Player Profile: Ty Rankin (2019/Grant HS/Portland Basketball Club)
Ty Rankin and the Grant Generals have been knocking on the door of the state’s elite for the past two seasons, we caught up with the talented 2019 guard who thinks that if things go well he and his teammates could be cutting down the nets in March.
After serving as a varsity reserve for most of his freshman season, Rankin moved into the starting line up and excelled against a stacked schedule that included games against in state powers Jefferson and West Linn as well as national programs Sierra Canyon and Rainier Beach. In fact Rankin had an 18 point game against Sierra and the #1 ranked player in the class of 2018 Marvin Bagley Jr. For the season, he posted averages of 15.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per games as the Generals made it to the state quarterfinals before losing to cross town rival Jefferson. As he looks towards next season, Rankin is excited about what Grant can accomplish, “we’ve got a lot of talented guys returning, me, Aaron Deloney, Kelton Samore, plus we’ve added a few guys that will help. If we stay healthy, keep working hard, and play to our ability, there is no reason why we shouldn’t have a chance to win the state title.”
Rankin just finished his second season of AAU basketball as part of the Portland Basketball Club, a Nike EYBL program. For the spring session, he played on PBC’s 2nd 17U team and the group then put together a 16U team for the summer round of play. Rankin had this to say about his aau experience, “playing on PBC has really impacted me, has helped me with everything, college exposure and learning the game have been the two biggest things. It has forced me to be tougher because the competition is so good every game.” After his freshman season, Rankin attended the Pangos All American Camp and made the Top 30 out of 300 kids. After the camp I received letters from colleges all over the country. I’m still hearing from some of those plus some new schools on the west coast.” When it comes to picking a college, “I’m looking for a school that fits me basketball and school wise. I want to get my education and play for a good program that plays my style.” Rankin is eyeing a major in either business or management in the future.
When asked to assess his strengths and weaknesses as a player, Rankin replied, “I value both sides of the ball equally, you have to do it on defense, in order to do it on offense. I’m a slasher, I can get to the hoop and can also knock down threes and make shots in between. I love talking on the court with my team. Things that I feel like I can improve on are being more of a team leader, improving my ball handling so I can control the game and continue to put my team in the best position to win. I believe my game is pretty unique.”
Prep Hoops Oregon Evaluation:
Ty Rankin is a 6’2 2019 combo guard from Portland’s Grant HS who also plays with the Portland Basketball Club. He is a physical guard who uses his size and strength very effectively on both ends of the floor. Has the ability to score from all three levels but is most effective attacking and finishing at the rim. Very good perimeter defender, both on and off the ball. Athletic and strong enough to guard bigger players. Would like to see him become a more consistent perimeter shooter and develop as a passer. Competitive kid who has played against tough competition in high school and aau, seems to thrive in that environment. Ty Rankin is a player that low to mid major programs should have on their radars.