2027 Rankings Update: Big Risers

The 2027 rankings came out this past week, and there was a good amount of movement. Over the next few days, I'll be highlighting some players of note.   To start, let's look at some guys who rose in the rankings this time around.   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/01/icymi-2027-rankings-were-posted-this-week-16/">ICYMI: 2027 Rankings Were Posted This Week</a>    #45 --> #29 (+16)   Not to toot my own horn, but I've thought Benedict had this sort of leap coming for a while now. A year ago he was skinny and unproven, but he's had an incredible year for St. George's so far and looks every bit of a D1 prospect. The 6-foot-6 wing has put on some weight and is a phenomenal finisher at the rim with both hands because of his strength and body control. What's scary is he's still developing as an outside shooter and has the mechanics needed to be very solid in that regard. Once he puts it all together, he'll be a dangerous two-way prospect, and based on how much better he's gotten as of late, I see more improvements coming.     #71 --> #37 (+34)   White has been one of the biggest stockrisers of the entire prep school season. The 5-foot-11 point guard doesn't play for a highly touted squad, but he has literally put his team on his back on numerous occasions this year, and it has been quite impressive to watch. He's one of the better conditioned players in the region, and he uses his quickness on virtually every possession to breeze by his defender on the way to the paint. The lefty can also make shots from three and the mid range and is a talented passer. I wouldn't be surprised if White ends up as a non-scholarship player, but it'll probably only be because of his lack of size.     #80 --> #47 (+33)   Adamson has arguably been Dexter Southfield's best player this year, which something relatively unexpected coming into the season. But the 5-foot-10 guard is one of the strongest pound-for-pound juniors in the entire region and has a three-level scoring and facilitating game that's hard to defend. He is a total bulldog when it comes to attacking the hoop—defenders bounce off of him routinely—but he can also knock down the three ball. When he touches the paint, he has awesome patience and passing vision. He's probably a scholarship-level point guard despite his lack of size.     Watch list --> #111   As far as MIAA guards go, Haynes is pretty much as dominant as they come on both ends. The 5-foot-11 guard almost had a triple-double with steals earlier this season; he slides his feet like a madman and has his hands active and ready for steals when they present themselves. Offensively, the junior gets to the rim at will and explodes above the defense once he does so. He also has a special knack for finishing under and through the trees, regardless of his lack of size. Haynes is an electric point guard who's going to bring Brookline to prominence in the MIAA for this year and next.     #195 --> #174 (+21)   Ste. Marie has steadily improved his game over the last year or so. When I first saw him, he was hellbent on using his size to punish defenders in the paint and using his vision to find shooters and cutters once the defense came; he still does this, but has leveled up a bit athletically and is getting even smarter. What's more impressive, though, are the advancements he has made to his off-the-dribble game and outside shooting, two skills that make him a much more difficult cover. Ste. Marie projects as an awesome D3 player, but you never know what could happen if he continues to develop physically and athletically.     Watch list --> #122   Ray is one of the more exciting 2027 guards in the region, and it's about time he finds himself in our rankings. The 5-foot-11 junior is a blur in transition and has some special finishing chops. When he meets defenders in the air, he seems to continue rising up and exploding above the hoop—but he also has the craft and finesse necessary to finish when he needs to. Ray could certainly improve his creation and passing ability, but he has a strong physical and athletic foundation to work from. He'll probably find a D3 fit when all is said and done, but perhaps he'll continue to grow, which would shift my opinion.     #60 --> #31 (+29)   Edmonds is a key cog for one of the hottest prep school teams in the country: Phillips Andover. The 6-foot-4 tweener does a phenomenal job taking contact and excels from a speed and strength perspective. He's most effective as a driver and transition attacker, though he can also make shots from the outside and the mid range. Some improvements to his passing vision and feel would be massive for his recruitment, but the junior has lots of time to figure it out and has tons of success dominating physically right now (so I'm not surprised he tries to do it a bit too much). Very bright future ahead for Edmonds.

The 2027 rankings came out this past week, and there was a good amount of movement. Over the next few days, I'll be highlighting some players of note.