Top Players and Movers in 2022 Rankings

The August update of the class of 2022 revealed a new number one. Koren Johnson, our previous number one, transferred to Wasatch Academy in Utah. This propelled [player_tooltip player_id="674420" first="Tyler" last="Linhardt"] of Kings High School up one spot. The University of Washington commit, however, has been playing out of state as well and plans to be at an Ohio prep school this fall. This news was discovered after the rankings were published so Linhardt remains #1 in Washington for now.   The new number two and three players both play at Auburn High School. [player_tooltip player_id="674438" first="Maleek" last="Arington"] is a 6-3 point guard and [player_tooltip player_id="674428" first="Tre" last="Blassingame"] is a 6-5 wing. They each had a Pac 12 offer leaving the Boss of Ball last spring and teamed up to lead Auburn to an undefeated WIAA season in June.   #2 [player_tooltip player_id="674438" first="Maleek" last="Arington"] has continued to add quickness and strength. His trademark floater in the lane is still soft as ever but he now will occasionally rise up and throw down in traffic. His vision and decision making is unmatched and his commitment to defense was never in question. He is equally effective in transition as he is at reading half court defenses. He is a point guard at the D1 level who can guard 1-3. It is his passing that really separates him. He effortlessly flicks long outlet passes with such quickness, velocity and accuracy that they are always completed. He throws passes to where players are going to be sometimes even before they start going there. He uses pump fakes, ball fakes, and his eyes to move defenders. He makes post feeding look simple and always hits shooters in the hands when kicking out or tossing skip passes.   #3 [player_tooltip player_id="674428" first="Tre" last="Blassingame"] wing-span and length makes him an incredibly effective defender. He can close out, contest, and cleanly block perimeter jump shooters, rundown and reject the breakaway lay-in attempts, and challenge aggressive drivers above the rim. As a one-on-one on ball defender, he understands angles, doesn’t get fooled by fakes, and uses his quick hands and stronger upper body to keep scorers in front. These physical tools also make him an effective scorer. He stays on balance, waits for a defender to over-commit and puts the ball on the ground with a plan and a purpose. In the half court, he is always one or two dribbles from the rim and has an ambidextrous and varied finishing package.   #4 [player_tooltip player_id="674424" first="Braeden" last="Smith"] recently picked up an offer from UC Davis. The clever and smooth point guard plays with such an air of confidence that he brings out the best in others. Smith is equally comfortable blowing past defenders with his right or left hand. He is capable of finishing at the rim against much bigger defenders because he uses his body to seal shot blockers, but he is always aware of how his drive to the hoop opens up passing lanes. He is at his best offensively after getting a perimeter defender in the air. He can hit from mid-range going either direction or use one more stutter step and glide to the hoop for the finish or dish off to his open teammate. He is a bucket creator.   #5 [player_tooltip player_id="674421" first="Tyler" last="Mrus"] continues to develop. His size, motor, and fearlessness make him a D1 prospect. His skill set makes him a prototypical high post player where he is one dribble away from finishing at the hoop or stepping back the other direction and knocking down the three. He can pass and shoot off the dribble but is definitely not the type of player who must have the ball in hands to be effective offensively. He sets great pin down screens, knows how and when to slip, can post up, roll, or pop after the on ball. He is drawing interest from Southern Utah and Airforce.   The player making the biggest jump up to the top 10 is [player_tooltip player_id="1120389" first="Jonas" last="La Tour"] at #6 who moves up from #19. LaTour is a big athletic guard capable of catching lobs for dunks in traffic off two feet or flying up and over everybody off the dribble. These highlight plays though sometimes draw too much attention away from his shooting. He has range well beyond the three line and effortlessly releases one of the quickest jump shots around. He takes no time setting his feet and has a compact stroke that makes him a deadly catch and shoot scorer.   Other players who made significant moves up our rankings include [player_tooltip player_id="674432" first="Bennett" last="O’Connor"] jumps up six spots into the top 20 at #19. O’Connor is a point guard with all the needed tools and poise to play at the next level. He showed all summer he can be an extremely efficient and effective leader against high level competition.   [player_tooltip player_id="1120391" first="Jaxon" last="Nap"] showed out this spring and summer and is up to #20. The smooth shooting lefty showed he is capable of scoring on anybody and everybody. He has a great pump fake, jab and a first step that gets him past his man and he explodes to the hoop on balance. He can finish over or around most help defenders with either hand. He has an offer in hand from Seattle Pacific and with the eyes he opened this summer, I expect more to follow. [player_tooltip player_id="931155" first="Kaden" last="Hansen"] goes from 51 all the way to #25. Hansen was voted league MVP while playing at Auburn High and that is an amazing accomplishment considering our #2 and #3 prospects are his high school teammates. His growth and added strength have made him a four year college prospect. He too proved himself capable of performing at a high level against top competition while playing without his high school teammates.