McChristian III and others on the rise in the 2029 rankings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='3360905' first='Rodney' last='McChristian III']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each time we release a freshened version of player rankings a few guys climb. The following examples are on the rise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"style":{"typography":{"textAlign":"center"}}} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-center">2029 Climbers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3586582' first='John' last='Foster'] / STARS 15u / Pope John Paul II</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='3586582' first='John' last='Foster'] was in the Top 25 all summer but soared from #22 to #14 after a wonderful AAU season for the STARS 15u UA unit. Foster started and thrived as a faceup four. He projects as a PF/C and may see minutes for Pope John Paul II this upcoming sophomore season. Foster plays with surprising agility and touch around the rim. If encouraged John can step out and hit 12-15' shots, maybe from the elbow or corners. Following one of his July games I interviewed him at length.&nbsp; Check it out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3360905' first='Rodney' last='McChristian III'] / [program_tooltip program_id='2078772' first='Team' last='Thad'] 15u / Memphis Business Academy</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bouncy Rodney hopped from #36 to #17 for a few reasons. Firstly, McChristian III rebounds at an elite level for a high school 15u hooper.&nbsp; Memphis Business Academy will start him. His physicality really helps him win rebounding battles against taller guys though he stands 6-foot-5 himself.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2956849' first='Isaiah' last='Buchanan'] / Darius Garland Elite 15u / Middle Tennessee Christian School</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a pretty good PrepHoopsTN Combine “IB” stepped up from #21 to #19. Check out Buchanan's four-game stretch from a single AAU tournament:<br>Game 1 - 22 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists<br>Game 2 - 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists<br>Game 3 - 10 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists<br>Game 4 - 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Buchanan earned Darius Garland Elite 15u Co-MVP. "This was hard because this entire team is tough," shared @ZekeMedia_. "This team was not a one man show, but in my opinion this is a Co-MVP. [player_tooltip player_id='2956849' first='Isaiah' last='Buchanan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3558613' first='Joshua' last='Brown'] had an amazing season this spring/summer. Isaiah is a two-way guard/forward that can get you a ton of steals, get on the board and also put the ball in the hoop." Great rebounder!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>RIght now it is unclear if he is best as a point guard or shooting guard. Buchanan's mobility is what it needs to be to compete favorably in high school. Adding heft will help finish after the harm. Wonderful size for college point guard. - PrepHoopsTN Combine evaluation (June 2026)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> <strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp; Times/measurents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3150160' first='Calvin' last='Pittman III'] / AOT 15u</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A player I am really high on is [player_tooltip player_id='3150160' first='Calvin' last='Pittman III']. Might be nicknamed CP3. Unsure. Pittman III shoots is well as a lefty and projects as a Division 2 point guard with a little D2+ in there. At this stage Pittman III plays with advanced skill. The worry is height. Undersized guards usually struggle as their peers continue to grow. Every time a college is faced with a 6-foot-4 guard and a 5-foot-11 guard, all skills being equal, they go with the taller player. To offset this Calvin must be elite in handles, shooting, and even strength. Above average hops would help mitigate this disadvantage too. Perhaps the future will see Pittman III grow a lot and this diatribe is rendered moot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->