The (Updated) SLAM Fresh 50 — 2008
The post-summer rankings of the top 50 high school seniors in the nation. Fresh for 2008, suckas!
by Aggrey Sam
I don’t do the star system and I don’t rank hundreds of kids. I rank who I see and I see who I rank. Why is your favorite high school baller not considered fresh? Maybe he doesn’t play hard enough for my taste. Maybe I think he’s selfish. Maybe he looks good on his high school or AAU team, but I don’t think it will translate to the next level. Do I value production over potential? Yes, but that second P-word can hold a lot of weight with me, too. I played high school ball, hit the AAU circuit, went to a few camps. I definitely wasn’t a superstar, but I played against a few in my day. Despite all that, you know the old saying: opinions are like…
The Aggrey Sam Fresh 50 - 2008
| Rank | Name | Ht | Pos | Last | School | College? | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyreke Evans | 6-5 | SG/PG | 1 | American Christian (PA) | UConn, L'ville, Memphis, Seton Hall, Texas, 'Nova | Say what you want about "Too Easy," but 'Reke straight gets buckets against any and everybody. |
| 2 | Brandon Jennings | 6-1 | PG | 2 | Oak Hill (VA) | Arizona | Unstoppable off the dribble and a magician with the rock, comparisons to a young Kenny Anderson are pretty on point--except the Cali kid can jump out of the building. |
| 3 | Greg Monroe | 6-10 | PF/C | 3 | Helen Cox (LA) | Georgetown | The big lefty can dominate the paint like a traditional big man, but he can also handle the ball, shoot it and dish like a guard. |
| 4 | Samardo Samuels | 6-9 | PF/C | 5 | St. Benedict's (NJ) | Louisville | A manchild in the paint, the big fella from Jamaica is very skilled and much more agile than he looks. |
| 5 | Jrue Holiday | 6-4 | PG/SG | 4 | Campbell Hall (CA) | UCLA | A pass-first guard who powers his way to the rack at will, Holiday's best trait might be his defensive ability. |
| 6 | Devin Ebanks | 6-9 | SF | 9 | St. Thomas More (CT) | Indiana | Pretty much unguardable on the high school level, the NYC native has the handle and range to become a big-time scorer at the next level. |
| 7 | Delvon Roe | 6-8 | PF/SF | 6 | St. Edward (OH) | Michigan State | Rugged and athletic just like Tom Izzo likes 'em, Roe's developing perimeter game makes him a mismatch for any defender. |
| 8 | Willie Warren | 6-4 | SG/PG | 8 | North Crowley (TX) | Baylor, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, OK St., Texas, Louisville, Oklahoma | A power guard who can score from anywhere on the court, adding point-guard skills makes this Texas gunslinger that much harder to contain. |
| 9 | Demar DeRozan | 6-6 | SG | 13 | Compton (CA) | USC | One of the best athletes in the country, DeRozan's J is now as feared as his high-flying acrobatics. |
| 10 | Al-Farouq Aminu | 6-9 | SF/PF | 7 | Norcross (GA) | Wake Forest | As skilled as he is long, Aminu's athleticism and guard skills scream out future pro. |
| 11 | Tyler Zeller | 6-11 | PF/C | 11 | Washington (IN) | Ind., UNC, ND, Purdue | Faster than a lot of guards with a soft touch and good range, the slender big man isn't afraid to mix it up. |
| 12 | Elliott Williams | 6-4 | SG/PG | 10 | St. George's (TN) | Duke, Memphis, Tennessee, Virginia | An assassin from deep with explosive hops and a tight handle, the unselfish Williams is also gritty enough to hit the boards and lock up on D. |
| 13 | B.J. Mullens | 7-1 | C | 21 | Canal Winchester (OH) | Ohio State | An athletic post player who runs the floor well, Mullens is an extremely effective shot blocker, low-block scorer and rebound magnet. |
| 14 | Ed Davis | 6-9 | PF | 12 | Benedictine (VA) | North Carolina | The son of former NBA player Terry Davis is a scoring machine in the post who is also a force on the boards and on D. |
| 15 | John Riek | 7-1 | C | NR | Winchendon (MA) | UConn, Duke, Fla., G'town, NBA | The Sudanese prospect is still very raw, but his length, feel for the game, touch and agility have high-major coaches and pro scouts excited--not to mention his dominant shot-blocking ability. |
