SD 2027 Rankings: Top 10 Talk

Prep Hoops Dakotas wants to chat about and analyze the South Dakota 2027 class more clearly and get in-depth with some decision-making on the top 10 prospects of the class. We're going to dissect these prospects by not only their strengths, but things and areas they will need to improve on. We'll also include some projected level predictions with the prospects.   Let's get inside the head of the Prep Hoops Dakotas rankers.   Let's start with the #1 ranked prospect — [player_tooltip player_id='2128940' first='Brant' last='Wassenaar'] of Sioux Falls Christian and [program_tooltip program_id='2228190' first='Team' last='Warwick'] 15U. Sioux Falls Christian is one of the most talented teams in South Dakota and Brant was a starting guard for them. He's the thoroughbred of the 2027 class with a great overall profile. Great size for a guard at 6'4”, with a perfect blend of speed, skill with the ball, athleticism, scoring, shot-making, defensive ability, and intensity. The list goes on and he literally checks all the boxes. He's the lone prospect in this class that I can project to the Division I level, as I think someone falls in love with what he brings to the table.   [player_tooltip player_id='2250284' first='Grifin' last='Wiebenga'] goes from #8 up to the #2 ranked prospect. During the season I don't think he could be classified as this high of a ranking, but he looks slightly a little taller and his three-ball is improved. He's finishing at a high level around the hoop and has always been a strong and aggressive rebounder, snatching the ball at its high-point off the rim. I think he's one of the more safer prospects to project at the Division II level, especially if he grows a couple more inches. If he's 6'7” by the time he's being recruited, we could be talking about something more serious. I'm interested to see how he performs this weekend with [program_tooltip program_id='2250291' first='Hoop' last='City South Dakota'] 15U against some strong competition and high-level prospects at Prep Hoops NHR State Tournament.   #3 is where things get interesting. [player_tooltip player_id='2250186' first='Jase' last='Unzen'] of Sioux Falls Jefferson lands there. His knock is that he's 5'9” and he needs to grow some to hold his current ranking. The best in the class in terms of explosiveness and raw athleticism. Elite quickness and movement. I don't think he even needs to hit his top speed on the court to wow the audience. He does have a muscular and compact build to him. Essentially, he could fall between the #2 and #8 ranked prospect when it's all said and done. A wide range of outcomes for Unzen, depending on how tall he gets, but he already has AA varsity experience under his belt. On the court, he's a creator and playmaker. He can make the wow pass. He can pull from three, skying up high on his jumper. A three-level scorer that can stop-and-pop from all areas. I think he has a big year ahead of him and a breakout is in store. Sioux Falls Jefferson is hoping the same.   #4 [player_tooltip player_id='2128932' first='Anderson' last='Porisch'] is the most experienced and second safest prospect in the 2027 class behind Wassenaar. Porisch played AA varsity basketball as an 8th grader for Huron. He could be set as the #2 ranked prospect very easily, and I'm sure a lot of people have him there. My only worry with him is he's still at the 6'4” height by my knowledge and he needs to grow yet because I don't think he's a wing. He's certainly capable from there and can hit a shot, but right now he does his damage on the boards and making offensive plays at the hoop. He'll be one of the best rebounders in AA, and you can count on that.   #5 brings us [player_tooltip player_id='2249344' first='Carter' last='Craven'] of Winner High School and [program_tooltip program_id='2222672' first='Sanford' last='Sports Academy']'s UA Black team. Sources say he's 6'5”-6'6” and I can agree with that by the eye-test. I think Craven has massive upside and could potentially become the #2 ranked prospect if he grows to be 6'7”-6'9” and improves some skills slightly. I can't translate him to a wing quite yet, but he's a solid shooter, especially in the mid-range area. Saw him shoot and make shots from three this offseason. Doesn't put the ball on the floor or handle the ball quite cleanly yet, so if he works on that I think that helps him tremendously. He's a defensive force and not much gets past him with his length and solid movement. A shot-blocker and rebounding machine, that was a high-level rebounder at the A level as a Freshman. A Division II prospect as it stands.   #6 brings us an advanced point guard named [player_tooltip player_id='2076018' first='Connor' last='Mebius'] of West Central. Mebius was the starting point guard for them and had a very productive year. He's similar to Unzen in that he's a shorter prospect at 5'8”, but not as physically built or explosive as Unzen. But Mebius is the most true and skilled point guard in the class. An uncanny feel for the point guard position and how to correctly operate and play the position. An elite ball-handler, passer, and shooter. An elite decision-maker with the ball and how to move and run an offense. Defensively, I don't think he lets opponents take advantage of his size like they'd like to. I don't think he needs to be 6'2” or grow a ton, but if he's 5'11”, he'll be on a Division II roster without a problem.   #7 [player_tooltip player_id='2137320' first='Deondre' last='Painter'] is a point guard prospect that could be ranked higher because he already has the size at 6'2”. He's big and strong too. At the moment he doesn't have the varsity playing time as the others, and I think others may knock him for that. But I think that aspect of his profile changes soon. He's with AA Sioux Falls Lincoln and they have a very talented young group of players coming up, so I'm interested to see how playing time shakes up. He's shooting the ball well this off-season on Sanford's #1 team and looks to be leading them in scoring by the information I've gathered. He's there main playmaker with the ball and has an enormous impact on how they play. He can find open teammates on the move and makes some highlight-reel passes for buckets. Defensively, he gets up in the ball-handler and harasses them and makes them prove their handle. So he's a two-way point guard. Some may list him as a combo guard, but I feel he's more effective and dangerous with the ball in his hands. His one knock on his game is that he tries to press too much offensively and be too much of a playmaker and difference-maker. He's confident in his skills and if he continues to shoot the ball at a high-level with volume, a Division II program will give him a hard look. I see his upside as the #3 ranked prospect, because I feel one of the prospects above him will grow to have great length and skill combination and secure the #2 spot.   #8 [player_tooltip player_id='2250240' first='Colby' last='Nuttbrock'] is one I really like and I like his massive upside. He most likely has the best vertical and leaping ability in the class. He's truly a long wing already at 6'4” with certified athletic ability. Now we're just watching and waiting to see how tall he gets and how his skills develop. He'll most likely be a varsity contributor this year for Sioux Falls Jefferson because they showed they aren't afraid of advancing him up in levels. He's one of my favorite prospects in the 2027 class and has potential to move up to #3. He's got to put in the work with his handle and jumper, but he currently has the best combination of length and athleticism/vertical in the class.   #9 [player_tooltip player_id='2044900' first='Cooper' last='Terwilliger'] falls down the rankings board only because his main focus is football, where he's a D1 talent and receiving major interest from some of the top football programs in the country. I believe he's a Tight End at 6'6”, and he's physical and can move. On the basketball court he has varsity experience already this past season for AA Pierre as a Freshman, and he can and will continue to outmuscle and outwork his opponents, even at the highest level in South Dakota. He was with [program_tooltip program_id='2228190' first='Team' last='Warwick'] last offseason, but focusing on football this offseason.   #10 [player_tooltip player_id='2250285' first='Ben' last='Sprecher'] rounds out the top 10. Sprecher is a prospect I'll need to watch more closely this weekend with [program_tooltip program_id='2250291' first='Hoop' last='City South Dakota']. He was a varsity producer off the bench for AA Sioux Falls Washington and stands at 6'4” with solid enough skills and good athletic ability to be a major player at the high school level in South Dakota. He's another case in which it matters on how he grows and how his skills develop. I think he can project to a wing or a power forward/interior prospect — or possibly both. He could become a versatile player for a college program. He has the athletic tools to become a solid prospect and garner D2 interest if he progresses nicely.   I essentially projected 1-2 Division I prospects and eight to have D2 potential, with one being a D1 football recruit. This seems like a high number and we most likely will not have that many true scholarship D2 players because those spots are scarce and coveted, but this exercise speaks on how deep this class truly is.

Prep Hoops Dakotas wants to chat about and analyze the South Dakota 2027 class more clearly and get in-depth with some decision-making on the top 10 prospects of the class. We're going to dissect these prospects by not only their strengths, but things and areas they will need to improve on. We'll also include some projected level predictions with the prospects.