Prospect Rankings: 2020 Point Guards (Part 1)
There’s a lot of high school and grassroots basketball left to be played for the kids included in our 2020 Prospect Rankings. Some players will play their way up the rankings, while others will digress and fall out. For that reason, most of these players aren’t a priority for college programs at this point in their career — it’s just too early!
As of right now, we have 105 prospects from the 2020 class who we’ve seen enough from to believe they’re future college hoopers. We look forward to explaining their spots in our rankings throughout the week with articles like this one, which is focusing on the point guards of 2020.
#2 Garvin Clarke
The point guards in Ohio’s class of 2020 are hard to separate. It’s especially tight at the top of the class. However, frankly, it was rather easy to put Clarke in the #1 spot. He’s that good.
As a freshman for Euclid, Clarke was an impact player at the varsity level, earning Third Team All-Northeast Lakes District honors after averaging 16 points per game. During the grassroots season, he led a Rebels team against shoe-sponsored opponents and made it clear along the way that his lateral quickness and finishing ability is a notch ahead of the guys below him on the list.
Clarke currently holds offers from Buffalo and Youngstown State. We believe his game will bring offers from more prestigious conferences than the MAC, especially if Clarke grows another inch or two.
#3 Matt Allocco
Alllocco’s leadership (verbally and emotionally), shooting ability, defense, passing, and dribbling, make him one of the most complete players in the 2020 class.
He’ll spend another season playing second fiddle to Braden Norris in the Hilliard Bradley backcourt. Once Norris graduates, Allocco should step in as an upperclassman and lead the next wave of Hilliard Bradley talent to deep state tournament runs. For All Ohio Red this July, Allocco played a couple games with the 17U team and reportedly played excellently.
He holds one D-I offer from Miami (OH).
#8 Zeb Jackson
Jackson is another 2020 point guard who logged minutes with older competition this spring/summer. The difference for Jackson was that he played the entire grassroots season at the 16U level, for C2K Elite.
Expect Jackson to be one of the top scorers in the entire state next season, regardless of class. He averaged 20 points per game last season for Maumee Valley, including a ridiculous 49-point showing early in the season.
Toledo and Akron have offered.
#10 Montorie Foster Jr.
Foster is a player that didn’t have the amount of opportunities at the varsity level that others in this article did. Lakewood St. Edward had current Findlay point guard Tommy Schmock on the roster and he carried the point guard load.
Going forward, expect Foster to surprise people with his combination of explosiveness, instincts, shut-down defense, and shooting abilities. Foster is overlooked by many, but there’s no doubt he can defend anyone on this list. It also helps that he’s going to be coached up in one of the state’s top programs over the next three years.
#12 Dominiq Penn
Penn’s deep range and hesitation move should lead to a ton of buckets over the next three seasons for Dublin Coffman. He’ll likely be afforded a ton of opportunities to create points for the Rocks next season, and it’ll be interesting to see if he continues building upon his scoring package.
Kent State and Duquesne offered Penn this summer. Stony Brook also offered him in October.
#14 Joey Holifield
Once word of Holifield’s game begins swirling beyond northwest Ohio, Prep Hoops won’t be the only ones ready to mention him amongst 2020’s finest prospects. Kent State and Toledo both offered Holifield within 24 hours of him attending their elite camps this summer.
Holifield was the catalyst for Cardinal Stritch as a freshman point guard. He led the team to a District Championship in Division III; and don’t be surprised if they advance even further next season.