| 16 | Mike Dunigan | 6-10 | C/PF | 17 | Farragut (IL) | Oregon | Dunigan's dominance on D and the boards was always evident, but now he plays with a consistent mean streak and is virtually unstoppable in the post. |
| 17 | Malcolm Lee | 6-5 | PG/SG | 25 | North (CA) | UCLA | A lanky scoring point with a tight handle and great range, Lee also has sick dimes and the potential to be a stopper on D. |
| 18 | JaMychal Green | 6-8 | PF | 26 | St. Jude (AL) | Alabama | Green is a beast around the bucket and a rebounding machine with a soft touch out to 15 feet and post moves galore. |
| 19 | Scotty Hopson | 6-6 | SG/SF | 29 | University Heights (KY) | Mississippi State | Explosiveness is the name of the game for Hopson, who can get up with the best of them, but is also a polished scorer. |
| 20 | Terrence Jennings | 6-10 | C/PF | 14 | Notre Dame (MA) | Louisville | His explosiveness, agility, power around the hoop and rebounding and shot-blocking efforts bring to mind a young Amare. |
| 21 | Romero Osby | 6-8 | SF/PF | 16 | Northeast Lauderdale (MS) | Mississippi State | While he's a terrific slasher, an effective rebounder and a highlight waiting to happen in transition, Osby's size, handle and passing have many projecting him as a point forward on the next level. |
| 22 | Emmanuel Negedu | 6-8 | PF | 18 | Brewster (NH) | Arizona | A tough customer on the interior with a tremendous motor and athleticism, Negedu can also handle the rock and step outside to hit jumpers. |
| 23 | DeAndre Liggins | 6-6 | PG/SF | 19 | Findlay (NV) | Kentucky | "The Ticket," a lanky Chicago native, has developed more of a scoring mentality to go with his crazy court vision and handle. |
| 24 | Chris Singleton | 6-8 | SF/PF | 24 | Cherokee (GA) | G'town, FSU, UK, Tenn. | An extremely athletic swingman who can hit the 3, Singleton is a transition terror whose wing game is getting scary, too. |
| 25 | Luke Babbitt | 6-8 | PF/SF | 38 | Galena (NV) | Nevada | Skilled in the post and on the perimeter, the versatile Babbitt is a steal for in-state Nevada. |
| 26 | Angel Garcia | 6-11 | PF | 20 | East Chicago Central (IN) | Memphis | The Puerto Rican can hit treys and put it on the floor like a wing, while also getting on the boards, blocking shots and finishing strong like a big man should. |
| 27 | William Buford | 6-5 | SG | 27 | Libbey (OH) | Ohio State | A scorer without being a gunner, the smooth wing is almost automatic from deep and an explosive athlete. |
| 28 | Kemba Walker | 6-0 | PG | 28 | Rice (NY) | Connecticut | The NYC native is a classic Big Apple point guard who makes his teammates better, harasses foes on D and gets wherever he wants with his handle. |
| 29 | Tony Mitchell | 6-7 | SF | 33 | Swainsboro (GA) | Alabama | An efficient and athletic swingman, Mitchell can get to the rack, hit the mid-range J and bury it from deep. |
| 30 | Mike Rosario | 6-3 | SG/PG | 34 | St. Anthony (NJ) | Rutgers | A sniper from deep with a big heart, Rosario is also a lockdown defender who can get to the rack and function as a playmaker. |
| 31 | Iman Shumpert | 6-4 | SG/PG | 22 | Oak Park-River Forest (IL) | Georgia Tech | Shumpert is an efficient scorer with a pure stroke and good athleticism, but he's also a heady playmaker who will probably run the show in college. |
| 32 | J'Mison Morgan | 6-11 | C | 32 | South Oak Cliff (TX) | 'Bama, Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, L'ville, UCLA | "Bobo" is a giant among men--well, boys--but has great hands, improving post moves and footwork, nice passing ability and finishes, blocks shots and rebounds with a lot of power. |
| 33 | Ty Walker | 7-0 | C/PF | 23 | New Hanover (NC) | Wake Forest | Brimming with potential, Walker is a long shot-blocking presence who runs the floor like a guard, rebounds well and has range on his J. |
