Updated 2027 Rankings: Wings (23-14)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The highly anticipated new edition of the class of 2027 rankings have finally been released, with 75 players including over 20 new players to the list! As I've warned before, ranking classes before their junior season is very tricky, so consider this more of a continued starting point and not a final draft, as there are plenty of players who will emerge and improve and things will change a lot over the next few years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, we take a look at part one of the wings rankings, looking at some of the top shooting guards and small forwards in the class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>23) [player_tooltip player_id='2548307' first='Logan' last='Brooks'] | 6'2” SF | John Paul the Great (#73 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2548554,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/tempImageLdunFx.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/tempImageLdunFx.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2548554" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brooks burst onto the scene at the Prep Hoops VA Expo and showed that he has a lot of upside moving forward as one of the top young prospects in the Fredericksburg area. At 6'2” and still growing he's a good athlete who competes on both ends of the floor, he can hit open shots off the catch, he can get downhill and finish and he's an unselfish playmaker as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>22) [player_tooltip player_id='2548662' first='Jayden' last='Pillot'] | 6'1” SF | John Champe (#70 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2548551,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/tempImageIz6Rti.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/tempImageIz6Rti.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2548551" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pillot is part of a young but talented Champe team to keep an eye on moving forward, and he's got a lot of upside with his length and all around skillset at this point in his career. He's clearly still growing and could look like a totally different player by the end of the season, he has good ball skills as he can handle and create for others, he can hit shots from multiple levels and he brings good energy across the board.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>21) [player_tooltip player_id='2470602' first='Graham' last='Judah'] | 6'2” SG | St. Stephen's St. Agnes (#69 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Judah is a player that could see himself move up this list in the next few years when the older players leave SSSAS, but he's shown flashes in his first year with the Saints. At 6'2” he's a well built wing who is likely still growing and will get more athletic as he does, he thrives getting downhill and playing through contact, he can catch-and-shoot from deep and has shown the willingness to impact the game in ways other than scoring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>20) [player_tooltip player_id='2470600' first='Cy' last='Gresham'] | 6'3” SF | West Point (#65 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2479584,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/tempImage2pER0g.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/tempImage2pER0g.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2479584" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gresham is one of the small market players in this class that intrigue me the most, as I've only got to see him a handful of times but he has shown tons of upside in those times I have seen him. At 6'3” he already has great size and is more athletic than most players his age, he thrives in transition as he can handle or run the floor, he can score it from multiple levels and he's a good defender too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>19) [player_tooltip player_id='2570862' first='Gavin' last='Mallette'] | 6'3” SG | Catholic (#60 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mallette is one of a number of talented young players for a Catholic team that could make a deep run in VISAA D1 this season, and throughout the fall he's shown he could be a vital piece for them with his ability to impact the game off the bench. He's a knock down shooter who doesn't need time to get warm and doesn't go through long cold streaks, he plays with great energy and is willing to do the dirty work and he's an unselfish and high IQ guy as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>18) [player_tooltip player_id='2548318' first='Tabren' last='Hawkins Jr']. | 6'0” SG | Maury (#59 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2548483,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/tempImageo8qmdb.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/09/tempImageo8qmdb.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2548483" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hawkins showed flashes in his freshman season for a talented Maury team last year, and this summer he showed he's one of the top young prospects in the 757 moving forward. He is very advanced with his game at his age as he is very strong and brings it on both ends, he scores it well from multiple levels and particularly in the midrange and he has a great understanding of how to impact the game on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>17) [player_tooltip player_id='2353645' first='Tyler' last='Kim'] | 6'3” SG | Langley (#54 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kim had a classic freshman season of a player that will be very good moving forward, as he played big minutes and was productive and is clearly just scratching the surface with how good he can be. The 6'3” guard knows how to play and makes the game easy as he's very good in straight line drives, he finished well at the rim and with floaters in the midrange, he can knock down open shots and he plays very hard on both ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16) [player_tooltip player_id='2353664' first='Namarqus' last='Byrd'] | 6'4” SF | Princess Anne (#49 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Byrd is a very intriguing long term prospect who could see himself move up this list as he continues to develop, as he already has good physical and athletic tools and projects as a 3 and d wing as he continues to develop. He's a good athlete with long arms and gets after it on the defensive end, he's great running the floor and finishing in transition, he can make open shots from deep and he plays with a good motor too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>15) [player_tooltip player_id='2470582' first='Will' last='Mancine'] | 6'4” SG | Hargrave (#45 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1058274,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/23_Nathan-Mancinelli_2-2.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/23_Nathan-Mancinelli_2-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1058274" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mancine is a player who may have slipped due to my negligence in this class, as he started all year for Hargrave's varsity team as a freshman and had a good summer with Team Push 15U as well. The Chicago native is a big wing who is a solid athlete and is great in transition, he's skilled for his age with the ability to make shots from deep and get to spots in the midrange and he shows a lot of toughness and is fearless on bot ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>14) [player_tooltip player_id='2353649' first='Ethan' last='Evans'] | 6'2” SG | Evergreen Christian (#42 Overall)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2139265,"width":"729px","height":"auto","aspectRatio":"1","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Screen-Shot-2023-08-28-at-7.48.24-PM.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/Screen-Shot-2023-08-28-at-7.48.24-PM.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2139265" style="aspect-ratio:1;width:729px;height:auto" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Evans showed a lot of upside as a freshman at Evergreen and while he's behind some very talented upperclassmen he'll find his way on the floor with his ability to impact the game on both ends. He exudes toughness and plays much bigger than his 6'2” frame would have you believe, he can knock down shots from deep, is a very crafty finisher in traffic and is willing to do other things to make his team better as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list -->