Top new prospects from 2024 Rankings Update
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Our 2024 Rankings Update saw dozens of new prospects get added to our rankings, in this article we’ll break down the top four prospects that were added to our rankings. Royce Parham OH #1 PF #1 HEIGHT 6'8" POS PF…
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Continue ReadingOur 2024 Rankings Update saw dozens of new prospects get added to our rankings, in this article we’ll break down the top four prospects that were added to our rankings.
Our new top prospect, Parham moves to Ohio from Pittsburgh where he played last season at North Hills. Parham is committed to Marquette where our number two prospect and fellow Western Reserve teammate Damarius Owens Damarius Owens 6’7″ | SF Western Reserve Academy | 2024 State #61 Nation OH also is committed to. Parham was a productive forward on the EYBL circuit, helping lead Team Durant to a Peach Jam appearance. One of the younger prospects in the 2024 class, Parham has a ton of upside down the road and is already one of the more productive forwards in the country. An impressive athlete and skilled, Parham displays a lot of the skills modern forward’s use. A capable shooter from the outside as well, Parham went 3/10 in five games in North Augusta at Peach Jam. Parham also shot 53% from the field that week. Marquette has done a great job at developing prospects they sign out high school and haven’t taken many transfer portal prospects over the past few off-seasons, I expect Parham to be a valuable piece with a year or two of development under Shaka Smart’s leadership. To me, Parham is a potential top 50 national prospect in the country. Currently ranked 76th on ON3, 66th on 247 and 90th on Rivals, I’d have Parham even a little higher than where 247 has him at the moment.
McKinley was a prospect who debuted at first in our Ohio 2024 rankings and kept that spot until he transferred to Link Year Prep and won a GEICO National Championship as a key bench piece. McKinley returns to Ohio third in our rankings, only behind out of state transfers into Western Reserve Academy. A unique big, McKinley has done major work on his body to allow him to defend on the perimeter at the next level. Watching him with Mokan next to John Bol helped show his potential to defend next to another big. The swing skill for McKinley will be the perimeter shot, if McKinley can consistently make 18-foot jumpers and even stretch out with the occasional corner 3-pointer, it will open up the floor offensively for the Bearcats. McKinley is a very high IQ player who can make passes on the short roll or from the high post. Another top 100 national prospect, McKinley finds himself in the top 100 of every national recruiting website, peaking at 59th on ON3.
Tino made an early impression on the Prep Hoops Circuit at an event back in April, I wasn’t able to make it to that event and the spring events I caught MAC Basketball he wasn’t able to play that weekend. That means it took a while for me to finally catch this talented stretch forward, but his game was worth the wait. A very impressive shooting prospect at his size, combine that with his production on both the Prep Hoops Circuit and with Hudson last season. Yli-Junnila makes the move to Lutheran West, where the Longhorns will push for a Division II state title after falling in the championship game last season. I expect small college programs to be in a recruiting battle for Yli-Junnila.
Highlights
Saint Edward has been one of the best programs in Ohio this entire century and often times players wait their turn to contribute on the varsity level. We saw just last season as Lucas Perusek blew up on the scene and ended up committing to Duquesne as a preferred walk on. I think Kulacz could be a prospect this year who makes a leap and becomes a household name in northeast Ohio. A strong wing who can hit shots from the outside, Kulacz and his twin brother provide good size and athleticism on the wing for the Eagles. With his quick release, he’ll knock down shots with the impressive ball movement that the Eagles always play with and their emphasis on spacing the floor. Small college programs have already taken notice of Kulacz and I expect his college interest to grow throughout the season.