| 34 | Courtney Fortson | 6-0 | PG | 30 | Patterson (NC) | Arkansas | While he's great at pushing the tempo, hitting off his teammates and pressuring the ball, the dreadlocked Fortson also relishes battling tall trees in the paint, either to finish tough drives or snatch boards from them. |
| 35 | Mookie Jones | 6-6 | SF/PF | 37 | Peekskill (NY) | Syracuse | An athletic slasher who's willing to bang on the interior, Jones' burgeoning guard skills and shooting ability have improved his stock. |
| 36 | Kenny Kadji | 6-11 | C/PF | NR | IMG (FL) | Florida | While he's great at pushing the tempo, hitting off his teammates and pressuring the ball, the dreadlocked Fortson also relishes battling tall trees in the paint, either to finish tough drives or snatch boards from them. |
| 37 | Nate Miles | 6-7 | SF/SG | 35 | Patterson (NC) | Connecticut | A scoring machine, Miles has a sweet stroke from deep, a good handle and athletic ability and nice size for the wing. |
| 38 | Matt Simpkins | 6-9 | PF/SF | NR | Bridgton (ME) | 'Zona, Cal, UConn, UNLV, USC, Wash. | The versatile, lanky and athletic Cali forward can face up, score in the post and get out in transition. |
| 39 | Eloy Vargas | 6-11 | PF/C | 40 | American Heritage (FL) | Florida | With his shot-blocking ability, the ballhandling of a wing and 3-point shooting, the sky's the limit for the lanky Dominican. |
| 40 | Darius Miller | 6-7 | SF | 41 | Mason County (KY) | Kentucky | Miller possesses good size for his position, a defensive mindset, good athleticism and is solid in all aspects on O. |
| 41 | Kevin Jones | 6-8 | PF | 39 | Mount Vernon (NY) | UConn, Ind., Kansas, UMass, Ohio St., Pitt, Rutgers, St. John's | Able to face up big men and hit the 15-footer with consistency, Jones is at his best when he bangs in the low post, where he scores and rebounds at a high level. |
| 42 | Renaldo Woolridge | 6-8 | SF | NR | Harvard-Westlake (CA) | Tennessee | Former pro Orlando Woolridge's son is a smooth, athletic wing who can get to the whole and shoot it from deep equally well. |
| 43 | Terrelle Pryor | 6-7 | SF/PF | 47 | Jeannette (PA) | Fla., Mich., Mich. St., ND, Ohio St., Penn St., WVU | The nation's top football prospect as a QB, the crazy athletic Pryor can do a little bit of everything on the hardwood. |
| 44 | Yancy Gates | 6-9 | PF/C | 42 | Withrow (OH) | Cincinnati | Gates is a manchild who can control the boards, punch shots on D and finish with authority over all comers. |
| 45 | Kenny Frease | 7-0 | C | 44 | Perry (OH) | Xavier | The big fella is a huge post presence with good footwork, a soft touch and the ability to step out. |
| 46 | Rotnei Clarke | 6-1 | SG/PG | 48 | Verdigris (OK) | Ariz. St., Ark., Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Okla., Oral Rob. | One of the country's premier snipers from long range, Clarke's ability to run the point makes him a top-shelf recruit. |
| 47 | Lance Goulbourne | 6-8 | SF/PF | 50 | Hun (NJ) | Vanderbilt | Smooth and athletic, the versatile slasher thrives in transition, can knock down the open J and doesn't mind doing the dirty work. |
| 48 | DeQuan Jones | 6-8 | SF | NR | Wheeler (GA) | Miami | The high-flying Jones is a dynamic slasher that hits the open J and thrives in transition. |
| 49 | Sean Mosley | 6-4 | SG/SF | NR | St. Frances (MD) | Maryland | The hard-nosed B-More swingman doesn't have the flashiest game, but is solid in all aspects--from handling the rock, playing tough D, banging with the tall trees and hitting jumpers from way out. |
| 50 | Verdell Jones | 6-4 | PG/SG | NR | Central (IL) | DePaul, Kansas, Kentucky, Marquette, Minn., Tenn. | A slightly-built guard from Shaun Livingston's hometown, Jones' seamless ballhandling and court vision are reminiscent of the injured Clipper. |
54 Responses to “The (Updated) SLAM Fresh 50 — 2008”
Sep.1 at 12:20 am
James Stewert says:
Aggrey Sam, your bias to “Up-North” players are disgusting.How can you justify ranking Tyreke Evans #1. You are the only writer in the world to rank Devin Ebanks “top 10″.
