THE HOOP SCOOP’S FINAL RANKING OF THE TOP 5TH YEAR PLAYERS IN THE CLASS OF 2016
Published on July 2, 2016 by Clark Francis
Rank Player Ht. Cl. Pos. Hometown (High School) State College
Comments
1 Thon Maker 7'0 2016 PF Orangeville (Athletes Institute) ON Milwaukee Bucks This long shot blocking athletic big man technically was only in his fourth year of high school this past season. However, after deciding to by-pass college & enter his name into the NBA Draft, he now becomes eligible to be the #1-ranked player on our 5th Year List. His skills & intangibles make him very intriguing, but his lack of strength, inconsistent outside shooting, & the fact that he's not a tough customer are question marks that he must overcome to be successful at the highest level.
2. Omari Spellman 6'8 2016 C Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT Villanova
Spellman has huge hands, a soft touch, & surprising agility, mobility, & coordination for somebody his size, which explains why he is such a match-up problem around the basket & important catch for the defending NCAA Champs. He also has range out to behind the arc & is included on our List of the Top 5th Year Players due to the fact that he was originally a freshman back in 2011-12, but then changed schools & reclassified back into the 8th Grade during that same school year.
3. Rawle Alkins 6'4 2016 2G Raleigh (Word of God) NC Arizona
Alkins is a match-up problem with his incredible upper body strength, deceptive speed, quickness, & athleticism, & ability to attack the rim. He also has that NYC toughness, is aggressive on the boards, & has the ball handling & passing skills necessary to run the point. Outside shooting is still a question mark, but he's the equivalent of a top 10-ranked high school senior & appears to be exactly what the doctored ordered for Sean Miller at the University of Arizona.
4. Bruce Brown 6'4 2016 2G Saxton's River (Vermont Academy) VT Miami-FL
Nobody turned in a better individual performance (29 points, nine rebounds, four steals, 12-20 field goals, & 5-6 free throws versus Spire Institute) at the National Prep Showcase than this strong physical athletic 2-guard. What he does best is attack the basket, but he also is super quick, has the ball handing & passing skills necessary to play some at the point, & he is a jump shot away from being one of the best players that Hurricanes boss Jim Larrananga has ever recruited.
5. Wenyen Gabriel 6'10 2016 C Wilbraham (Wilbraham & Monson) MA Kentucky
We're talking about another one of those guys who would rather shoot threes than take advantage of his length, athleticism, ability to rebound & block shots, & other skills around the basket. He also runs the court extremely well, is able to defend both bigger & smaller guys, & has a soft touch & excellent range on his jump shot. He's an excellent catch for the Wildcats, but does not have the strength necessary to be a one-and-done kind of guy.
6. Jonathan Isaac 6'9 2016 WF Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL Florida State
He does not have the strength nor the mentality necessary to bang inside. However, he does have a great combination of size, quickness, & athleticism & was the flavor of the day on the first night of action last summer at the NIKE Skills Academy. Soon after that Florida State scooped him up & he's one of those guys who is just oozing with upside & potential.
7. Ted Kapita 6'8 2016 PF Daytona Beach (DME Academy) FL N.C. State Kapita is one of those guys that you almost need a scorecard to keep track of after originally signing with Arkansas a year ago, then being committed to SMU, & now destined for N.C. State. He also has been around the block a few times on the high school & club team circuit & it's hard to argue with his length, athleticism, & skills, plus he's got the natural talent necessary to make a lot of money playing the game someday.
8. Justin Jackson 6'7 2016 WF Concord (Hill School) ON Maryland He is versatile enough to play either forward spot, but will have to work on his outside shooting & playing without the ball in order to live up to his press clippings at a higher level. On the other hand, he does have big time athleticism, is aggressive on the boards, & has good ball handling & passing skills for somebody his size. He originally signed with UNLV last fall, but now appears to be a great late addition to the Terrapins' recruiting class.
9. Eddie Ekiyor 6'9 2016 PF New Hampton (Prep) NH Xavier We pegged this athletic 4-man as one of the biggest sleepers in the nation when we first saw him a year ago & it is hard not to be enamored with his excellent motor, great hops, & quickness & ability to finish around the basket. He will need to get bigger & stronger physically, but we think the Musketeers have a major steal on their hands, as the sky's the limit in terms of his upside & potential.
10. Myles Powell 6'0 2016 2G South Kent (Prep) CT Seton Hall This strong physical athletic slashing 2-guard doesn't get the respect that he deserves due to his lack of height & a true position. However, he's one of those guys who plays with a chip on his shoulder and, whether it be going strong the basket or knocking down more than his share outside shots, this guy can flat out score. We also think it's obvious that he is a great catch for the Pirates.
