New Forwards/Centers to the 2025 Rankings – Big Schools

Prep Hoops Staff

September 12, 2023 @ 10:27 AM

We added 16 players to the 2025 rankings, so to cover them all, we broke them into three groups: big school guards, big school forwards/centers, and small school players (everyone in the 3A class and lower).   Here are the five centers and forwards added to the 2025 rankings:   32 – [player_tooltip player_id='2169816' first='Jadon' last='Sautter'], 6-foot-5 center, 2025, Shawnee Mission South:   One of the more impressive Kansas big men we watched this summer, Sautter had a really good sophomore season for a competitive Raiders team. He earned honorable mention in the Sunflower League and should be in line for a much bigger season as a junior. He is big, long and powerful and moves well. He helps off on drivers and blocks shots without fouling. He has the skills to step out and face the basket and has a smooth shot all the way out to the arc.   40 – [player_tooltip player_id='2169821' first='Tyler' last='Holmes'], 6-foot-2 forward, 2025, Bishop Ward:   Holmes gets high marks for the impression he made over the summer with Marcus Denmon, which leads us to believe he has a big junior season in store. He's listed here because of his length and ability to get things done around the goal and in the midrange. But Holmes looked this summer like one of the more versatile guys around. He is a good passer and a dynamic ball handler in the open court. He had a really nice sophomore season supporting some good seniors at Ward. He posted an impressively diverse stat line: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steal per game for a highly competitive team.   58 – [player_tooltip player_id='2169832' first='Peyton' last='Brown'], 6-foot-6 center, 2025, Basehor-Linwood:   When ranking players, we give some notice to guys who contributed to winners. Basehor-Linwood wasn't technically a winner during the regular season, but the Bobcats turned it on in the postseason and qualified for the 5A tournament. Brown was a big part of that success, chipping in 9 points and 5 boards per game. He tossed in 11 points in the state tournament loss to Highland Park. He's really long and plays a physical style around the goal.   59 – [player_tooltip player_id='1624962' first='Ben' last='Nicholson'], 6-foot-4 forward, 2025, Great Bend (pictured):   A fine shooter with great length, Nicholson impressed on the club scene this year. First of all, he looks a lot taller than the 6-foot-4 he was listed. He is an intimidating figure in the paint because he can slide through traffic and use his long arms to disrupt shots and passes. He moves well and has a nose for blocks. He's a presence running the floor and can finish at the goal or find a spot on the perimeter for shots. In the halfcourt set, he is a lights-out shooter. He's a team-first, energetic leader too. Great Bend graduates some good players, so there may be more opportunity for Nicholson. But the Panthers also return a lot of talent and are a team to watch.   64 – [player_tooltip player_id='2169841' first='Merak' last='Greinert'], 6-foot-2 forward, 2025, Olathe Northwest:   Forced into playing time as a freshman due to injuries, Greinert became an even bigger part of the Ravens' rotation as a sophomore. On a senior-rich team, he played a supporting role, scoring 6 points, grabbing 3 rebounds and dealing out 2 assists per game. He showed in club action that he has scoring ability to his game. Though Greinert could be seen as a guard, we're including him here as a wing/forward because he is so productive around the goal. He goes aggressively to the hoop and plays through contact. He can shoot from deep, but he's most adept in the midrange. Due to graduations, Greinert will have a much bigger role this year and will probably show more of his perimeter talents.

We added 16 players to the 2025 rankings, so to cover them all, we broke them into three groups: big school guards, big school forwards/centers, and small school players (everyone in the 3A class and lower).