2022 Rankings: Players to Watch Outside the Top 50

<p>The high school season is about to be underway, and as always in the fall we have came out with the final rankings for the senior class (2022). Many players have transferred in from out of state, and in some cases out of country to SIAA schools and national power houses IMG and Montverde Academy. This article will highlight some of the players ranked outside of the top 50 that I see great value in.</p> <p>SF [player_tooltip player_id="814923" first="Derrick" last="Mitchell"] 6-5 St. Petersburg PH.73</p> <p>I’ve always been a big fan of Mitchell’s game. For starters he has great length, he’s crazy athletic and his motor is one of the top five that I’ve seen in this Florida class. All of these attributes make him an outstanding defender who you can unleash on an opposing teams best player. Over the past summer he has spent time in the weight room, which has allowed him to play a more physical game. He is at his best in the open court where he can showcase his bounce, and on strong attacks slashing to the basket. As a junior at Tampa Catholic he posted numbers of 11.4 PPG 5.4 RPG and 1.5 SPG. Expect to see those numbers increase as he moves over to St. Petersburg High for his senior season. Off the court Mitchell is an elite student with a 3.7 GPA and high test scores.</p> <p>PG A.J. Wright 5-8 Speights Academy PH. 125</p> <p>He’s undersized yes, but he has the most heart of any kid I’ve seen in this class. One of the best on ball defenders in Florida, Wright averaged an insane 5.6 steals per game at Clearwater last year. He also has the ability to run the offense, and is great at getting into the lane and either dishing to teammates on the block, or kicking it out to teammates for 3-Point opportunities. In a day and age where point guards look to score more often than not, it is refreshing to see a point guard who averages nearly as many assists (6.7 last season) as points (9.3 PPG). For his senior season Wright decided to transfer to Speights Academy a post grad program, while finishing up his high school coursework online. Any college coach looking for a true pass first point guard who can set the tone defensively should look no further.</p> <p>SG [player_tooltip player_id="829465" first="Ollie" last="Pasque"] 6-3 Satellite PH.102</p> <p>Pasque has been one of the best players out on the Space Coast for a couple of years now. Last season he averaged 20 PPG while shooting 61/155 (39 %) from 3 point land to go along with 4 RPG and 2 APG. This past summer he really caught our attention playing with Legacy 321 SportsCast on the AAU circuit. A three level scorer, Pasque can break defenders down off the dribble, and get to the basket for a crafty finish, pull up for a mid range jumper, or knock down a 3-pointer an area where he is lethal. He has a high basketball IQ and the kind of sneaky athleticism that can catch unsuspecting defenders in a poster. Off the court Pasque holds a 3.8 GPA to go along with high test scores.</p> <p>SG [player_tooltip player_id="1161418" first="Mason" last="Sheffield"] 6-3 Dr. Phillips PH. 191</p> <p>If you didn’t know, Dr. Phillips has a pretty good basketball team (Defending Class 7A State Champions). With players committed to Kansas, Florida, Mississippi State and pair of underclassman likely bound for Division I basketball, Sheffield is a kid who may not get all the shine, but is capable of playing college basketball. Last season he played well for the Panthers off the bench coming in and locking down on defense. He wasn’t afraid of matching up with some of Florida’s top prospects in the State playoffs, making their lives difficult. The lefty can get to the basket, and is a capable 3-point shooter and the fact that he is an elite student with a 1380 SAT score only helps his cause. A glue guy, Sheffield should again contribute to a team poised for another banner season.</p> <p>SG [player_tooltip player_id="956799" first="Isaiah" last="Oquendo"] 6-3 Winter Park PH.192</p> <p>Oquendo really tore it up this past summer playing AAU for the Nona Basketball Academy on the Prep Hoops Circuit. At “The Platform” in Birmingham he really turned some heads averaging 20 PPG and 6 RPG shooting 47 % from 3-Point territory. Watching Oquendo play it’s not hard to tell that he is the son of a basketball coach, he has great footwork, makes the right pass vs. shot decisions and rarely turns the ball over. As a junior Oquendo started at Winter Park averaging 9.7 PPG and with more opportunity he seems ready to take on more of the scoring load. Off the court Oquendo holds a 4.5 GPA and scored an 1190 on the SAT. Recruiting wise, several Division III schools have reached out.</p>