2019 Class Rankings Breakdown: Shuffled Top 5, Risers, Sleepers and Potential Movers
With our latest release of the 2019 class rankings, there is plenty to breakdown as we have had a lot of movement in the rankings since our last update in August of last year.
Below is a break down via four categories, “A Shuffled Top 5,” “Risers,” “Small College Sleepers,” and “Potential Movers.” As always, PHKY will continue to track and follow the state’s top talent and stay up to date on players who deserve and earn a boost up the rankings as they continue to take shape. Stay tuned!
A Shuffled Top 5
We have had a significant shift in the top 5 since the start of the high school season. Dekeyvan “KyKy” Tandy of University Heights has overtaken the number one spot. Tandy was recently named #119 in the country in the updated 247 national rankings. KyKy is an explosive point guard with 44 inch vertical and he’s shooting 46% from 3 on the year. Tandy is number one in our rankings for the first time since we created the 2019 rankings a couple of years ago. In order to stay on top, he will need to continue improving as a floor general and getting teammates involved.
David Johnson (Trinity) dropped a spot to #2 in the update. David is the highest ranked player in Kentucky by most recruiting services but he falls to second on PHKY because he doesn’t dominate games the way that Tandy does. David has shown the flashes that earned him offers from Louisville, Xavier and Cincinnati but until he consistently dominates, he will struggle to reach his potential. David’s senior teammate Jayden Scrubb frequently outplays David. Hopefully by the time we update the rankings again, David Johnson will have started moving closer to realizing his potential.
Dontaie Allen (Pendleton County) moved up from the fourth spot in our rankings up to third overall. Allen may possibly be the most valuable player in Kentucky. The 6’6 guard averages 30.6 points per game and shoots a hair under 60% from the field for a Pendleton County team that would struggle to win 10 games without Allen on the roster. Dontaie holds 6 D1 offers from low and mid major schools but is poised to blowup as his 17u AAU season looms in the coming months.
Michael Moreno (Scott County) was leapfrogged by Allen and slides a spot to fourth in the rankings update. Moreno is a walking double double for the Scott County Cardinals. The Junior is scoring 20.5 points per game while pulling down 9.9 rebounds every contest. Michael has been a known commodity in the 2019 class for a long time and he holds several D1 offers. In order to regain his position in the top 3 or even move up, Moreno will need to continue improving as a shooter. If he can raise his 3 point shooting from it’s current 30% clip and get it closer to 40%, he will start to show he can be a perimeter player in college instead of the dreaded “tweener” label.
Kyle Rode (Lexington Christian) was the only member of the top 5 to not move in the rankings update. Rode is a 6’7 point forward and his value was made clear when he missed time this season with an ankle strain and LCA and they dropped 3 out of 5 games without Kyle. Rode has a handful of offers from low and mid major schools and will rack up more once his AAU season starts up in April.
Risers
There has been some movement in the rankings since our last update and there are several kids who are on the verge of being top 10-20 players the 2018 class. In 5 years, we may look back and see that some of these guys have had impressive 4 year careers in college and should have been ranked higher:
Nick Thelen (Covington Catholic), Rodriguez Thomas (Paducah Tilghman), Makhi McGuire (Newport), Alex Holley (Ballard), Reese Tolley (Butler)
Small College Sleepers
There are many kids who have the potential to be very good college players despite being lower in our rankings. Each of these players in this group can lead their team in numerous statistical categories on any given night, and will likely continue to put up solid numbers as the season rolls along.
Kyle Stivers (Franklin County), Keaston Brown (Henry Clay), Jack Davin (Covington Catholic), Noah Back (Perry County Central), Carter Baughman (Mercer County)
Potential Movers
There are several players who could move way up the rankings depending on how the rest of their senior season goes. Whether it’s their scoring ability, averaging a double double or the athleticism and ability they possess, all of these kids could make big moves up the rankings by our next update.
Darius Osborne (PRP), Jordan Graham (George Rogers Clark), Carson Guthrie (Mayfield), Jamarion Sharp (Hopkinsville), JJ Ramey (South Laurel)