Reason for the Ranking (Top 50)

It was time to revisit the Class of 2028 rankings as October wrapped and adjust to account for the player's growth or stagnation.  Rankings are subjective and PrepHoops.com/Tennessee (@CourtneyHoops90 + @AndrewForce8) ranks purely upon potential and where the player will be at their basketball peak.  Production factors in only when helping prove the potential is greater or lesser.  Why did we rank these guys?  Why are they at this spot?  Take a look at several Class of 2028 prospects and learn a little about their reputation.

46	Daxton Evans Daxton Evans 6'2" | SF Cleveland | 2028 State TN	6'1" / SF	Cleveland
47	Carter Smith Carter Smith 6'4" | CG/SF Boyd-Buchanan | 2028 State TN	6'4" / CG	Boyd-Buchanan	Mookie Betts
48	Lucas Kinnard Lucas Kinnard 5'11" | SG/PG Franklin Road Academy | 2028 State TN	5'11" / SG	Franklin Road Academy	Tennessee Marathon
49	Leyton Plummer Leyton Plummer 6'6" | SF/PF Green Hill | 2028 State TN	6'6" / SF	Green Hill
50	Eli Klekamp Eli Klekamp 6'5" | SF Brentwood Academy | 2028 State TN	6'5" / SF	Brentwood Academy

The following players are now ranked in the Top 50 statewide (LEFT-new rank).  

Read about #10.
2028 player rankings: More to see

#46 Daxton Evans Daxton Evans 6'2" | SF Cleveland | 2028 State TN (Cleveland)

Fantastic athlete. Hulk-strong. Sprinter. A little short for a college wing. Brother Maguire Evans is a freshman hooper with Tennessee Tech University. Daxton will be bulking up throughout high school to promote his college football future.  Because he outclasses teammates with strength Evans looks like a post player instead of the guard his speed enables him to be.

#47 Carter Smith Carter Smith 6'4" | CG/SF Boyd-Buchanan | 2028 State TN (Boyd-Buchanan)

Better than average athlete. Great size for the position. Hard worker. Committed to his craft.  The transfer to Boyd-Buchanan will require Carter to advance quickly...and he has, as evidenced by his November games against top competition. Smith played defense with extremely "clean hips" like a cornerback against Knoxville Catholic.  He always projected as a strong defender, and this game revealed his improvement towards that eventuality is more rapid than the PrepHoopsTN projection.  Outside shooting is neither a weakness nor a strength just yet.  Carter showed and does show shooting abilities.  With continued work the talented guard will be a consistent three-point shooter on top of his exceptional slashing capabilities.

#48 Lucas Kinnard Lucas Kinnard 5'11" | SG/PG Franklin Road Academy | 2028 State TN (Franklin Road Academy)

Arguably the best shooter in the entire grade. Is he a shooting guard? Is he a point guard?  Maybe both. Lucas' shooting touch ranks at the top of the class.  It surely reflects hours of practice beyond the team practices. Beyond repeatable arm movements beautifully executed Kinnard sharply shifts his feet to create enough distance for an unchallenged release. Another subtle aspect that helps him succeed is his early eye contact with the rim.  Kinnard gets and keeps his eyes on the rim earlier than most high school shooters.  

#49 Leyton Plummer Leyton Plummer 6'6" | SF/PF Green Hill | 2028 State TN (Green Hill)

Lean combo forward. Projects as a college "3" when he adds strength.  Plummer is still growing into his body.  Exciting height at 6-foot-6. There will be some struggles guarding players away from the rim until his lateral mobility improves and Green Hill wisely utilizes him as power forward defensively. Shooting touch is a plus. Press-breaking is not a skill of his and yet handle is passable at the 4A varsity level for a tall wing.

Peruse the complete 2028 rankings.

Follow @AndrewForce8.