Rankings Rountable: New No. 1, Difficult Ranks, Risers

<p>Yesterday we released our updated 2021 player rankings here at Prep Hoops Maryland. There was significant movement throughout the rankings, so we decided to get together for a roundtable and knock out some common questions that come with this process. We all discuss the rankings process and while many times we see eye-to-eye, there are some prospects we have different views on. That’s the beauty of differing opinions.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>1. We have a new No. 1! Was it difficult coming to this conclusion?</strong></span></p> <p><em>Giacubeno: </em>After Benny Williams announced that he would be transferring to IMG Academy for his senior season, our no. 1 spot in the 2021 rankings was up for grabs. Although [player_tooltip player_id="531233" first="Jakai" last="Robinson"] is one of the most intriguing prospects in the area and should be committing to a power five conference team at some point, the rise of [player_tooltip player_id="902004" first="Jordan" last="Hawkins"] was undeniable. At 6-foot-5 and one of the deadliest shot-makers you’ll find, his potential and upside to grow as a player not only during his senior year at DeMatha, but also once he steps foot on campus at UConn made it a pretty easy decision to boost him as the top player in Maryland/DC.</p> <p><em>Ayalew: </em>Any decision with regards to rankings is always difficult. In this case, I believe Hawkins earned the top spot. He has continuously improved over time, especially on defense, and that’s a positive sign for his future outlook.  </p> <p><em>Wilson: </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">For me it was not difficult. [player_tooltip player_id="902004" first="Jordan" last="Hawkins"] is coming off a great junior campaign at DeMatha and had a very good spring and summer with Team Durant and overall has taken his game to a whole new level. With the departure of Benny Williams to IMG, it was without no hesitation to move Hawkins to the number one spot.</span></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Dread-Malcolm.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1005097" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/Dread-Malcolm-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>2. Name 1 or 2 players who were extremely difficult in ranking and why.</strong></span></div> <div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Giacubeno: </em>Not getting to see St. Frances guard [player_tooltip player_id="836491" first="Khyrie" last="Staten"] this spring/summer made it tough to find a perfect spot in the rankings for him. As a junior on a nationally ranked Panthers team, Staten played a vital role on both ends and really looked to emerge as a low-major Division I prospect. He suffered an injury early in the spring that kept him sidelined and even though from what I hear he’s almost back to 100 percent, it would’ve been nice to see him play in some events and showcase further development in his overall game. I still strongly believe he can help</p> <p><em>Ayalew: </em>I honestly feel like each ranking is difficult in its own way. I just do the best I can with the information I have.</p> <p><em>Wilson: </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">I am going to go with [player_tooltip player_id="902025" first="Malcolm" last="Dread"] of Gonzaga and who recently committed to Richmond in the spring. We are talking about an A10 commit who found himself ranked 53 in the MD/DC area…. That does not happen a lot and I think maybe this year he might prove he needs to be ranked higher but up until now he has been on a lot of talented high school and AAU teams which has not allowed him to fully showcase his skills which is a reason he was ranked lower.</span></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Ahmad-Harrison-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1038385" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Ahmad-Harrison-1-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> </div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>3. Which player who improved their ranking the most did you vouch heavily for?</strong></span></div> <div> </div> <div> <p><em>Giacubeno:</em> [player_tooltip player_id="902015" first="Ahmad" last="Harrison"]. After seeing him as a consistent facilitator on a Team Thrill squad who didn’t lose a game all summer, I was convinced that he can be a productive point guard at the collegiate level. Harrison recently made it known that he will spend his senior season at National Christian Academy under new head coach Kenny Johnson, which should generate even more interest from Division I programs. At 6-foot-1, the southpaw places with great pace, is a scoring threat especially from the mid-range area and is a vicious and versatile defender for his position. He earned his spot at no. 19.</p> <p><em>Ayalew: </em>I’d vouch for any player who has improved their ranking. If I had to pick one, it would be [player_tooltip player_id="902013" first="Thomas" last="Whitley"] because I like his upside. </p> <p><em>Wilson: </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">I am glad to see James Madison commit, [player_tooltip player_id="836468" first="Devon" last="Savage"], ranked where he is now at 16. I have always been a huge proponent of Savage because of his body, athleticism and ability to score the basketball so I think we got it right with Savage. Savage has the potential to be an all league player in the CAA when he is dressing up for the Dukes.</span></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Vincent-Payn.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1014666" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Vincent-Payn-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> </div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>4. Do you feel anyone is still ranked too low?</strong></span></div> <div> </div> <div> <p><em>Giacubeno: </em>In my opinion [player_tooltip player_id="836500" first="Vincent" last="Payne"] should be ranked higher than no. 85. He’s established himself as a Division II prospect that is only going to improve as he takes on a much bigger role as a senior at St. Maria Goretti. Payne had a productive spring and summer with Global Squad that caught the attention of many. At 6-foot-2, he’s a dead-eye sniper from three and an underrated playmaker off the bounce. He has high basketball IQ, moves extremely well without the ball and can be used as a versatile defender. </p> <p><em>Ayalew: </em>No matter how you long or hard you work on rankings, someone will probably feel slighted. With that being said, I believe we’ve done the best we can with the information we’ve been able to gather during this pandemic. </p> <p><em>Wilson: </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="775333" first="Cole" last="Hanin"] at 56 seems a little low for me. Hanin is not going to blow you away with his size and looks of a basketball player but Hanin is a true point guard that will do whatever he has to do to help his team on both ends of the floor. I simply just don’t think there are 55 better prospects than Hanin.</span></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2018/08/Jalen-Miller.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-612582" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2018/08/Jalen-Miller-300x225.jpg" alt="[player_tooltip player_id=" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> </div> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>5. Which prospect do you hope proves us right given his ranking?</strong></span></div> <div> </div> <div> <p><em>Giacubeno:</em> [player_tooltip player_id="1049493" first="Jamai" last="Felt"]. After hearing about him often throughout his junior season at Randallstown, I finally got my eyes on the 6-foot-9 forward this spring and he didn’t disappoint. What I saw was a long, athletic southpaw forward who was oozing with potential. He makes plays above the rim on both ends that really impress you. He has ability to face-up in the post and attack his man off one or two dribbles and even knocked down a number of three’s throughout the summer. His ceiling is as high as being an A-10 prospect, but there’s no doubt he’ll need polishing and heavy development once he steps foot on a college campus. I’m confident with him at no. 22, but just hope he can live up to expectations.</p> <p><em>Ayalew: </em>I’m not concerned with being right or wrong with any ranking. I feel confident in the time and effort I put into gathering the information I need to formulate my opinions. </p> <p><em>Wilson: </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="531258" first="Jalen" last="Miller"] moving into the top 3 is a big jump for him as he is behind two very talented players and in front of a lot of quality high level players. I definitely hope he proves us right being ranked number 3 because there is a lot of good talent ranked behind him</span></p> </div>