STARTING 5 for 2012-2015 HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES

 This is IMO of course:

2012 

PG/SG – Rodney Purvis – 6’4” 185 – The 2012 class biggest weakness is the point guard position. Rodney is rated as the #1 shooting guard in the class by espn, but I believe Shabazz Muhammad is best suited at the shooting guard position instead of at small forward where he is listed at.  This would move Purvis to the pg spot on my team.  Many people believe North Carolina commit Marcus Paige is the best point guard in the class of 2012.

SG/SF – Shabazz Muhammad – 6’6” 205 – Listed as a small forward, Shabazz has really worked on his ball handling as well as his shooting this summer and it has paid dividends.  He will more than likely play the shooting guard position in college because of his ability to create of the dribble and his deadly jump shot.  Needs to still work on developing a  better right hand and envolving his teammates more.

SF- Kyle Anderson – 6’7” 210 – I know he is listed as a SF, but he is the most versatile player in high school basketball and may have aspirations to play the point guard position in college.  He is a uniqe talent with excellent court vision, so as of right now he would play a "point forward" type of role.  I have a feeling we will see Kyle play the point guard position in college however.

PF – Mitch McGary – 6’10” 225 – Was ranked as the # 78th player in the country 3 months ago by espn, now is ranked 4th!  When you watch him play, it is obvious to see why he sky rocketed up the rankings.  He is a tremedous talent that never takes a play off.  He has a "blue colar" mentality that allows him to outwork his opponents.  I really loves the motor he plays with.

C – Andre Drummond – 6’10” 275 – When you watch this "man-child" play, it’s obvious to see why Aran has him as the #1 pick in the 2012 NBA Mock Draft.  He has athleticisim that you normally don’t see from someone his size.  He truely is a dominating force in high school basketball.  The main knock on him right now, is his lack of energy at times.   If he could some how channel Mitch McGary’s energy into his body and skill set, then the NBA might have a serious problem for years to come.

HONARABLE MENTION: Isaiah Austin – 7’0” 200 c / Ricardo Ledo – 6’6” 180 sg

2013

PG – Andrew Harrison – 6’5” 205 – Andrew has great size for the point guard position, which really allows him to see over shorter defenders to find open teammates.  Has a tremendous abilty to penatrate the defense and find the open man.  Because of his size, he is a great rebounder at his position.  Needs to work on his 3 point shooting to keep defenses honest in a half court set.

SG – Chris Thomas – 6’5” 190 – Chris Thomas is an elite talent, theres no if’s, and’s or but’s about it.  He recently put up a dominating perfromance at the adidas invitational, despite being throw out of 1 game for recieving 2 technicals.  Has an uncanny knack for scoring the ball.  Has a tereffic first step and nice 3 point range.  Needs to work on his mental approach to the game however.

SF – Jabari Parker – 6’7” 225 – Fresh of his MVP performance at the FIBA under 16 championships, Jabari is right back at it again putting up some big numbers at the Nike EYBL aau tournament.  He currently is the fourth leading scorer in the tournament averaging 19.6 ppg.  Jabari really can do it all as far as scoring, passing and rebounding.  With two years left to play high school basketball, it’s scary to think what his game will have evolved to when he is ready to enter college.

PF – Julius Randle – 6’9” 225 – When describing Julius Randle, the work "freak" is often used, and in a good way.  He is an explosive athlete who’s strength is equal to an NBA player and un-matched in high school.  Recently was viewed by NCAA coaches as the best prospect at the Lebron James skills academey.  He has a tremendous abilty to get to the free throw line where he shoots over 80%.  Needs to work on a right hand and be more active on defense.

C – Nerlens Noel – 6’10” 210 – Nerlens Noel might be the best defensive player in high school basketball.  His block shot timing is unpecable.  Add that to his great athleticisim and tremendous length and we might have the makings of the next Marcus Camby.  He currently is averaging an astounishing 6.8 bpg in the Nike EYBL.  Yesterday at the EYBL he put up a sick tripple double with 13 points 10 rebounds and 12 blocks.  Needs to add more strength and develop an offensive go-to-move.

HONARABLE MENTION: Aaron Gordon – 6’7” 210 sf/pf / Kuran Iverson – 6’8” 200 sf

2014

PG – Tyus Jones – 6’0” 171 – In my opinion the top of the 2014 class is extremely deep.  Tyus Jones just won a gold medal at the FIBA under 16 championship and is currently playing very well at the Nike EYBL.  I love this kids game.  He plays with a calmness an poise about him that is well beyond his years.  Has excellent court vision and good range from long distance.  ESPN currently has Emanuel Mudiay as the best point guard in the class of 2014, but for as of right now, Tyus gets the nod on my squad.

SG – Wayne Selden, Jr – 6’4” 200 – Even though shooting guard Theo Pinson is the #1 rated player in the class of 2014 by ESPN and may indeed have more potential than Selden, I feel at this present time Wayne Selden, Jr is the best shooting guard in this class.  The kid is a monster on the court pure and simple.  He is one of the strongest 2 guards in high school reguardless of class and is able to finish at the rim with authority.  Posses a solid basketball skill set and tremendous athletic ability.

