Stock rising wings from final 2023 rankings update
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Our final 2023 rankings update saw a few players make big jumps up our list in the final update. In this article we’ll break down some wing prospects who made the leap up. Jujuan Ray OH #50 SF #8 HEIGHT…
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Continue ReadingOur final 2023 rankings update saw a few players make big jumps up our list in the final update. In this article we’ll break down some wing prospects who made the leap up.
A late bloomer, Ray played his best basketball at the end of his senior season which helped lead Westerville South to another district championship. Ray is a talented wing scorer who can create for himself with good size and is a big-time shooter from the outside. He took a while to figure out how to use his physical tools and natural ability to make an impact at the varsity level but I think Ray’s long-term upside is quite intriguing. After a productive senior season I think that programs from a variety of levels should be interested in Ray, including scholarship Division II and NAIA, JUCO and Post grad schools.
Norton is another prospect who played his best basketball late with a big time showing at Flyin To The Hoop and a 40+ point performance on senior night to go over 1,000 career points. Norton is a solid athlete who can really shoot it from the outside and makes some impressive live-dribble passes. Playing this spring with Wildcat Select, Norton will have another opportunity to show coaches from a variety of levels what he can do. I think Norton should be in a similar situation as Ray is in, getting interest from a variety of levels including scholarship, JUCO and post grad options.
Highlights
Gonzalez was hurt the first time I saw Chaney play so getting the chance to see him again in the playoffs was a good final opportunity to scout the talented wing. A big time athlete, Gonzalez has tons of powerful dunks and blocks on his highlight tape. Another talented wing scorer, when Gonzalez is knocking down jumpers he is very tough to slow down. Another potential scholarship level talent, it’ll be interesting to see if schools in the PSAC take a look at Gonzalez due to his athleticism and strength.
A state champion, Boyce played his best basketball down the stretch of the season with crucial plays on both ends. Not going to dominate the ball offensively, Boyce scores a lot of gritty buckets off cuts, offensive rebounds and transition opportunities. I was also impressed with the defensive effort Boyce showed in Buchtel’s state title run. Boyce has received more college interest for football than basketball but could also play at the college level on the hardwood.
Vowles got hot from deep in Hoban’s state championship victory and moves up in our rankings due to consistent outside shooting production. There were few players in the state shooting a hotter ball than Vowles was in the month of March as his timely shooting was key in a few tight playoff wins for the Knights. Vowles is also an impressive athlete, recently breaking the high jump record for his school’s track and field team.
The third state champion on the list, Griffith impressed me with his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways, similar to Boyce earlier in the article. Griffith has good hands defensively, isn’t afraid to take charges and makes the right extra pass. I also saw Griffith start to knock down some shots from the outside, which will be a key skill for him at the next level to provide some offensive value. It’s no surprise that teams with x-factors like Boyce, Vowles and Griffith ended up raising state championship trophies at the end of the season, it takes an entire team to buy in and these guys certainly did that for their teams.