Updated 2023 Rankings: Bigs Rankings (5-1)

<p>We have updated our 2023 class rankings and have been breaking down content over the past few weeks. Here, we will take a look at rankings by position, breaking it down into three categories: Guards, wings and bigs.</p> <p>Here’s a look at part three of the bigs rankings, ranking the best power forwards and centers numbers 5-1.</p> <p>To see the entire class of 2023 rankings, click <a href="https://prephoops.com/virginia/rankings/2023-rankings/">here</a>.</p> <p><strong>5) [player_tooltip player_id="1231821" first="Luke" last="McEldon"] | 6’8” | Potomac School (#16 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/McEldon-Luke.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1246205" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/McEldon-Luke-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>McEldon is a fast rising prospect that had a monster summer for Team Loaded, and the rumor is he’ll be at Potomac School but could end up elsewhere, but regardless whoever gets him will get a productive low post presence with a lot of room to continue to get better. He’s very physical in the paint and plays with a great motor on the glass, and he’s an old school post technician that can score it on the block in a variety of ways. He runs the floor hard and brings it on both ends, he’s efficient in the paint and although he’s a quiet guy he plays with good energy on both ends.</p> <p><strong>4) [player_tooltip player_id="815595" first="Judah" last="Egbo"] | 6’8” | Life Christian Academy (#14 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/Egba-Judah.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1114404" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/Egba-Judah-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>There may not be a single player on this list that has improved as much over the past few years as Egbo, who will reclassify to the 2023 class and should have division one programs all over him moving forward. He’s always been a good athlete and played with a high motor, but now he’s doing so with more purpose and better timing and hands as well. He can run the floor and play in transition with his guards, he’s a big time athlete who can finish above the rim and protect the rim defensively and he plays extremely hard on both ends too.</p> <p><strong>3) [player_tooltip player_id="1159838" first="Evan" last="Ramsey"] | 7’0” | Abingdon (#13 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Ramsey-Evan.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1161641" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Ramsey-Evan-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>The best prospect in SWVA, Ramsey was a huge reason that Abingdon made it to the Class 3 state championship before falling to Hopewell, but he put himself on the map as a division one prospect with tons of upside. You can’t teach height and Ramsey is a legit 7’0” tall with good length, but he’s more than just a big kid he can hoop and impacts the game in a number of ways. He has good touch in the paint and has shown the ability to step out and shoot it from deep and is a good free throw shooter, he has a toughness to him as he takes a beating almost every time he’s on the floor because of his size and doesn’t back down and if he can become a little more mobile he’ll have college coaches lining up to recruit him here soon.</p> <p><strong>2) [player_tooltip player_id="892134" first="Justin" last="McBride"] | 6’7” | Oak Hill (#9 Overall)</strong></p> <p>McBride, who is a native of Texas and plays AAU ball on the 3SSB Circuit with Southern Assault, may be a little low in our overall rankings as we have only got a chance to see snippets of him, but from everything that I have been told he projects to be a high level stretch big that has the versatility to be a mismatch when he’s on the floor. He’s a smooth athlete who is mobile and runs the floor well, he can guard multiple positions and he plays with a good motor on both ends. He really thrives as a stretch big that can knock it down consistently and create driving lanes for his guards.</p> <p><strong>1) [player_tooltip player_id="999617" first="Carter" last="Lang"] | 6’9” | STAB (#4 Overall)</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Lang-Carter-ECE.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1149226" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Lang-Carter-ECE-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Lang has been as consistent as any prospect that we had in our 2023 rankings, and that consistency and high production rate is the main reason we bumped him from #10 up to #4, basically because he earned it. The 6’9” Lang is a big target in the post who has good hands and good feet, he has soft touch and finishes consistently in traffic and he’s recently showed the ability to step out and make shots from the perimeter as well as make passes to cutters, shooters and high-lows to other bigs. What really separates Lang is his high motor that he plays with as he runs the floor hard and he pursues the basketball every time a shot goes up, as I’ve seen him have multiple 20-20 games in the few years I’ve watched him play. He already holds high major offers from a number of schools and that’s only going to continue to grow as he continues to improve.</p>