The process of creating our annual inaugural rankings for the sophomore class is always difficult. Their games and potential are just scraping the surface, and thus it’s difficult to fully gauge players’ outlooks at this stage. For this reason, we start with only 10 names in our pre-season rankings and work our way up to 25 players as the year progresses.
In addition, with just 10 names as the limit for this list, there are many players who were cut but could easily be argued for.
Starting off at the top spot is Troy Brown Jr, who last season as a freshman averaged 15.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He received an offer from UNLV before having played a single HS game. So yeah, he’s not too bad.
DeAndre Ayton can also be made a case for. He didn’t play high school basketball last year but showed out in the EYBL U16 circuit with California Supreme this past offseason.
Nonetheless, you can’t go wrong with either one, or relatively speaking, with any of the fellas listed below.
|
Rank
|
Player
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
School
|
Why?
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Troy Brown Jr | PG | 6-5 | Centennial (NV) | His length, impressive court vision and scoring abilities make him a threat at either guard position. |
| 2 | DeAndre Ayton | C | 6-11 | Balboa City (CA) | Very mobile big who can put the ball on the floor and create for himself. |
| 3 | Jarred Vanderbilt | SF | 6-7 | Victory Christian (TX) | Versatile lefty wing who can score in all kinds of ways. |
| 4 | Michael Porter | SF | 6-9 | Father Tolton (MO) | The big can step out to the perimeter and do some major damage. |
| 5 | Jalek Felton | PG | 6-2 | Mullins (SC) | A much more explosive and agile version of uncle Raymond Felton. |
| 6 | Zach Brown | C | 7-0 | Miami Beach (FL) | A prototypical dominant post player. |
| 7 | Brian Bowen | SF | 6-7 | Arthur Hill (MI) | Whether it’s behind the arc, in the paint, or from midrange, Bowen knows how to score. |
| 8 | Cody Riley | PF | 6-7 | Sierra Canyon (CA) | College-ready physique and thus dominant in the lane, but also agile enough to out the ball on the floor and sink it from distance. |
| 9 | PJ Washington | PF | 6-8 | Lone Star (TX) | Knows how to finish at the rim but can also hit the J if left open. |
| 10 | Trevon Duval | SG | 6-2 | St. Benedict’s (NJ) | Crafty guard with a knack for scoring. |
