Top New Names from 2029 Rankings Update Part 3

Our 2029 rankings update saw 15 players make their debut in our rankings and in this article we'll break down five new prospects who broke into the rankings after strong summer performances.    A prospect with a ton of long-term upside, Riep screams potential with the way he moves at his size up and down the court. You simply cannot teach the fluidity that Riep has at his height and age. With another couple years in the weight room filling out his frame and improving his explosiveness, Riep could become one of the top dunkers in the greater Cincinnati area with the right work ethic. While he has a ton of natural ability, Riep still has a ways to go handling physicality and producing offensively in the half-court. Riep is being coached at the high school and grassroots level by some of the best in the state and should develop a strong understanding of the game from these expert teachers. I'm buying the stock in Riep early on in his development and I even had a scout from another part of the country ask about him when watching him in Louisville for the UAA Finals.     Pickerington North got a couple of transfers to really boost their roster for this season but Starks was here last season and back to show the new Panthers how it's done in Pickerington. Starks is an impressive slashing wing who has a long wingspan and has improved his ball handling and perimeter shooting ability since I first saw him as a freshman in the winter. Starks has the physical profile to be an impact wing defender as well and I'm hoping to see him average close to 2 steals a game this season as a goal.     Bellbrook is getting a lot of hype this June with the Sam brothers transferring over from Centerville but don't forget about Howard, a prospect who already made his mark with Bellbrook as a freshman. A big bodied wing prospect, Howard can knock down shots off the catch and has a frame that's ready to punish smaller defenders at the varsity level. Tough to find wings as physically mature and skilled as Howard and if he can improve his lateral quickness he could become a bit of a mis-match nightmare with the ability to space the floor against more slow footed bigs and able to post-up against smaller wings.     Gahanna has a ton of talented in the 2029 and 2030 classes and Blackmon could be the point guard to help gel their talent together. I was impressed with Blackmon when I saw [program_tooltip program_id='2076317' first='Midwest' last='Basketball Club 3SSB'] 15 U in May but his performance in June with Gahanna is what officially made Blackmon enter our rankings. His quickness on the ball makes him tough to stay in front of for opposing point guards and Blackmon sees the floor well to set up his teammates. Add in the fact he can be a tough on-ball defender with quick feet and Blackmon should be one of the more productive underclassmen in the OCC this winter.     The Creager family has shattered almost every record at Patrick Henry High School for the basketball program and Tj is next in line to have a monster career. Already an imposing force physically, Creager has the height and strength to dominate the glass as just a sophomore on varsity. Built more like his oldest brother Lincoln than his older brother Reid, Tj is not going to be pushed around on the interior. Tj also excels on the gridiron as well as almost every athlete at Patrick Henry plays multiple sports. Hoping to see Creager figure out a role offensively this winter with Patrick Henry to help ease some of the scoring burden from his older brother's shoulders.

Our 2029 rankings update saw 15 players make their debut in our rankings and in this article we'll break down five new prospects who broke into the rankings after strong summer performances.