2028 Rankings: Value Outside of Top 75

There are so many talented players across the great State of North Carolina and the 2028 class is flat out stacked from top to bottom. We're still uncovering the depths of talent within the state and the list will unequivocally rise from the current 137 to probably around 300 when the final 2028 rankings are released two years from now. Regardless of all of that there is real talent beyond the top 75 and we're going to take a look at that right now!    Pridgen does a really good job for both his Hunt HS team and No Guts No Glory UA Rise 16u as a guard that makes plays for himself and others with consistency and at a high level. Pridgen has real vertical pop in transition with the ability to touch the paint and make good decisions with the ball in the half court.. Pridgen has excellent vision and is really comfortable operating in ball screen situations. Pridgen can heat up from the outside, touch the paint at will, and finish in traffic when needed. He's a guy that can absolutely rise through the rankings at the next update as he's starting to display his ability and produce vs higher levels of competition.     Payne is a quality prospect on the wing that brings a blend of size and outside touch to the table. He had a very successful sophomore season at Marvin Ridge and has carried that momentum into this spring/summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2850876' first='Team' last='Accelerate'] UA Rise 16u. Payne is capable of attacking a closeout and finishing at the rim through contact as he has a solid frame to work with. He can be very productive without having the ball in his hands a whole lot as he's an active cutter and mover without the basketball. Payne contributes on the glass and is capable of guarding multiple positions defensively. Another bonafide next level guy outside of the top 75 here in NC's 2028 class.     Rogers is a premier sniper in North Carolina's 2028 class and has been doing his thing with [program_tooltip program_id='2399240' first='Dub' last='Salem'] 16u after a strong season with Asheville Christian. Rogers has legit size and is always shot ready off the catch, looking to utilize his quick release to heat up for his team. Rogers can be a cohesive part of an offense as he has a great understanding of what his team is trying to do at that end of the floor. Defensively, Rogers is willing to get his hands dirty to compete, fight for rebounds, and be a disruptor on that end of the floor. Rogers calling card is without a doubt his deep range and confidence as a shooter, don't be surprised to see him lighting up scoreboards across NC over the next couple of years.     Bregu is a teammate of Rogers with [program_tooltip program_id='2399240' first='Dub' last='Salem'] 16u and has been a very impactful piece to that group's success. Bregu is a pure PG that does an incredible job spreading the ball around to his teammates within the offense. He is super comfortable in both transition and the half-court with the ball in his hands as he's looking to make plays. Bregu is also capable of calling his own number from time to time as he can finish around the rim or get in rhythm from distance. Bregu has solid size for a PG and is making marks all over the stat sheet in his games. It wouldn't shock me if he finds a way to get a triple double at some point this travel ball season. Bregu is a next level PG and should continue to get better over the course of his high school career.     Nathani is a versatile front-court prospect that looks to be starting to turn the corner in his development as he's starting to become more confident in his all around game. He had a strong season at Ravenscroft, blending his scoring and rebounding to help this team finish their season strong. He's adding some outside touch from beyond the arc to go with his interior scoring and ability to impact the game with his work on the glass. The experience with A Wigg Elite UAA 16u has been great for him to play vs other high level competition while showing flashes of his ability to help this team win some games. Look for Nathani to be a potential riser but him being where he is highlights the quality of this class, even at its depth.     Quick has been a key piece at Southern Lee and for this No Guts No Glory 16u group with his blend of athletic pop and high motor blending together to create a true two way above the rim presence. Quick has an incredible 2nd jump and that allows him to be a real disruptor defensively at the rim. He's constantly on the glass and running the floor to get rewarded on the other end. Quick is a lightning rod to a lineup due to that athletic ability and effort. He is quite literally impossible to miss out there with his ability to just be a presence at both ends of the floor. Guy to watch closely, so much athletic upside.     Lopez is a smaller guard but plays with such a high sense of fearlessness and heart that it allows his incredible skillset and feel for the game to take center stage. He faces some obvious limitations but it's never really deterred him from getting his game off in multiple settings. Lopez is great out of ball screens and a threat to make shots from anywhere on the floor. He's got the ball on a string and makes good decisions with the basketball more often than not. Lopez's pace, vision, and energy make him a guard with monitoring in this stacked 2028 class as he's already proven himself as a productive player with Southern Wake Academy and [program_tooltip program_id='2078504' first='BSM' last='Waka Flocka']. He'll be making the move to Greenfield School next season.

There are so many talented players across the great State of North Carolina and the 2028 class is flat out stacked from top to bottom. We're still uncovering the depths of talent within the state and the list will unequivocally rise from the current 137 to probably around 300 when the final 2028 rankings are released two years from now. Regardless of all of that there is real talent beyond the top 75 and we're going to take a look at that right now!