That's great to hear, but that's a tall order considering some of the players that have come through that program. I hope he does improve his game as well of all these kids, but it's hard to work backwards when it comes to fundamentals. Not saying he can't improve, but he has a lot of work to do before being close to a D1 guard. To say that he could be better than Josh Carrier (UK), Chane Behanan (UofL National Champion), Caleb Halcomb (WKU), or Terrez Dewalt (EKU) is a stretch.

 

I just know what the person who is working with him in BG is telling me. And that person is one of the all time greats to play at BG and has D-1 pedigree so I have no reason to doubt his words.

Noticing A LOT of Team Manimal on your 2 list... Ayers wasn't even top 3 on his team let alone Top 10 in the State IMO. The first 3 from Hoop Dreams deserve to make the list, however I feel that Hager is a stretch. If Malik is #4 then you have to place Eli Wright ahead of him because he is the exact same player with better handles, better jump shot, better footwork, and the list goes on. I love Braxtons Game, but I wouldn't place him higher then #4 on any list, because I think KY has at least 3 players that will go to higher D1 schools and end up being better players. Even though I don't agree with the order of some of your picks; I think it is 80% correct. IMO Hager could have a chance at a Top 20 list and Ayers Top 50.

 

There are several Team Manimal players on my list because they are good players. Beverly was mentioned in USA Today as one of the top 2016 players in the Peach Jam and he has been impressive all summer playing against older competition which happens to be the best in the nation (Tyus Jones, etc.). He has multiple scholarship offers already. After thinking about it, I'd probably move Dow down my list a little.

 

If you think Ayers could have a chance at making the top 50, I'd tell you to watch him again soon and give an updated opinion.

If we're ranking based on potential...he might be No. 1.

 

I'm not ranking based on potential. I'm not going to do a ranking at all. This is a tough class to rank. Potential wise Colton Elkins has tremendous upside and potential and would be in my top 5 based on potential. He could be one of the best ever to play for the Rebels. I was amazed at his growth when I saw him on Tuesday.

I'm not ranking based on potential. I'm not going to do a ranking at all. This is a tough class to rank. Potential wise Colton Elkins has tremendous upside and potential and would be in my top 5 based on potential. He could be one of the best ever to play for the Rebels. I was amazed at his growth when I saw him on Tuesday.

 

I liked him a lot when I watched him this summer too. I had to ask around to find out who he was lol.

I hesitated to do a ranking too but why not? Something to talk about at least... In all honesty, I havent' watched everyone even on my own list enough to truly evaluate them but one thing we can all agree on...the next 3-4 years will be good for KY high school hoops.

I hesitated to do a ranking too but why not? Something to talk about at least... In all honesty, I havent' watched everyone even on my own list enough to truly evaluate them but one thing we can all agree on...the next 3-4 years will be good for KY high school hoops.

 

Absolutely. I'm already ready for basketball season. Geeked!!!!!

There are several Team Manimal players on my list because they are good players. Beverly was mentioned in USA Today as one of the top 2016 players in the Peach Jam and he has been impressive all summer playing against older competition which happens to be the best in the nation (Tyus Jones, etc.). He has multiple scholarship offers already. After thinking about it, I'd probably move Dow down my list a little.

 

If you think Ayers could have a chance at making the top 50, I'd tell you to watch him again soon and give an updated opinion.

 

I agree with what you say regarding Braxton, but of course he was one of the more impressive 2016 kids there. There were only about 10 of them playing. Not to take anything away from him but I just said I would have him no higher than 4. I have seen the Ayers kid play recently as well as earlier in the season. From what I noticed, he played better earlier in the season then he did later in the season. I think teams figured his game out and that he has trouble driving to his off hand. Potential wise, he could be good, but as stated before, he has A LOT of work to do. And as for him being a 3 at the next level, he would have to grow at least another 4 inches. Being 6'0" - 6'1" does not translate to a D1 SF....

Noticing A LOT of Team Manimal on your 2 list... Ayers wasn't even top 3 on his team let alone Top 10 in the State IMO. The first 3 from Hoop Dreams deserve to make the list, however I feel that Hager is a stretch. If Malik is #4 then you have to place Eli Wright ahead of him because he is the exact same player with better handles, better jump shot, better footwork, and the list goes on. I love Braxtons Game, but I wouldn't place him higher then #4 on any list, because I think KY has at least 3 players that will go to higher D1 schools and end up being better players. Even though I don't agree with the order of some of your picks; I think it is 80% correct. IMO Hager could have a chance at a Top 20 list and Ayers Top 50.