It’s obvious you didn’t travel much, do to your lack of cover through out the summer on this site. :^[
Sep.1 at 2:41 pm
hoblin22 says:
Hey what happened to Kris Joseph…And What do you think about Devoe Joseph from Pickering ontario?
Sep.2 at 1:53 am
yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh says:
Eloy Vargas is from the Dominican Republic
Sep.2 at 7:30 pm
Bruno Chu says:
Sam, I have to mostly agree with JS on this one. Not only is your top 10 slanted, but your whole list is east coast slanted. You don’t have Drew Gordon or Jeff Whithey anywhere in your top 50? Really? I’m a writer for Rivals so I have my own biases but IMO you should rethink the list Sam… Same goes for 09.
Sep.2 at 8:50 pm
MOMONEY says:
Where is Drew Gordon… I played against dude and he is a monster
Sep.2 at 11:31 pm
Kimmie says:
You’ve got to checkout Elston Turner Jr.!! He was awesome in Vegas and LA and he’s a great kid!!
Sep.3 at 3:34 pm
a. sam says:
James: I counted 10 “Up North” kids that are ranked in the top 50. If you call that disgusting bias, then so be it. I’m guessing you’d take Monroe, Jennings or Holiday as your No. 1 player over Reke. While all three of them are the best at something in the class (Monroe-most versatile, Jennings-best playmaker, Holiday-best defender/most complete guard), Reke is the best scorer, has improved his overall game, has gotten better at getting his teammates involved and hasn’t been stopped all summer. In my opinion, he has the best takeover ability in the class. As far as Ebanks, I wasn’t a real big fan of his earlier in his career (and he still doesn’t rebound or play tough D all the time), but I think his skills and production warrant his ranking–for now. Oh yeah, I don’t care where other writers, but I know for a fact I’m not the only one to have him in the top 10. hoblin: I like Kris’ game, but he wasn’t at a lot of events this summer. I actually took him out of the top 50 because I thought it would be unfair to include him when so many yeah…: Good catch. Fixed. Bruno: Thanks for the feedback, but see my above to James. Obviously I don’t see Gordon as much as you do on the West Coast, but while the kid is clearly very athletic and plays hard, I just don’t think he’s real skilled. Does he have more potential than Kevin Jones or do more than Yancy Gates? Maybe, but I think Kevin is more skilled and versatile (though not as athletic) and I think Yancy can dominate more (at least for stretches) and has a higher ceiling. As for Withey, I haven’t seen him live and from what I’ve seen on video, I’d prefer to err on the side of caution. Regarding 09, I just don’t like that many kids in the class as of right now. I’d rather go with a kid who’s shown me something than a kid everyone just talks about. If I’m wrong, time will tell. By the way, this is only an update. Take a look at my first installment to see who’s gone up and who’s gone down, then look out for my next update. MOMONEY: See my response to Bruno. Kimmie: Elston is nice (check out Matt Stroup’s story on him in the current issue of the mag) and it was tough for me to not include him in the bottom part of the top 50.
Sep.3 at 4:11 pm
a. sam says:
I hate when that happens. I should stop commenting on my Blackberry. hoblin: I like Devoe Joseph’s J and basketball IQ, but he’s a bit small for a 2 and not a freak athlete or a legit combo to me. Still, I think he’ll be a very good college player in the right program.