SF – Andrew Wiggins – 6’7” 200 – What can I say about Canadian YouTube sensation Andrew Wiggins that hasn’t allready been said before.  He has been thrust onto the seen as the "next" big thing and deservendly so.  The length and athleticisim of this high school sophomore is un-matched for his class and rivals that of anyone in high school.  His father played in the NBA and his mother was an olympic sprinter, so you know he has great genes.  Hopefully he will put in the work and dedication needed to take his game to the next level.

PF – Jahlil Okafor – 6’9” 260 – I watched everygame the U.S. played at the under 16 FIBA championships.  While Jabari Parker was the MVP and Aaron Gordon led the team in scoring, I felt Jahlil Okafor was the most dominant.  He scored at will, rebounded any ball in his vicinity and blocked shots with no remorse.  Despite being so large, he moves incredibley well and shows a great touch around the rim.  Has a solid overall basketball skill set and shows good effort on the defensive end..  It is said he is not done growing and therefor I feel could possibly be a center at the next level.  He is cousins with NBA player Emeka Okafor.

C – Dakari Johnson – 6’10” 250 – The next Shaquille O’neal???  A little too early to put the stamp of approval on that statement, but he certainly has the size that rivals that of Shaq when he was a Sophomore in high school and he says he could be well over 7 feet when he’s done growing.  What I love about Dakari is his work ethic and mental approach to the game.  He really wants to become the best basketball player he can be and he is willing to put in the time and effort needed to achieve that goal.  He lacks great athleticisim, but is still young and getting stronger, so hopefully that will improve.  Dakari does posses a very deft skill set for a big man and has shown glimpses of being a dominant force at the high school level and beyond. 

HONARABLE MENTION: Theo Pinson – 6’5” 170 sg / Emmanuel Mudiay – 6’3” 175 pg

2015 (in-coming freshmen)

PG – Jerron Love – 5’9” 150 – Even though his father is the founder of MiddleSchoolElite.com and thus has used his un-just rankings to shamelessly promote his son, there is no question that Jerron Love is an amazing talent.  Weather he is the best point guard in the class or not, I don’t know, but he is certainly up for the discussion.  He plays with a flair to his game that you are accustomed to seeing from New York City point guards.  He is definetly a name to keep an eye on.

SG – Malik Newman – 6’3” 170 – Currently the #1 rated player in the class of 2015 by HoopScoopOnline, Malik Newman has been tearing up all competition this spring and summer.  He has proven to any doubters that he is in fact the "real deal."  Malik posses a unique combination of size, skill level and athleticism that is rarely, if at all seen in a fourteen year old.  He has a picture perfect jump shot and the ability to score points in a flurry.  Malik has been compared by many scouts to a younger version of Tyreke Evans because of his uncanny ability to score the ball.  He has allready received scholarship offers from some D1 schools that include the likes of North Carolina, NC State, Georetown and DePaul to name a few.  There is no question Malik Newman is a future star in the making.

SF – Kejuan Johnson – 6’6” 210 – If you YouTube Kejuan Johnson and read the comments section, your more than likely to find people questioning his age.  It appears he is the "Bismack Biyombo" of high school basketball…lol.  The fact of the matter is, Kejuan Johnson has a grown man’s body, pure and simple.  He uses his enormous physique and strong lower legs to get to where ever he wants to on the basketball court.  He has the abilty to put the ball on the floor and create a high percentage shot for himself or his teammates.  Because he is so big for his age, he should be a better rebounder than he is.  He also needs to work on being more aggresive on the defensive side of the ball.

PF – Mickey Mitchell – 6’8” 225 – Even though it appears Mickey Mitchell is a year older than his peers, I don’t think it would matter if he wasn’t.  He is that skilled and athletic.  He uses his elite athleticism, overwhelming power, high basketball IQ and excellent ball handling abilities to take over games.  Along with his rim-rattling dunks, Mickey has shown the ability to consistantly knock down mid-range jumpers.  If Mickey Mitchell plays the way he is capable of playing, then he should be at or near the top of the freshmen rankings at the end of the year.  The only thing is he is a tremendous QB in football and plans on playing varsity his freshmen year, so that might take away from his development as a basketball player.

C- Skai LaBissiere – 6’9” 190 – Skai LaBissiere has only been in this country for 6 months, but he is allready a hot topic amongst scouts.  He is originally from Haitii but came to the U.S because of the earthquakes in his homeland.  I recently watched him play in the all-star game of the Fab Frosh All-American Camp.  A camp that hosts some of the top incoming high school freshmen basketball players.  He is incredibly skilled for his age and able to do things on the basketball court that most kids his size and age can’t do.  In the game I watched, his stroke looked very good and he drained three 3 pointers on his way to a double double.  He has a tremendous upside and is absolutely oozing with potential.  He obviously needs to continue to add strength and weight to his frame.

HONARABLE MENTION: Hoarace Spencer III – 6’9” 200 pf/c / Tyler Dorsey – 6’4” 175 sg / Stephen Zimmerman – 6’10” 210 c / Jamar Ergas – 6’3” 165 sg (Scarborough, Canada)