WV 2028 Rankings: What Do They Mean and Who Are Point Gods?

The most exciting part of being on the Prep Hoops team is rankings. Personally I'm in sole control of all West Virginia rankings and with that comes the positives and negatives. It's a huge task and responsibility for one person when it means watching, evaluating and ranking over 400 kids. I take great pride in this task and hopefully that is reflected in the care I've put into the class rankings. Things to remember for folks new to this, which is typically folks tied to freshman class rankings: One, these rankings are updated quarterly, so this is the first of sixteen cycles in the class of 2028's high school career. Two, rankings are based on "recruitability". Meaning, the more recruitable a player is in regards to talent, size, explosiveness, etc., and taking into account their college offers, this will have a huge bearing on this rank. Why? Because PrepHoops website is an NCAA approved site for Division I coaches (as well as others) to subscribe to and it is our duty to serve those coaches with the best list possible. Third and final, with ranking players this early in their maturation process, they will certainly change rank. More players will be added (as we strive to have at least a hundred), players will grow or not, players will hit their ceiling, while others will not. All these things are strong drivers for rankings of the current and the future.   Now lets take a look below at some players who we wanna talk about when introducing this class.   WHO TO KNOW   [player_tooltip player_id='2194651' first='Kameron' last='Mercer'] is a player who might be a mystery to many. Kameron is considered the number one 2028 player in the US currently and due to that status has enrolled in the Huntington Prep program where he'll play on the national roster as a freshman. Kam is from Ohio originally but could have a lengthy stay in Huntington especially if his recruiting skyrockets during this current season.   THE POINT GODS   Currently in Kanawha County there is a huge surge of high level players in this 2028 class and point guards are at premium level in this area. [player_tooltip player_id='2395981' first='Jacari' last='Goode'], [player_tooltip player_id='2488810' first='Drew' last='Payne'], [player_tooltip player_id='2488808' first='Kingston' last='Smith'] as well as Capital's [player_tooltip player_id='2488807' first='Darius' last='Thomas II']. Goode has already secured a Division I offer from Illinois St while Payne and and Smith are already on the radar of WV based schools according to BlueChips Nation. [player_tooltip player_id='2488807' first='Darius' last='Thomas II'] will have a great opportunity to put his name in the hat while at Capital when in MSAC action which is easily the state's most competitive basketball conference.   In the Teays Valley and Huntington region there's no drop off at all. The point men are very talented and skilled as well as seasoned against high school competition. Most notably [player_tooltip player_id='2464880' first='Mydan' last='Oglesby'], [player_tooltip player_id='2311374' first='Kahsi' last='Morgan'], [player_tooltip player_id='2531107' first='Noah' last='Keaton']. All three are a bit different in style and stature but nonetheless highly effective. Oglesby is very sharp and precise with the ball with very few mistakes distributing or making decisions. Morgan is a blow-by kinda player creating paint touches and kicks with his speed, while Keaton has great length and shoots it at a high level and will likely be a taller longer point guard by 2028.   In the coalfield regions [player_tooltip player_id='2425394' first='Eli' last='Sexton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2444025' first='Talen' last='Muscari'] have been two of the most recognizable names in this class while in middle school. Muscari will don the green and white of basketball factory Wyoming East while Sexton will play for defending state champs Shady Spring. We should expect both to play significant minutes and have a rather big part in each program's success this season.   Guys in other regions that should have immediate impact are [player_tooltip player_id='2444040' first='Breck' last='Allen'], [player_tooltip player_id='2425446' first='Isaiah' last='Waminan'], [player_tooltip player_id='2444039' first='Kohen' last='Ford'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2444036' first='Treyson' last='Metheney'] both of University, [player_tooltip player_id='2566918' first='Josh' last='Gibson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2621982' first='Preston' last='Watkins']. Allen is a pure athlete with excellent skill who will likely slide to a wing as he gets through his freshman year. Waminan could have a chance to start for his squad right away but will have to battle to get there. Ford and Metheney are undoubtedly the top shooting freshman guard tandem in WV. [player_tooltip player_id='2566918' first='Josh' last='Gibson'] and Watkins both will knock on the door for immediate playing time at both their schools.

The most exciting part of being on the Prep Hoops team is rankings. Personally I'm in sole control of all West Virginia rankings and with that comes the positives and negatives. It's a huge task and responsibility for one person when it means watching, evaluating and ranking over 400 kids. I take great pride in this task and hopefully that is reflected in the care I've put into the class rankings. Things to remember for folks new to this, which is typically folks tied to freshman class rankings: One, these rankings are updated quarterly, so this is the first of sixteen cycles in the class of 2028's high school career. Two, rankings are based on "recruitability". Meaning, the more recruitable a player is in regards to talent, size, explosiveness, etc., and taking into account their college offers, this will have a huge bearing on this rank. Why? Because PrepHoops website is an NCAA approved site for Division I coaches (as well as others) to subscribe to and it is our duty to serve those coaches with the best list possible. Third and final, with ranking players this early in their maturation process, they will certainly change rank. More players will be added (as we strive to have at least a hundred), players will grow or not, players will hit their ceiling, while others will not. All these things are strong drivers for rankings of the current and the future.