2023 Rankings: Biggest Risers

The class of 2023 rankings will be updated next week. Here's a look at the players set to make the biggest jumps...   [player_tooltip player_id="981202" first="Ethan" last="Heck"] - SG - West De Pere/Wisconsin Crusaders<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Ethan-Heck.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1241093" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Ethan-Heck-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Heck is one of the better shot makers in the 2023 class. He's a plug n' play guard at the next level in terms of his ability to just score within the flow of the offense. He doesn't need a ton of touches to be successful or make his impact. Heck's sweet outside shooting ability will pull defenders away from the paint and allow driving lanes for his teammates. Heck also has some excellent positional size at 6-foot-5, knows how to move without the ball, and possesses the ability to heat up like an oven. [player_tooltip player_id="1141638" first="Gavyn" last="Hurley"] - G - Middleton/[program_tooltip program_id='2078835' first='Wisconsin' last='Swing'] Hurley has had a big summer on the NY2LA circuit. The 6-foot-4 floor general impacts the game in a variety of ways. Emerging as one of the better defenders in his class, Hurley has a good blend of length and toughness that makes it difficult for his man to score. Hurley has started to pick up strong Division 2 interest this summer and appears to be in store for a breakout year at Middleton. [player_tooltip player_id="1043749" first="Emmett" last="Lawton"] - SG - Notre Dame/Team 1848 Lawton scored the ball exceptionally well over the month of July. The Notre Dame sniper is a hand-down, man-down shooter that gets the green light from anywhere on the floor. Lawton knows how to get to his spots and get himself in rhythm as a shooter. He's very efficient off the bounce in the mid-range. Lawton also has a quiet confidence about him. Not a guy that's gonna pump his chest or whatever when he gets in the zone, but you can tell there's a killer instinct scoring ability there. [player_tooltip player_id="1254288" first="Jack" last="Riley"] - SG - Catholic Memorial/Chapman Basketball Academy Riley is a shooter with some length. The 6-foot-3 wing looked good as a floor spacer at the Prep Hoops Finals and flashed with some scoring ability off the dribble as well. Riley feeds well off dribble penetration and knows how to relocate once he gives the ball up, waiting for the defender to turn his head, and float to the corner/wing for an open shot. Catholic Memorial has a lot of talent in the junior class, so Riley may not put up big numbers over his career, but think he's definitely emerged as a player that can hurt you if you forget about him. [player_tooltip player_id="1039325" first="Matthew" last="Schmainda"] - G - Brookfield East/[program_tooltip program_id='2078835' first='Wisconsin' last='Swing']<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/f9k72f.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1213702" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/f9k72f-300x153.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="153" /></a> Schmainda showed he was severely under ranked this summer. The junior guard is going to do big things for the Spartans as a junior. While he's undersized as a combo guard, Schmainda is lightning quick on the ball, is highly skilled, and has a ton of tools as a scorer. Schmainda is a deadly 3-point shooter, but is also vastly improved as an isolation scorer. He surprised with his ability to take out his do-it-yourself-kit and go get a bucket. Also a tenacious, blue collar defender, Schaminda will mix it up defensively, scrap for 50-50 balls, and attacks the offensive glass without fear. Thought earlier in Schmainda's career he was more of a glue guy, but I'm starting to believe he's a star player in the Greater Metro Conference. [player_tooltip player_id="1138442" first="Joe" last="Stewart"] - G - Brookfield East/Power 5 Brookfield East just keeps pumping out guards and Stewart is another name to know this winter. Stewart did some nice things in spots for the Spartans as a sophomore. He's one of those guys that may not look the part, but if you get lackadaisical defensively, he can absolutely kill you. Stewart is an assassin offensively and has some sneaky athleticism that catches defenders by surprise. Wouldn't be surprised if Stewart is one of the biggest x-factors in the Greater Metro Conference as someone who can carry East in games when the stars have an off night. [player_tooltip player_id="1021576" first="William" last="Whorton"] - PF - Milwaukee King/Wisconsin Playground Club Whorton is nowhere near his ceiling yet, but his flashes are starting to become more consistent. The 6-foot-8 forward is a super long, lanky forward that's oozing with potential. Love when Whorton plays aggressively and brings out that junkyard dog mentality. His bottom should be someone who creates second chance opportunities and runs the floor hard in transition. When he brings that motor consistently, Whorton can change games. Skill work is going to be a big point of emphasis going forward, but Whorton is starting to handle it better on the perimeter and gain confidence as a shooter 6-8 feet from the hoop. [player_tooltip player_id="1139642" first="Vincent" last="Vandervest"] - Bay Port/Team 1848<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/cinp39.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1265326" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/cinp39-300x156.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="156" /></a> An athletic, skilled wing, Vandervest had a very strong end to his summer. Like the way Vandervest plays around the basket. The alley-oop, above the rim stuff will generate the most buzz, but I was most impressed with Vandervest's footwork in traffic and ability to score while fading away from the rim to get his shot off against bigger defenders. Vandervest slashes or cuts into the paint consistently to generate high percentage looks. Defensively, he plays with really good instincts from the weak-side as someone who can take points off the board with his rotations and shot blocking/altering timing. [player_tooltip player_id="1141628" first="Austin" last="Villareal"] - G - Arrowhead/Phenom University One of those guards that's gonna get the most out of his talent, Villareal may not have ideal size, but he's turned himself into an offensive threat whenever he steps on the floor. A smooth and skilled guard, Villareal isn't going to be limited to just being a perimeter sniper because he's under six feet. The Arrowhead guard has worked very hard on his touch and off-balance scoring ability. Scoring alone won't get you big minutes at a program like Arrowhead though. Villareal gets on the floor because he plays with heart, competitiveness, and buys into the system.