 

Doubletake, I believe you're the fellow that said in a post last week that you'd heard that Hoop Dreams 15's were breaking up - which is completely false. And that my son (Will Hager) would be better off if that happened because he wouldn't be on the bench and would thus get the looks from college coaches that he deserves. As was stated then, he was a starter for the team all year and probably logged top 3 minutes on the team (even true in Orlando last week when he couldn't raise his right arm over shoulder level). My point is that, if you didn't even know enough about the dynamics of Hoop Dreams' team to know that he logged nearly as many minutes as any player on the team, you obvioulsy either didn't see us play very often or weren't paying attention. And being a Western KY guy, I'm pretty sure you didn't see us any in high school this year either. I'm not arguing his place in the rankings, but I'm not sure your basis for evaluation of him, whether good or bad. Why you'd call him out a couple of times over the last 2 weeks is a little perplexing, to say the least.

 

And then your comments on Ayers - even more questionable given the tenor of them. When Manimal beat us this year at state, he killed us. And your previous comment that you'd love to see Manimals' guards with bigs from other teams - not taking anything away from their guards, but without Ayers and Farris, how would that team have fared??? I don't believe that's giving them the credit they deserve the team's success. That you wold say top 50 is even more perplexing.

 

Just saying...

Regarding your comment of how often I have seen Hoop Dreams play; I have seen them play in at least 3 tournaments in the last couple years. That includes 2-3 games in each tournament. I have seen a number of their players play outside of Hoop Dreams, and don't bother to ask when and where because that would just be too taxing.... Now as I have said to you before, I believe your son to be very talented and could start and be featured on a number of teams around the state, but when we begin to talk Top 10, we are talking the Elite of the Elite! Kids who are top 10 players should make the game look easy in their age groups, and if they don't then they shouldn't be in the discussion. If we are saying that Some of the players named are one of those top 10 players, then what does that say about basketball in the State? Now I am sure that I watch enough basketball throughout the state and nation for that matter to make such a statement. What Farris and Ayers did playing with Manimal against Hoop Dreams was awesome, but I doubt that colleges determine their opinions about players from one game and I think you should take the same approach.... I have seen them play multiple times and as stated before these may not even be the best players on their team. I have talked with a college coach that thinks 3 of their best players come off the bench... When I make statements, it is without bias. Ayers being is a kid going to my Alma Mater who I knew of and watched before you had a clue who he was. I recognized his potential then and there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying he is good, but not top 10... A huge part of Manimals success was great coaching, teamwork, and effort... But I am a realist without a political agenda, and to say that they have 3 players outside of Sharpe and Fualkner that are top 10 or just outside the top 10 is far fetched. And I think most would agree with me.

 

Just Saying...

Edited July 26, 201313 yr by Doubletake1906

I will post my top 20 (professional opinion, of course )in a little while as well.

;

 

So I came with a top 18 instead, in 3 groups:

 

Top 5

1. Goodin - Clearly the best in this class. As good as or better than anyone currently with a skill set that transfers well to the next level. Enough said.

2. Kirby - probably the best player that never gets talked about. Long, athletic, good feet and hands. Tall and looks like could have some growth left. If he does, then he could be a major D1 with continued work.

3. (Carson) Williams - maybe the "best"player right now in that he's almost unstoppable, at least around here. So strong and good leaper. Surprisingly good in the open floor (break). If he can get 2-3" more, look out!

4. Beverly - I like his game better than anyone on the list. Such a great floor general. Knows how to compensate for his size and lack of quickness when playing against better athletes. He makes the team better. Downside is his size given that he's not going to be quicker than D1 guards.

5. Wright - haven't seen him play enough, but he certainly looks the part of a D1 guard. Good body, speed and strength. Significant upside.

 

Next 8 (alphabetical order)

Ayers

Dow

Hager

Hill

McClendon

Jordan Perry

Darius Williams

Weyer

 

Next 5

Elkins

Faulkner

Farris

Stearns

Long - haven't seen this kid, but being 7 feet gets you on the list.

1. Quintin Goodin

2. Braxton Beverly

3. Carson Williams

4. Malik Dow

5. Raekwon Long

6. Mason Faulkner

7. Eli Wright

8. Kevin Kirby

9. Perry Ayers

10a. Will Hager

10b. Colton Elkins

 

Also reserve a spot in the top 10 for the kid at Cordia if he gets eligible.

 

Honorable Mention: Ben Weyer, Tyler Sharpe, Marquis McClendon, Isaiah Knight, Jared Farris, Robert Dalton, Larry Whelan

 

Markel Mcclendon...not Marquis.

 

Anyone who saw this kid at Holy Cross last year knows he is/will be one if the top players in the state for 2016. Look at what he did as a frosh last year against Scott Co and Bullitt East and the other top teams HC played. Very explosive and easily one of the quickest players in the state off the dribble.

 

The biggest downfall is his lack of a consistent jump shot. Once he works on that, then he can be mentioned as top 10. Problem is, he has been playing AAU with Ohio teams for years (OBC and All Ohio), so not many in KY have seen him outside of HS ball. Playing along side Bolden this year will really help showcase his talents.

