Trending Up: 2019s Who Raised Their Stock
There is still plenty of time for class of 2019 prospects to leave a lasting impression on college basketball coaches.
The rising junior class has two more seasons of high school ball and another spring and summer of travel ball garner interest and earn scholarship offers.
The following six prospects didn’t waste any time this summer, however, as their play either solidified the fact that they are Division I prospects or drummed up that type of interest that wasn’t there before.
Trending Up
Sedrick Altman (IEBP/Colony)
Even though Altman was a crucial factor in Colony high school’s run to the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA championship, he was still a sleeper-type prospect heading into the spring and summer. But that’s no longer the case as the athletic 6-foot-2 wing displayed his elite on-ball defensive capabilities and explosive finishing ability which earned him his first Division I offer from Cal State Fullerton. If Altman continues to progress on the offensive end, he will certainly see more interest.
Ethan Anderson (Gamepoint Pump-N-Run/Fairfax)
Anderson has been a known commodity for quite some time, but there were some higher level programs who needed to see more before extending an offer to the bullish 6-foot-1 Fairfax High point guard. Anderson made the most of his summer with Gamepoint Pump-N-Run, illustrating his strength as a three-level scorer and physical driving and finishing presence. One of Anderson’s most notable skills is controlling pace and rarely getting ahead of himself. Anderson boasts offers from Nevada, UNLV, Long Beach State and Tulane.
Gianni Hunt (Belmont Shore/Bishop Montgomery)
Hunt began this past travel season playing with Cal Supreme’s 17U team on the EYBL circuit and finished it with Belmont Shore in July, but no matter who he played with, the poised 6-foot-1 point guard opened plenty of eyes. Hunt is a throwback, prototypical one-guard who can grasp the basketball concepts of an intricate offense, but also possesses the IQ to create something out of nothing. The Bishop Montgomery High star has played at the highest level of prep basketball since his freshman year and has recently earned scholarship offers from USC, Oregon State and UNLV.
Dean Keeler (Cali Rebels/Marina)
We’ve covered Keeler at-length over the last month or so, and he most definitely belongs on this list as someone who went from a virtual unknown to a legitimate next-level prospect, whether it be Division I or Division II. The 6-foot-8, 190 pound Marina High center has a solid fundamental skill set to serve as a foundation that can be built upon. According to Marina coach Nick Racklin, Keeler has heard from schools in the Big Sky and Big West conferences.
Jake Kyman (Dream Vision/Santa Margarita)
The hesitancy of schools to offer Kyman is one of the more baffling things in all of Southern California high school basketball. The 6-foot-7 small forward has the size and offensive skill set that could very well translate to any level of college basketball. Kyman shoots the 3-pointer with consistency, passes well off the wing and out of the high post and can initiate offense in a point-forward role if called upon to do so. The Santa Margarita junior-to-be has offers from Pepperdine, UC Santa Barbara and Utah State.
Drake London (BTI/Moorpark)
Much like Keeler, London was way under-the-radar heading into the spring and summer travel seasons. The Moorpark High two-sport star broke out at the Pangos All-West Camp and then again at the Pangos Premier 80 before having a strong month of July with the BTI club team. London is a smooth scoring lefty with a ton of feel on the offensive end. He’s a shot creator off the bounce and a shot maker in any setting. His most underrated skill is his passing ability. London has great anticipation of where the help-side defense is coming from when attacking the basket and picks apart defenses with simple drop passes or kick-outs to 3-point shooters. London picked up scholarship offers from Pepperdine, Montana, Loyola Marymount, Rice and University of San Diego.