2019 Prospect Rankings: Biggest Stock Risers (Part 1)
Recently, we released our updated class of 2019 prospect rankings. It’s important to note that these rankings are not a simple measure of “who’s better right now” or “who will have a better college career.” Instead, the rankings were developed by taking into consideration a player’s production in their current situation as well as their potential ability to play college ball, with the later holding slightly more weight. It is also important to note that these rankings aren’t the determining factor in a player’s success both at the high school level and the college level. With this being said, let’s take a look at some players who’s stock rose big time over the last year:
Carrington McCaskill (Detroit Renaissance)
Photocredit: http://thelocalathlete.comThe 6’7″ forward has enjoyed a breakout year, especially with his performance running with AAU team REACH Legends. McCaskill is long and athletic and elevates as good as anybody – he truly has an ideal basketball build. McCaskill received his first D1 in June and should pick up many more by this time next year. Despite being a bit raw offensively, he has proven time and time again that he’s one of the best offensive rebounders in the state. His aggressiveness on the glass, combined with his sky-high ceiling make McCaskill one of the top prospects in the 2019 class.
Chandler Turner (Detroit Renaissance)
Turner is McCaskill’s teammate in both high school and AAU ball and has likewise enjoyed a breakout year. The 6’5″ guard has nice size and length for his position/playstyle, something that is obviously very valuable. Over the summer, Turner received a pair of mid-major offers from Cleveland State and Kent State. It is not unreasonable to expect him to pull many more of these types of offers over the course of the next year. Turner has a good blend of potential and skill – he’s not close to his ceiling yet, but he’s not a raw project either. His jumpshot, despite being unorthodox in form, is reliable from a variety of spots. He also does a good job getting to the rack and using his length to finish. Like McCaskill, Turner is a guy with a ton of potential.
Harlond Beverly (Southfield Christian)
Beverly has quickly risen to one of the top prospects in the 2019 not only in Michigan, but throughout the entire Midwest. The guard generated a ton of buzz with his play running with AAU team REACH Legends, picking up a variety of D1 offers, including multiple high-major offers coming late summer/fall. The 6’5″ guard is the complete package offensively with a great combination of size, skill, athleticism and IQ. He has that unguardable Allen Iverson-type crossover that he can use to create offense whenever he wants. Beverly’s resume speaks for itself – surely he will have a monster year and pick up a ton more offers throughout his junior campaign.
Myron Gardner (Detroit Loyola)
Last year, Gardner was ranked in the 30s for the class of 2019, compared to being ranked at number 7 this year. The 6’5″ forward is a monster athlete – I’m sure he could be a D1 running back if he put his mind to it. Through strength, quickness, speed and verticality, Gardner uses his physical advantages to play with a great deal of toughness and energy, a combination of which many are unable to match. One thing about Gardner is that he seems to play better in bigger games – in July, he went blow-for-blow with top 2019 prospect Romeo Weems, a player who’s known for his athleticism and toughness. He is one of the best defenders as well as rebounders in the state, but it’s important to note that his not simply an athlete. Gardner has the ability to create off the dribble, is a great finisher, can shoot out to the three point line at a decent rate, as well as a good ability to facilitate if needed. Despite a great AAU campaign, it’s not inaccurate to say that Gardner hasn’t come close to his ceiling yet – look for him to have a big time year.
Luke Maranka (Hoops for Heaven Homeschool)
Maranka made perhaps the most drastic climb in this year’s updated rankings. Last year, he was ranked in the hundreds – this year, he’s our number 12 ranked prospect for the class of 2019. Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that he doesn’t play for a big name high school or AAU team, or perhaps that can be attributed to his rapid development over the past year. Either way, the 6’9″ big man is one of the top big man prospects in the 2019 class due to his combination of size, mobility and skill. Maranka is capable of grabbing a defensive rebound and dribbling the ball up the court to a finish via shot, layup or dunk. He’s an above-average three point shooter and knows that he can use his size to get his shot off over smaller defenders. He’s also capable of attacking the rim from outside the perimeter and can finish with a pull-up jumper or at the rack. Defensively, Maranka uses his long arms to protect the paint at a high-level. Look for him to generate some serious D1 interest this season – it will be a big surprise if he doesn’t pick up a D1 offer within the year.
Xander Okerlund (Glen Lake)
Okerlund is a promising young guard who had a good AAU season running with Parallel 45. The 6’2″ guard is one of the smoothest scorers in the class of 2019. He has a wide variety of ways to beat a defense and can score at all three levels. While Okerlund is only listed at 6’2″, he plays an inch or two taller as he has the long arms that are very valuable in the game of basketball. While he’s not as well-known as some of the other players on this list, that shouldn’t be mixed up with any less skilled. Don’t be surprised if Okerlund breaks out and has a statement year this season – he certainly has the talent to do so.
Marcus Alston (Lansing Sexton)
The 6′ guard stood out to us throughout the entire month of July running with Elite Nation for AAU. Offensively, Alston is the complete package – he can shoot, dribble, pass, finish at the rack and even rebound a bit. Perhaps the only knock on him offensively may be that he’s a bit undersized for his playstyle. There’s no doubt in my mind that the score-first guard would have a few offers by now if he stood 6’4″+ and his high school team had more success. Alston excels at creating plays off the dribble and hitting a variety of tough shots (step-backs, fade-aways, double-clutch layups, etc). Based off his performance from AAU season, Alston is due for a breakout year.