Sep.3 at 9:41 pm
Arek says:
how you guys gonna put demar at #9 man. He’s top 5 material atleast, how you gon have willie warren ahead of demar? you guys sure havent seen him play all that much apparently, dudes a beast, at worst he should be at #2.
Sep.3 at 9:43 pm
Arek says:
btw, good to see courtney fortson getting a little more love from you guys then other scout sources, ive seen him play 5-6 times and dudes a reall baller and a true PG. he can score WHENEVER he wants to, and is a pass 1st poing guard, but will score when he has to.
Sep.4 at 2:04 pm
Ben Osborne says:
Wasn’t Tyreke the best player at the Elite 24 game? And wasn’t that game played by the best players in the country? So doesn’t that make calling Tyreke #1 VERY logical?
Sep.4 at 10:24 pm
a. sam says:
Arek: I ranked Demar ninth because for all of his talent, I haven’t personally witnessed him have one of those games just made me say damn and even though he’s a crazy athlete, I’m not in love with his handle. Does Demar have a better chance into developing into a Pierce-type wing scorer down the road than Willie has at becoming an Arenas-type scoring point? This man says no, and that’s why I’m rocking with Willie–for now. I honestly don’t see him being ranked second in the nation in my next update (Let me ask you this: is Demar’s skill set a whole lot better than Memphis frosh Jeff Robinson out of Jersey, who was ranked in the 50-100 range in 07? Don’t hit me with that East Coast bias, either), but you never know where I’ll have him ranked next time. Ben: Makes sense to me, but I’m not every other writer and definitely not one from Rivals. So I must be wrong. I will say that both Brandon Jennings (who is a close second) and Lance Stephenson (who I foolishly have #1 in 09) both turned it out, too. To me, it all gets figured out when these kids get to college.
Sep.5 at 1:13 pm
cwhite says:
You changed your 2010 list. Go to caainsider.com and read about Daryl Traynham at a recent tournament. You took the wrong player off you list.
Sep.5 at 1:17 pm
yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh says:
Sam, Eloy Vargas has played well the whole summer. Leading his team to a 2nd place finish in vegas. He also help Team Breakdown win AAU Nationals. He average 18 points and 14 rebounds and 4 blks playing with Super Freshman Brandon “BK” Knight and Super Soph Kenny “KB” Boynton. He out played 4 guys currently ranked ahead of him on National Television (did you see the game). He holds offered from Pitt, UF, Louisville and Ohio State. Lastly, he may have the best upside in the c/o 2008 (6′10 equally skilled from the post and the wing) My question to you, why is Vargas ranked #39 Before you answer that question, think about this. A great scout once said “I’d rather go with a kid who’s shown me something than a kid everyone just talks about”
Sep.5 at 2:22 pm
Ben Osborne says:
Yeahhhhhhhh: Aggrey has said much the same thing as this “great scout” you quote. Of course, Aggrey is on his way to being a great scout too, so I guess that makes sense.
Sep.5 at 10:00 pm
yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh says:
Ben, The great scout i was refering I was quoting was Aggrey, It’s called sarcasm
Sep.7 at 9:52 am
Ben Osborne says:
I’m an idiot.
Sep.8 at 7:32 pm
Domo says:
KL..?
Sep.9 at 12:58 pm
Jlew says:
The 1st top 50 list I’ve seen without Jerime Anderson & Drew Gordon. You must have been hibernating this summer.
Sep.10 at 3:51 pm
d says:
Sam I think you did a great job in your rankings.Don’t agree with John Riek because I believe he is a grown man at least 21 or 22 years old. i have seen a lot of the players on the list and i am here to tell you that Romero Osby and Scotty Hopson will form the best 1-2 punch in the country when they arrive together at Mississippi State in 2008.
Sep.10 at 4:02 pm
a. sam says:
cwhite, why didn’t you post your comment on the 2010 list? Regarding Daryl, I like his game (or he wouldn’t have been on the first list), but at 5-10 (probably closer to 5-8), it’s gonna be hard to stay in anyone’s top 10 nationally. He has three years to prove me wrong.
yeah…, Vargas has the ability to take over games, but he only does it in stretches. I think he’ll be a great college player in the right program (I’d like to see him at Pitt with my man Brad Wanamaker), but for right now, he needs to gain consistency.
