2019 Rankings Update: Balance at the top
The 2017-18 high school basketball season brought some movement and clarity to SoCal’s bevy of 2019 hoops talent.
One of the storylines to evolve from November to March was the balance at the top of the junior class rankings.
Three guards, three bigs and four wing prospects make up the Top 10 in the rankings which dropped Wednesday, led by the No. 1 overall prospect Onyeka Okongwu of Chino Hills.
Here’s a closer look at the three big men in our updated rankings for the 2019 class.
Okongwu, a 6-foot-9 center, guided the Huskies to a Southern Section Division I championship and a Division I state title by proving to be an absolutely dominant force inside.
Chino Hills center Onyeka Okongwu is arguably the best prospect in the West, regardless of class.Chino Hills new coach Dennis Latimore brought a different style of play to the table compared to that of what the Huskies played over the last few years. Okongwu was the feature player. Chino Hills dumped it down to him on most possessions and he delivered much more often than not.
The combination of upside plus skill, production and winning at the highest level is why Okongwu sits atop the 2019 rankings.
The other big men in the Top 10 are no slouches, either.
Rancho Christian forward Isaiah Mobley takes the No. 4 spot and his combination of size, fluidity and skill is no new story for anyone that follows SoCal high school hoops. At 6-feet-9, Mobley averaged 20.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and four assists per game while leading the Eagles to a 29-5 overall record and a berth in the Southern Section Open Division playoffs.
Rounding out the big men in the Top 10 is Lynwood’s Carl Lewis at No. 7. The 6-foot-9 center is a physical and athletic monster with an innate blend of power and fluidity to go along with a budding inside-out skill set. Lewis is still a raw prospect, but he’s a powerful finisher around the rim, hits his free throws at a good clip and has displayed the ability to step out on the perimeter and knock down an open 3-pointer.