Markel Mcclendon...not Marquis.

 

Anyone who saw this kid at Holy Cross last year knows he is/will be one if the top players in the state for 2016. Look at what he did as a frosh last year against Scott Co and Bullitt East and the other top teams HC played. Very explosive and easily one of the quickest players in the state off the dribble.

 

The biggest downfall is his lack of a consistent jump shot. Once he works on that, then he can be mentioned as top 10. Problem is, he has been playing AAU with Ohio teams for years (OBC and All Ohio), so not many in KY have seen him outside of HS ball. Playing along side Bolden this year will really help showcase his talents.

 

How tall is he and what position does he play?

How tall is he and what position does he play?

 

5'10 PG...will start at the 2 for Holmes but handle some of the ball handling duties as he's a natural PG. Defensively, he might be the best player on Holmes' team. His quickness allows him to absolutely harass his opponent without fouling. Also a standout football player but decided to focus on hoops. VERY GOOD RB and DB. He was a key part of Holy Cross state championship football team as an 8th grader. Just an all around great athlete.

 

 

 

A few numbers from last year in his freshman year:

 

v Scott Co-16 pts

v Holmes- 9 pts

v Madison Central- 14 pts

v Harrison Co- 15 pts

v Beechwood 12 pts

v Frankfort- 14 pts

v Worthington Kilbourne, OH- 10 pts

v Colerain, OH- 14 pts

Edited July 27, 201313 yr by Walter

I like him...

Regarding your comment of how often I have seen Hoop Dreams play; I have seen them play in at least 3 tournaments in the last couple years. That includes 2-3 games in each tournament. I have seen a number of their players play outside of Hoop Dreams, and don't bother to ask when and where because that would just be too taxing.... Now as I have said to you before, I believe your son to be very talented and could start and be featured on a number of teams around the state, but when we begin to talk Top 10, we are talking the Elite of the Elite! Kids who are top 10 players should make the game look easy in their age groups, and if they don't then they shouldn't be in the discussion. If we are saying that Some of the players named are one of those top 10 players, then what does that say about basketball in the State? Now I am sure that I watch enough basketball throughout the state and nation for that matter to make such a statement. What Farris and Ayers did playing with Manimal against Hoop Dreams was awesome, but I doubt that colleges determine their opinions about players from one game and I think you should take the same approach.... I have seen them play multiple times and as stated before these may not even be the best players on their team. I have talked with a college coach that thinks 3 of their best players come off the bench... When I make statements, it is without bias. Ayers being is a kid going to my Alma Mater who I knew of and watched before you had a clue who he was. I recognized his potential then and there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying he is good, but not top 10... A huge part of Manimals success was great coaching, teamwork, and effort... But I am a realist without a political agenda, and to say that they have 3 players outside of Sharpe and Fualkner that are top 10 or just outside the top 10 is far fetched. And I think most would agree with me.

 

I think you're at least partially missing the point. I'm not arguing whether my son deserves to be top 10, rather I was taking issue with the way you approached it - even more so with the Ayers kid. I didn't mind at all when you started the post with the top 10 and didn't mention my son. As I mentioned in our communication last week, he's not a flashy/highlight reel type player. It'll take someone (a coach) watching him over several games to appreciate everything he does for a team. Regardless, your and my opinions don't matter anyway at the end of the day.

Your comments that you watched HD 2-3 times/year over the last 3 years and that I'm basing my input on Ayers on 1 game - actually, I watched Manimal play 3 games at state this year, which is comparable to what you watched HD play this year. And, based on those 3 or so games I watched, Ayers stood out as a scorer and Sharpe as a good shooter. Otherwise, it was a good team effort. Watching us in previous years, or Ayers since he was young, is immaterial when assessing who the best players are as of 2013.

That leads to your comment that the truly elite players make the game look easy in their age groups. Against other freshmen teams in the state, I think it's safe to say anyone on any of these lists could do that. However, if you talk about going against high level AAU competition (at their age), and you use that definition, you can't honestly come close to a top 10 from our state. There are 4 players that could meet that definition. Maybe 1 more that is slightly short of that definition. And you pretty much identified those IMO. But the next 15 or so (in a top 20) are not at that level. At least at this stage, they aren't close to the top 4 (or 5) in this group, and there's very little differentiation between any 2 of these players below that. If you were picking for a team beyond that elite group, then it becomes more about what type of player you need as opposed to whose clearly the best. There will likely be more differentiation by the time graduation rolls around, but it's just not there yet.

Wireman stated that he was hesitant to even throw a ranking out there, and I'm assuming it's for these reasons. Overall, I think the 20 or so names that've been mentioned on here are the names that should be in play but, beyond that top 5, trying to differentiate is truly about personal preferences.