Domo, your boy Korie can definitely play, but being a smaller scoring guard (if Kalin Lucas does well this year at the 1, look for Korie to play the 2 for a while at Michigan State), I’d like to see him become better at setting up his teammates. If this was a top 75, he’d be in there. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if he made the McDonald’s game, since I believe it’s in Milwaukee this year.
Jlew, I don’t mind being the first. Anderson played very well this summer, but he was on a loaded AAU team. While that doesn’t mean he’s overrated or anything, I got to see him do drills, etc., with a much smaller group of elite players than you see at a tourney or bigger camp. Very solid, should be an impact guy in college (maybe not right away), but not one of my top 50 players. As for Gordon, he’s got a lot of tools, a great motor and is a freak athlete, but he’s not very polished. I’m not saying he can’t play, but he hasn’t developed as much as many would have projected earlier in his career. I think he’s somewhat similar to Yancy Gates, but I think Yancy is more dominant when the light goes on.
Sep.10 at 5:18 pm
a. sam says:
d, thanks for the love. I’m not sure how old Riek is, but you’d be surprised at how many kids are older these days. At least in Riek’s case, he came from another country, so it might be harder to put him at the correct grade level or just send him to college here without him being fully prepared to meet the NCAA’s standards. I agree with you about Hopson and Osby. I’m very high on both of them and think their games compliment each other well.
Sep.10 at 10:16 pm
rodney says:
kemba walker will be a star mark my words. he’s a humble silent kid who lets his game do all the talking. uconn will love him
Sep.10 at 10:37 pm
rodney says:
I hope the mcdonald’s all america selection team are paying close attention to kemba walker the sky is the limit for this kids game. unlike some of the other pg’s around the country he gets it done on both ends.
Sep.11 at 5:18 pm
Zachary Armstrong says:
Renaldo Wooldrige please come to Illinois, please!
Sep.12 at 2:25 pm
KING says:
Are u guys crazy. Dequan Jones is not the top 48 in the country. He killed at every camp he attended this summer!!!!!
Sep.12 at 11:24 pm
justin says:
You really messed up leaving Drew Gordon off your list…he killed at USA then broke his hand and you just leave him off???? thats sorry
Sep.13 at 8:03 pm
bobbins says:
WHERES LIL’ ROMEO????
Sep.13 at 10:22 pm
Domo says:
YEA IF THIS WAS TOP 75 IM PRETTY SURE HE WOULD BE IN THERE (ESPN HAS HIM RANKED NO.60) DID BOBBINS REALLY ASK WHERE IS LIL ROMEO ? HE’S NOT EVEN TOP 150..!! NO OFFENSE BUT..YOU LOSING REAL BAD ON THAT 1.
Sep.22 at 6:45 pm
sam says:
you are dumb. you are dumb. you are dumb. drew gordon is top 20. you are dumb. you are dumb. you are dumb.
Sep.24 at 1:23 pm
a. sam says:
KING: Dequan is nice, but I’d like to see how he does with creating his own shot in the halfcourt. Definitely a very good transition player, active and a strong finisher when he has someone setting him up. If that J keeps getting better, his ranking will go up, too. justin and sam: I’m not a huge Drew Gordon fan and you’re making me like him even less. How about you explain why he’s so good?
Sep.24 at 4:47 pm
brad says:
this high school (luther burbank) in sacramento has some AMAZING basketball players. i havge never seen these kids before. all i can say is WOW
Sep.26 at 1:43 pm
justin says:
gordon broke his hand at USA baskeball (he as in the top statistics categories until that)and didn’t get to play until vegas. he ran simpkins into the floor every practice, and did the little things simpkins wouldn’t. play defense, rebound both ends, run, pass. he scored 27 on morgan and had morgan puffing on the sidlines. he is team first, but took his team to state finals, losing in OT. he is a beast on boards. coaches at USA bball love him!
