Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Nashville, TN (Future150) -- After leading his CIA Bounce team to the 2012 Nike Peach Jam championship, where they lost by one point to the Oakland Soldiers, Andrew Wiggins proved to everyone across the country that he is without a doubt the best player in the 2014 class.
More so, after being the resounding winner in a head-to-head matchup with Julius Randle at the Peach Jam, many scouts and coaches believe he is the top player in the country, regardless of class.
Where there is no debate as to who is the best player in the class, there is a debate as to who is next in line. Future150's choice is Minnesota point guard Tyus Jones. The 6'1" lead guard plays with poise well beyond his years, and has the makings of a young Chris Paul. At this stage in his development, his finest quality is his ability to make an entire team better with his sky-high basketball IQ.
Cliff Alexander continues his climb up the national rankings as he slid from #4 up to #3 in the coutry. The 6'9" power forward flashed a powerful and diverse inside game this summer, reminding many of an Amare Stoudemire-type prospect.
New England forward Noah Vonleh checks in at #4 in the country, and his high-ceiling has Future150 scouts salivating at his potential down the road. He used this summer to polish his overall game and is beginning to show a transition to small forward.
The top-ranked center in the class of 2014 belongs to Chicago big man Jahlil Okafor. The 6'10", 280-pound space eater is a load to handle in the paint, but has showed an improved ability to run the floor, as well as a newfound finesse.
Checking in at #6 in the rankings is Memphis small forward product Leron Black. Texas point guard Emmanuel Mudiay is #7 in America, and closed out the summer with a strong performance in the Elite 24 game last weekend in Venice Beach. Another center prospect, 6'10" Dakari Johnson, is ranked #8 in the country and is ready to have a breakout junior season at Montverde Academy (FL) after sitting out last year.
Kevon Looney, the absolute star of the spring and summer AAU circuit, rose six spots into the top 10. The 6'7" small forward and Wisconsin native has proved he is elite, but will be hard pressed to rise any further with the stars ahead of him in this class. However, with his developing skill set, Future150 is eager to see if he can continue his ascension.
After a strong Peach Jam performance last month, former Indiana commit Trey Lyles keeps a spot in the top 10. The Spiece Indy Heat big man has the strength to play the power forward at the next level, and the finesse and shooting ability to play the small forward position as well.
Several players have climbed considerably in the rankings as they begin their junior year. Theo Pinson has climbed nine spots to #16. Rashad Vaughn exploded onto the scene, jumping from #43 all the way to #19. Baltimore native Dwayne Morgan slid from #27 up to #21 in the country for the 2014 class. California small forward Shaqquan Aaron jumped up 17 spots to #22 in the rankings.
The #81 player in the country is now Devin Mitchell, hailing from the Atlanta area. He proved to be one of the more consistent shooting guards we saw during the evaluation period. Coming in at # 84 is Chris Chiozza out of the Memphis area who played this past summer for Team Thad. He had a very productive summer from the point guard position. Goodluck Okonoboh at #85 has decided to reclassify from the 2013 class and is fighting his way to the top after a nice July. The MVP of the Peach State Showcase in Augusta, Eric Lockett #94 rounds out our list of newcomers.
Comments:
Heading to the Dallas camp in September, trying to get my son some looks….
That’s great! We would love to see and evaluate him. What’s his name?