High Potential 2023 Prospects

Steve Quattrocchi April 16, 2020 @ 04:23 PM

We launched the 2023 rankings last month but it’s still extremely early for the class and there are several players lower in the rankings who could be near the top by graduation. Here’s a look at some freshmen who have the potential to move way up the list in the near future. [player_tooltip player_id="932783" first="Nick" last="Spalding"], Dunbar - The Bulldogs won 8 of their last 11 games this season and that boost coincided with Nick’s elevation into the starting lineup and a bigger role in his Freshman season. Moving forward, Spalding is a growth spurt and a lot of time in the weight room from being a low to mid major D1 prospect. A 39% shooter from three and 44% shooter overall, Nick may be the best shooter in the class at this point but also possesses a high IQ and feel for the game that makes me think he could be best suited as a floor general PG who runs the team and knocks down open shots while not forcing his own offense. [player_tooltip player_id="932784" first="Tramane" last="Alcorn"], Lincoln County - One of my favorite prospects in the class since seeing him last summer, Tramane plays with an incredible motor. Although his natural position is as a point or combo guard, Alcorn isn’t afraid to play or guard any spot on the court and should combine with rising Junior [player_tooltip player_id="638866" first="Jaxon" last="Smith"] to form a potent backcourt that excels at getting to the rim. If he can become a more consistent shooter from downtown, Tramane would become a more complete player. [player_tooltip player_id="932785" first="Jamal" last="Chambers"], Male - The Bulldogs graduate a loaded backcourt this spring and will need young guards to step up. [player_tooltip player_id="923001" first="Cam" last="Pope"] and [player_tooltip player_id="923049" first="Trey" last="Stone"] will likely be the starters but Jamal had the best freshman season of any Male freshman not named [player_tooltip player_id="932764" first="Kaleb" last="Glenn"] and is likely to join Glenn as an impact player for the Bulldogs next year. [player_tooltip player_id="932791" first="Isaiah" last="Cook"], Eastern - Cook shined at the PH 250 last August and looked good in a small role for the Eagles this season on varsity. With everyone returning for Eastern and 3 new transfers already added to the fold, I’m a little worried that Isaiah could get lost in the shuffle next year, especially behind highly touted Junior PG [player_tooltip player_id="692942" first="Christian" last="Spalding"]. It will be interesting to see how big of a role Cook can carve out next season. [player_tooltip player_id="932792" first="Elijah" last="Decker"], Ohio County - Probably the least heralded player on the list, Decker is a big wing shooter who had a strong Freshman season as a varsity starter and has a bright future. Right now she’s primarily a catch and shoot player and will need to add more to his game to raise his profile over the coming seasons. Good size and skill level show Elijah’s potential. He’s one to track moving forward. [player_tooltip player_id="932788" first="Bradin" last="Nelson"], Webster County - Possibly the best prospect in Western Kentucky in this class (still a long way to go and lots of kids to see), Nelson is a scoring guard with good positional size and versatility as he can play on and off the ball. He’s best when he’s getting downhill with his dribble but can also knock down open shots. The next step in his development is to become a better defender and rebounder but that will come as he matures and adds muscle. Coach Newton does a great job of getting the best out of his players and Bradin is on his way to being one of the best at Webster County since Newton was a star for the Trojans himself.