Sep.26 at 6:00 pm
a. sam says:
justin, thanks for the intelligent response. I don’t have anything against Gordon. He was a kid whose size, effort, physical gifts and potential is what made him a household name earlier in his career. While it’s still very early to say he’s topped off, nothing he’s shown me recently (I was at NBPA when he was at USA) has shown he’ll be a dominant post scorer, extend his range or greatly expand his skillset. Terrific athlete with a great motor, but I’d take Simpkins over him because of his versatility, as well as the fact that I think a somewhat lazy high school kid can be motivated if he has the right attitude. I’d take Morgan over him for his size (obviously), great hands and feet, soft touch and the fact that while he needs to lose weight, he knows it and has already made good progress. If I have to win one game, I’d take Gordon over them–if I have the right players around him. If I have to take a player for four years, regardless of who’s around him, I’ll take the others. He’ll be great at UCLA for his hustle, effort and winning mentality, but do you think he’ll be a better player than a role player like Lorenzo Mata, for example?
Sep.27 at 1:41 pm
justin says:
honestly..how many times have you actually seen him play lately?
gordon got shifted this summer. He is a two sport athlete. State ranked thrower. His parents want balance. He spent two weeks of the summer doing community service in S. Africa. Then he broke his hand. here’s all I will say. I’ve coached and watched him for years. he has speed. fastest on his team, including guards. He has bounce. 40+ vertical.
He has athleticism. Can guard on the perimeter with his speed. Size. Close to 240 lbs. He has excellent defensive skills, timing, good passing skill, soft touch and is in great shape. team first mentality. his PF game is coming on strong. his issue is that he was largely off the “scout” scene this summer, and came back the day his hand was out of the cast, and still went to work in Vegas. he will be much much more than a role player for UCLA.
Oct.2 at 4:15 am
a. sam says:
Lately, I’ve only seen Drew at the Elite 24, which I admit wasn’t the best place to evaluate a player. However, for an athlete like him, I was somewhat disappointed in his performance. I’m glad he’s such a well-rounded kid and my people in Cali say great things about his character. I agree that injury held him back this summer, but outside of myself, most people have him in the top 20-30 range (even with him out of action for a while) , so I definitely don’t think people are underrating him. He’s definitely a freak athlete with a lot of power and because he has such a great motor, he’s a force on the boards and on D. But while his current game make him a terrific high school player, to be honest, his footwork and range need work for him to have close to a similar impact in college, especially with his future teammates at UCLA. Who knows if Love will even be there when Gordon arrives, but if you can’t tell by the guards they’ve brought in, UCLA will probably be more guard-oriented than in recent years. And don’t forget, they’re reportedly pretty strong with Renardo Sidney, not to mention they’re still recruiting more offensively skilled posts in the 08 class, like Jamison Morgan and even your man Matt Simpkins. I think Gordon will get burn from Day 1 at UCLA, but my Mata comment wasn’t an insult–I think he’ll be an enforcer, rebounder, defensive presence and someone who gets buckets in transition, off putbacks and easy finishes off spoon-fed dimes from the cast of guards he’ll have on his team. I just don’t think he’ll be a guy Howland will clear out a side for and dump it into the post repeatedly because he’s too skilled for other elite Pac-10 bigs to stop. I think Gordon is good, but he’s just not in my top 50 right now, which could change–or not. I understand where you’re coming from, as you’ve coached and watched him develop over the years, but I haven’t had your experience and can only go off what I see.
Oct.2 at 6:58 pm
Domo says:
Aggrey KL has Videos on you tube u should check it out. He’s showing off his smooth jumper and setting his teamates up for good looks. Some of the dimes he threw were to future Michigan State Spartan Delvon Roe IM GHOST…!!
Oct.11 at 10:32 am
jumpman91023 says:
Ty walker should be ranked higher hes the truth hands down
Oct.11 at 1:32 pm
axel foley says:
Have you ever seen paul mccoy out of portland, oregon? If you did, you know he’d be on this list..he is probably the best pure athlete in the class..and he tore up the curcuit this summer with team jones..
Oct.14 at 4:37 am
Plahn says:
Have yall not heard about Jeff Taylor in Hobbs, New Mexico ?
