Arizona 2020 Rankings Update: Breakdown
The class of 2020 is extremely talented and one of the top classes that Arizona has had. Some of the top tier headliners in this group will not only play NCAA Division-I basketball. Rather, they will play high major basketball. This group has talent at every position and a number of prospects who are legitimate NCAA Division-I prospects.
Arizona 2020 Rankings Breakdown: Strengths
Guards
This group has a lot of extremely talented wings and guards despite not having many true point guards. Nico Mannion and Kyree Walker Kyree Walker 6'5" | SG Hillcrest Prep | 2020 State #37 Nation AZ certainly lead the group in this particular category. There are a number of extremely talented guards that continue to extend throughout the teens, twentys, and thirtys. One SG/SF to be on the lookout for this upcoming season is Jerry Iliya Jerry Iliya 6'5" | SF Paradise Honors | 2020 State #491 Nation AZ . Iliya will be attending Paradise Honors and is one of the top guards/wings in the state. He is long and athletic which makes him quite intriguing for the next level.
In addition to these prospects, another high ceiling prospect who pops up in the 20s is Zay On- Tay Boothman Tay Boothman 6'0" | PG Buckeye | 2020 State AZ . Boothman is one of the best scorers in the state. He is dangerous when he gets into a rhythm as he plays with a lot of confidence and he is capable of hitting tough shots.
Another guard to keep an eye on who could move up the rankings as he gets more opportunities is Ramon Franklin. He averaged 13 per game at Washington prior to leaving the state. He is now back in AZ, but has not enrolled in a school. Despite his height, he is a good athlete with elite speed and a good vertical. His transfer could aid a west valley school greatly.
Size
Unlike the class of 2019, this group has plenty of size. Some of the top tier prospects to watch with good size are Jason Harris Jason Harris 6'7" | PF Higley | 2020 State #242 Nation AZ , Shon Robinson, JB Mukeba, Davion Bradford, Tosh Baker, Dre Henry, Fallou Diagne Fallou Diagne 6'11" | C AZ Compass Prep | 2020 State #265 Nation AZ , Roy Eze Roy Eze 6'7" | PF Phhoenix Prep | 2020 AZ , Hunter Ruck Hunter Ruck 6'9" | PF Rancho Solano Prep | 2020 State #484 Nation AZ , and Anthony Garza Anthony Garza 6'7" | PF Phhoenix Prep Post Grad | 2021 State AZ .
These big men are extremely versatile as well. Robinson, who moved in last year, is one of the most versatile prospects in the state. He has an extremely high ceiling and will continue to move up these rankings. His teammate, Harris, is extremely skilled and athletic as well.
Henry is one of the most physical prospects in this group. He has made the decision to no longer play football as a means of focusing on basketball. This meant him turning down multiple college football offers in order to put more effort into being a top tier basketball player. He is strong with good hands and footwork.
This group has a lot of next level caliber 3s, 4s, and 5s. As they progress to juniors, the 2020s should be poised to have huge seasons. Many of them had breakout seasons as sophomores. They should be prepared to have even bigger years as juniors.
Arizona 2020 Rankings Breakdown: Weaknesses
Pass First Point Guards
While this group has the likes of Nico Mannion, there aren’t many top tier pass first point guards in this group. In general, there are many talented guards in this group, but there aren’t many point guards at the top end. Dalen Terry Dalen Terry 6'7" | PG Hillcrest Prep | 2020 State #32 Nation AZ and Evan Nelson Evan Nelson 6'1" | PG Salpointe | 2020 State #184 Nation AZ are other point guards with a really high ceiling. However, after Mannion, Terry, and Nelson; there isn’t another true point guard until the 20s.