11. Sedee Keita 6'10 2016 PF Greenville (22 Feet Academy) SC South Carolina Keita tends to be a feast or famine kind of guy, but it is still hard not to like his size, strength, & athleticism. He also has a good motor, is aggressive on the boards, can be a thoroughbred in transition, & is both a great kid & a terrific student. However, he also is still a work in progress, unless he gets a chance to go strong to the rim & slam one home, at the offensive end.
12. Tyrone Jolly 6'4 2016 2G Delray Beach (Elev8 Sports Institute) FL Baylor We're talking about a 6'4 2-guard with freak-like athleticism, the ability to get it out & go in hurry, & a great nose for the ball, which allows him to be a match-up problem when he attacks the basket & a terrific rebounder for his size. He also has an excellent motor, but will need to develop more of an outside shooter's mentality in order to live up to expectations at Baylor, which is the school that he picked after getting out of the National Letter-of-Intent that he signed last fall with the University of California.
13. Tyrique Jones 6'7 2016 PF Saxton's Rivers (Vermont Academy) VT Xavier This 6'8, 240-pound power forward is best described as a beast & a physical specimen in the low post and, as a result, it should come as no surprise that he is a strong finisher & terrific rebounder. He also has an excellent motor & blocks more than his share of shots, but will need to develop some post moves & expand his offensive repertoire in order to be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Musketeers.
14. De'Riante Jenkins 6'5 2016 WF Chatham (Hargrave Military Academy) VA Virginia Commonwealth Jenkins does not play as hard as we'd like & he'd be rated higher if he had more of an outside shooter's mentality. However, nobody was heard questioning his quickness, athleticism, defensive prowess, & ability to slash to the basket when watching him put up impressive numbers last fall at the National Prep Showcase.
15. Alpha Diallo 6'7 2016 WF Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH Providence Diallo is a big time athletic forward who blew at the end of last summer at adidas Nations & then really impressed us with his ability to slash to the basket & hit the mid-range jump shot last fall at the National Prep Showcase. He also has a strong frame, an excellent feel for the game, & still has a lot of upside & potential, which makes him an excellent spring signing for the Friars.
Published on July 2, 2016 by Clark Francis
Rank Player Ht. Cl. Pos. Hometown (High School) State College
Comments
1 Thon Maker 7'0 2016 PF Orangeville (Athletes Institute) ON Milwaukee Bucks This long shot blocking athletic big man technically was only in his fourth year of high school this past season. However, after deciding to by-pass college & enter his name into the NBA Draft, he now becomes eligible to be the #1-ranked player on our 5th Year List. His skills & intangibles make him very intriguing, but his lack of strength, inconsistent outside shooting, & the fact that he's not a tough customer are question marks that he must overcome to be successful at the highest level.
2. Omari Spellman 6'8 2016 C Oakdale (St. Thomas More) CT Villanova
Spellman has huge hands, a soft touch, & surprising agility, mobility, & coordination for somebody his size, which explains why he is such a match-up problem around the basket & important catch for the defending NCAA Champs. He also has range out to behind the arc & is included on our List of the Top 5th Year Players due to the fact that he was originally a freshman back in 2011-12, but then changed schools & reclassified back into the 8th Grade during that same school year.
3. Rawle Alkins 6'4 2016 2G Raleigh (Word of God) NC Arizona
Alkins is a match-up problem with his incredible upper body strength, deceptive speed, quickness, & athleticism, & ability to attack the rim. He also has that NYC toughness, is aggressive on the boards, & has the ball handling & passing skills necessary to run the point. Outside shooting is still a question mark, but he's the equivalent of a top 10-ranked high school senior & appears to be exactly what the doctored ordered for Sean Miller at the University of Arizona.
4. Bruce Brown 6'4 2016 2G Saxton's River (Vermont Academy) VT Miami-FL
Nobody turned in a better individual performance (29 points, nine rebounds, four steals, 12-20 field goals, & 5-6 free throws versus Spire Institute) at the National Prep Showcase than this strong physical athletic 2-guard. What he does best is attack the basket, but he also is super quick, has the ball handing & passing skills necessary to play some at the point, & he is a jump shot away from being one of the best players that Hurricanes boss Jim Larrananga has ever recruited.
