by Franklyn Calle / @FrankieC7
While our top-ranked prospect from the Class of 2014 Tyus Jones led Nike’s EYBL regular season in total points, our continuing top-ranked member in the Class of 2015 Malik Newman led the EYBL in scoring average with 24.7 points per game. The 6-4 shooting guard was also his team’s leading rebounder as of last week.
Scoring seems to come naturally to Newman, and while he’s shown the ability of being a combo-guard, he’d ideally be a 2-guard at the next level. It wasn’t just his AAU performance that keep him at the top of this list, he also posted 23 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during the HS season, leading Callaway (Jackson, MS) to the Class 5A state title for the second straight year, and was subsequently earning MaxPrep’s National Sophomore of the Year.
Ivan Rabb comes in at a very close second after also having his presence felt in the AAU circuit and the HS season, where he averaged 22 points and 13 rebounds, leading Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland, CA) to the North Coast Section title. Diamond Stone, also trailing very closely behind him, led his team to a state title as well—its second consecutive—after putting up double-double averages of his own. Both big man dominated the paint like no others in the class have.
All in all, you can’t go wrong with either of the top three at No. 1. All three demonstrated this past season that aside from being great individual players, they’re proven winners.
| RANK | PLAYER | HT | POS | SCHOOL | WHY? |
| 1 | Malik Newman | 6-3 | SG | Callaway (MS) | Led Nike’s EYBL with a regular-season scoring average of 24.7 points; can do it in just about every way. |
| 2 | Ivan Rabb | 6-8 | PF | Bishop O’Dowd (CA) | Explosive forward with soft touch around the rim. Led Nike’s EYBL in rejections with 3.2 blocks per game and among top rebounders with 11.2 boards. |
| 3 | Diamond Stone | 6-9 | C | Dominican (WI) | Averaged 16.9 points and 11.6 rebounds, leading Dominican to a second straight state title as a sophomore. |
| 4 | Ben Simmons | 6-8 | SF | Montverde (FL) | Made is American HS debut at the NHSI and lived up to the hype. |
| 5 | Stephen Zimmerman | 6-10 | C | Bishop Gorman (NV) | Took over the reigns at Gorman for Shabazz Muhammad, averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds and helping the Gaels win the state championship. |
| 6 | Elijah Thomas | 6-9 | PF | Prime Prep (TX) | Strong presence in the paint on both ends of the floor. |
| 7 | Daniel Giddens | 6-10 | C | Wheeler (GA) | Excels on the post and in crashing the boards. |
| 8 | Mickey Mitchell | 6-7 | SF | Prestonwood (TX) | Suffered a season-ending ACL injury back in November, but nonetheless is one of the most versatile forwards in the nation with the ability to play multiple positions. |
| 9 | Tyler Dorsey | 6-4 | SG | St. John Bosco (CA) | Averaged over 17 points, 6.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds as a sophomore, one of the most well-rounded prospects in the class. |
| 10 | Charles Matthews | 6-4 | SG | St. Rita (IL) | Slick wing who does a great job deluding defenders. |
| 11 | Thomas Bryant | 6-9 | PF | Bishop Kearney (NY) | Although he does most of his damage in the paint, he’s demonstrating the ability to step out and sink it from respectable distance. |
| 12 | King McClure | 6-3 | SG | Triple A (TX) | Following his impressive freshman season, McClure picked up where he left off and averaged about 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. |
| 13 | Marcus LoVett Jr | 5-11 | PG | Providence (CA) | Explosive lefty guard with great handle and ability to break down the defense. |
| 14 | Perry Dozier | 6-0 | SG | Spring Valley (SC) | Smart guard who does a great job coordinating the offense and controlling the tempo. |
| 15 | Horace Spencer | 6-8 | PF | William Tennent (PA) | Excels in transition and on the boards, as well as contesting shots. |
| 16 | Jaylen Brown | 6-5 | SF | Wheeler (GA) | Offensively, Brown has demonstrated the ability to do a bit of everything on the floor, including creating for others. |
| 17 | Jessie Govan | 6-9 | C | St. Mary’s (NY) | A force in the paint and promising upside. |
| 18 | KJ Lawson | 6-6 | SF | Hamilton (TN) | Smooth jumper and handle. |
| 19 | DJ Williams | 6-5 | SG | Simeon (IL) | Can split the defense and finish at the rim, as well as sink it from mid-range or behind the perimeter. |
| 20 | William Jackson | 6-4 | PG | Athens Christian (GA) | Jackson can play either guard position and is great at finding the open man, but has a jumper to show for. |
| 21 | Malachi Richardson | 6-5 | SG | Roselle Catholic (NJ) | One of the top shooters in this class. |
| 22 | Aaron Holiday | 6-1 | SG | Campbell Hall (CA) | Brother of NBAer Jrue Holiday, Holiday continues to showcase his scoring prowess. |
| 23 | Skal Labissiere | 6-9 | C | Evangelical Christian (TN) | Has stood out for his ability to contest and reject shots. |
| 24 | Carlton Bragg | 6-9 | PF | Villa Angela/St. Joseph (OH) | Does work in the post, but also has a respectable mid-range game. |
| 25 | Isaiah Briscoe | 6-3 | SG | St. Benedict’s (NJ) | Led his team to the NHSI championship, and has shown the ability to excel at either guard position. |
