2029 player rankings: Just the beginning

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first 2029 Tennessee player rankings are here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sit tight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's just the beginning.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are quick observations from the first installment:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hill showed promise</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bartlett's [player_tooltip player_id='2979284' first='Malachi' last='Hill'] has played well for Mokan Elite 15U. He sits at No. 5 in the first ranking. He had a good showing at the Nike EYBL Memphis Session. Hill found his teammates open for shots, took care of the basketball, and took good shots. He made it look easy as the team's full-time point guard. Hill has a chance to be the best point guard in this class. His ball handles are sharp. His court vision is stellar. Hill has a good feel early on in his high school career. It's looking up for Hill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Taylor comes in at No. 1.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bartlett's [player_tooltip player_id='2767787' first='Kaleb' last='Taylor'] sits as the No. 1 player in the class. Now, he played spot minutes as a freshman last season for the Panthers, but year two should present an opportunity for him to showcase his upside as a 6-foot-5 shooting guard. Taylor can really shoot the basketball. With him on the floor next season with [player_tooltip player_id='2291122' first='Dylan' last='Jones'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2194475' first='Braylon' last='Williams'], Bartlett will be tough to guard, and Taylor should benefit from playing alongside two guys that will have the attention of opposing defenses each night they step onto the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dickens has a chance</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2856292' first='Kharlo' last='Dickens'] comes in at No. 7. At 6-6, Dickens finishes well around the rim. He's a good rim runner. Dickens has the length and lateral movement to be a really good on-ball defender and contest shots at the rim. Dickens is a top 10 player in this class and could wind up being a top 5 player before his senior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Parks is off to a good start</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2822320' first='Decari' last='Parks'] comes in at No. 4. He sits as the No. 1 point guard in the class. The 6-1 floor general does a great job coming off the ball screen in attack mode. Parks gets downhill, can make the 17-foot jumper and finish through contact at the rim. He sees the floor well and can make tight window passes. Parks plays with high energy. It's going to be interesting to see his growth over the course of the 2026 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2959343' first='Junub' last='Duor'] comes in at No. 2. [player_tooltip player_id='3281936' first='Malang' last='Nak'] sits at No. 3. Hume-Fogg's [player_tooltip player_id='2955842' first='Francis' last='Nwoye'] comes in at No. 6. [player_tooltip player_id='3253508' first='Jaxon' last='Primus'], [player_tooltip player_id='3348957' first='Aree' last='Hines'], and [player_tooltip player_id='3255771' first='Ben' last='Freije'] round out the top 10.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->