What Did We Learn: 2019 Class
The end of July is usually a good way to end a season. With nothing really going on until Fall Leagues in September and October, we like to take stock of where we are at in the process in the development of the class. This is our look at what we know about the class of 2020 following the end of the season.
The class of 2019 is one where you can see the talent from the first day. Our PHI Freshman Showcase was in it’s first year when we brought in the 2019 class and we were blown away by the talent level. With guys like Keion Brooks and Sydney Curry, you could see the top end talent but as the last couple years have come by, we have seen the depth as well. On the surface, this class looks like it will be as good as any in the last few years.
It’s funny, though, as the class nationally isn’t that highly regarded. With that in mind, it wouldn’t shock to continue to see Indiana prospect really start to rise as the next two years come around. There are plenty of guys that showed this summer that they are likely to rise this year into the next level and could potentially become top players in the country.
The depth of the DI talent has really expanded in the last year, and even so, you see the top of the non-DI crowd has improved as well and gotten deeper. This class just has so many guys improving this summer that more names are popping up and is already much easier to find prospects than the previous one.
As far as where that depth of talent is going, we know it has size. Especially at the wing there is a ton of size and skill. This is the best group of wings we have seen in a long time. Starting at the top you have Keion Brooks, Cobie Barnes, Aaron Etherington, Armaan Franklin, Dexter Shouse, Jalen Windham, Simon Banks, and many more. Those guys are in our current Top 15 players in the 2019 class.
There is more size in this class in the post as well. Many post players and stretch forwards in the group. However, the lack of high-end point guards is rough. Right now, there are only 5 in our Top 20 players. Usually, that is the most concentrated area of talent and this year it just isn’t.
When we look for areas of improvement, I like where the direction of the off-guards is going.
Many have made improvement, major improvements and they are starting to move up into that DI level. That is the group that is where the guys moving up are coming from. Guys like Jared Hankins, Simon Banks, Armaan Franklin, and Brandon Newman have legitimized their potential this summer.
Overall, this class will be one of the more entertaining ones to track over the next two years and into college because it could produce a lot of talent at every level with guys that are going to be impact guys in college.