5. Wenyen Gabriel 6'10 2016 C Wilbraham (Wilbraham & Monson) MA Kentucky
We're talking about another one of those guys who would rather shoot threes than take advantage of his length, athleticism, ability to rebound & block shots, & other skills around the basket. He also runs the court extremely well, is able to defend both bigger & smaller guys, & has a soft touch & excellent range on his jump shot. He's an excellent catch for the Wildcats, but does not have the strength necessary to be a one-and-done kind of guy.
6. Jonathan Isaac 6'9 2016 WF Bradenton (IMG Academy) FL Florida State
He does not have the strength nor the mentality necessary to bang inside. However, he does have a great combination of size, quickness, & athleticism & was the flavor of the day on the first night of action last summer at the NIKE Skills Academy. Soon after that Florida State scooped him up & he's one of those guys who is just oozing with upside & potential.
7. Ted Kapita 6'8 2016 PF Daytona Beach (DME Academy) FL N.C. State Kapita is one of those guys that you almost need a scorecard to keep track of after originally signing with Arkansas a year ago, then being committed to SMU, & now destined for N.C. State. He also has been around the block a few times on the high school & club team circuit & it's hard to argue with his length, athleticism, & skills, plus he's got the natural talent necessary to make a lot of money playing the game someday.
8. Justin Jackson 6'7 2016 WF Concord (Hill School) ON Maryland He is versatile enough to play either forward spot, but will have to work on his outside shooting & playing without the ball in order to live up to his press clippings at a higher level. On the other hand, he does have big time athleticism, is aggressive on the boards, & has good ball handling & passing skills for somebody his size. He originally signed with UNLV last fall, but now appears to be a great late addition to the Terrapins' recruiting class.
9. Eddie Ekiyor 6'9 2016 PF New Hampton (Prep) NH Xavier We pegged this athletic 4-man as one of the biggest sleepers in the nation when we first saw him a year ago & it is hard not to be enamored with his excellent motor, great hops, & quickness & ability to finish around the basket. He will need to get bigger & stronger physically, but we think the Musketeers have a major steal on their hands, as the sky's the limit in terms of his upside & potential.
10. Myles Powell 6'0 2016 2G South Kent (Prep) CT Seton Hall This strong physical athletic slashing 2-guard doesn't get the respect that he deserves due to his lack of height & a true position. However, he's one of those guys who plays with a chip on his shoulder and, whether it be going strong the basket or knocking down more than his share outside shots, this guy can flat out score. We also think it's obvious that he is a great catch for the Pirates.
11. Sedee Keita 6'10 2016 PF Greenville (22 Feet Academy) SC South Carolina Keita tends to be a feast or famine kind of guy, but it is still hard not to like his size, strength, & athleticism. He also has a good motor, is aggressive on the boards, can be a thoroughbred in transition, & is both a great kid & a terrific student. However, he also is still a work in progress, unless he gets a chance to go strong to the rim & slam one home, at the offensive end.
12. Tyrone Jolly 6'4 2016 2G Delray Beach (Elev8 Sports Institute) FL Baylor We're talking about a 6'4 2-guard with freak-like athleticism, the ability to get it out & go in hurry, & a great nose for the ball, which allows him to be a match-up problem when he attacks the basket & a terrific rebounder for his size. He also has an excellent motor, but will need to develop more of an outside shooter's mentality in order to live up to expectations at Baylor, which is the school that he picked after getting out of the National Letter-of-Intent that he signed last fall with the University of California.
13. Tyrique Jones 6'7 2016 PF Saxton's Rivers (Vermont Academy) VT Xavier This 6'8, 240-pound power forward is best described as a beast & a physical specimen in the low post and, as a result, it should come as no surprise that he is a strong finisher & terrific rebounder. He also has an excellent motor & blocks more than his share of shots, but will need to develop some post moves & expand his offensive repertoire in order to be exactly what the doctor ordered for the Musketeers.
14. De'Riante Jenkins 6'5 2016 WF Chatham (Hargrave Military Academy) VA Virginia Commonwealth Jenkins does not play as hard as we'd like & he'd be rated higher if he had more of an outside shooter's mentality. However, nobody was heard questioning his quickness, athleticism, defensive prowess, & ability to slash to the basket when watching him put up impressive numbers last fall at the National Prep Showcase.
15. Alpha Diallo 6'7 2016 WF Wolfeboro (Brewster Academy) NH Providence Diallo is a big time athletic forward who blew at the end of last summer at adidas Nations & then really impressed us with his ability to slash to the basket & hit the mid-range jump shot last fall at the National Prep Showcase. He also has a strong frame, an excellent feel for the game, & still has a lot of upside & potential, which makes him an excellent spring signing for the Friars.