This kid has too be on your list… Last I heard he’s goin to Texas Tech or Gonzaga next year
Oct.15 at 11:28 pm
a. sam says:
Domo, for the last time–I know Korie is nice! I actually like his game, just not a fan of small guards who like shooting more than passing (except A.I.), but I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes McDonald’s. jumpman, Ty is good, but he had a disappointing summer. However, you might be seeing more of him from SLAM soon. axel, I’ve heard great things about Paul, but I’ve never seen him play. I hear he’s a monster athlete and might actually be better in football. Where is he going to school? Somewhere in the WCC, right? Plahn, I’ve heard of Taylor, but I’d be lying if I said I had the chance to get out to New Mexico to see him. Who, if anybody, did he play AAU with? I know Hobbs HS has a pretty strong tradition. Also, don’t be surprised if he ends up at Texas.
Oct.16 at 11:16 pm
Domo says:
I WASNT TRYING 2 RIDE YO TIP SO U CAN PUT HIM IN YO TOP 50 I WAS JUST SAYING…IM GHOST!!
Oct.17 at 4:02 pm
d says:
By the way sam r u all going to do any stories on Scotty Hopson and Romero Osby before this season is over?
Oct.22 at 11:38 am
TK says:
Hey sam…my first time lookin in to these forums and I gotta say, you seem like you know what you’re doin. I was wonderin if you happened to hear about some guys on our team here in Arizona The school is Millennium and we’re in Goodyear. We have a couple great kids out here like Tyler Cargil and Carrick Felix have fun
Oct.22 at 3:02 pm
Tion says:
whre is my boy Korie yall know he need to be on here at least in the top 50
Oct.26 at 1:57 am
Rellevance says:
How come Romeo Miller isn’t in your rankings?
Oct.31 at 2:03 am
KLANG says:
Sam I’m not sayin Nick Williams out of LeFlore ought to be n your top ten I just wanna know your evaluation on him.He’s very skilled and can shoot but doesn’t show off his athleticism which I think held him back from being a top player and the fact that he doesn’t really take over games.
Nov.1 at 5:58 pm
KlickKlackKaos says:
Ed Davis at number 14 makes me want to punch a baby…at worst number 10
Nov.5 at 1:53 am
matt (ballislife) says:
demar at no9??? come on now, you can’t honestly tell me willie warren and delvon roe are better than demar? wake up slam!!
Nov.5 at 2:03 am
matt (ballislife) says:
sam, demar killed jrue at the arizona cactus classic. In the state playoff game against Mater Dei, Demar and his compton tarbabes team shoulda beat the monarchs. The cif clearly wanted a rematch of mater dei and artesia in the southern state sections, casue kamyron brown was raping demar, and demar still put up over 20 ppg, and stole the ball from tayking and dunked it all over mater dei. Demar also had some 40 point outbursts at the main event tournament this year in which he was the human highlight reel. Demars athleticsm overshadows his all around game, shooting off the dribble to the right and the left is his specialty, and being able to finish strong inside. I can see your skepticism, but I’ll keep you updated this season, as I’ll be filming all of Demar’s games out here in Cali. Just a couple of weeks ago, he almost dunked it from the freethrow line in a game against mayfair. Also, compton killed dominguez in fall play, from what i hear, by over 20 points. Also, watch our for our dvd coming out this December, I’ll make sure to get you a copy. Matt
www.ballislife.com
Nov.6 at 1:39 pm
reddevil32 says:
where is Korie Lucious????
Nov.6 at 1:42 pm
reddevil32 says:
where is Kwamaine Mitchell????
Nov.8 at 5:59 pm
KLANG says:
Matt make sure I get a copy to I enjoy watching your highlight reels.I got the hoopmixtape also.
Apr.15 at 11:50 pm
Erik says:
Tyler Zeller at 11?! Yes, I realize he won Mr. Basketball and won a state title, but he has not played against anybody his size and talent level. His high school is the only place in the state with 7 footers at its disposal. His teammate was the only person in southern Indiana his height. I think Dunnigan and Mullens at least are better than Zeller. He is good for NC’s system, but won’t be good enough for the ACC. Look what his brother has done, who has the exact same credentials as Tyler.