was correct. The adaptation process has been faster than imagined and helped both Emory’s game big picture and the team’s cohesion smaller picture. Wonderful move by the coach and impressive acclimation by the player. Emory has the makeup and skills to eventually be a top 10 player in this loaded class.
#2 Samson Ruzhentsev ⇑5
Samson climbed just five spots. He couldn’t climb much higher. Only Keon Johnson is currently a better basketball prospect in our wonderful state. Look at the names Samson passed from seven to two (Marvin Hughes, Akeem Odusipe, Bayron Matos, Matthew Murrell, Drew Williams).
How?
The Russian Bird soared above elite athletes all winter. First hints of his greatness came one year ago, as Hamilton Heights Christian Academy competed at the McCallie Dr. Pepper Classic. HHCA finished the challenging event 1-1. For stretches Samson appeared to be the most assertive attacker against high major foes. It was an omen.
This season Samson goes at elite athletes with an uncommon hunger. He doesn’t wilt or even kind of dissappear. Ruzhentsev is a terror in the open floor and a fantastic outside shooter at 6-foot-6 or a little taller.
For the best statewide coverage of high school basketball follow @PrepHoopsTN.