Rankings Update: 2020 Sleepers
What makes for a sleeper? Kids that have collegiate talent at small or less publicized schools, didn’t play varsity ball this season, or have had to sit out games because of injuries or transferring regulations.
While we selected ten players for this article, the list could’ve been a lot longer, as this 2020 class appears to be very strong at the moment.
[18] Jake Younkin, 6’2” G, Moeller / Mid Ohio Pumas Elite
Younkin spent the winter on JV, as the State Champion varsity roster was filled out with experienced seniors and a few juniors. However, Younkin is still currently the top shooter in the 2020 class. As the value on 3-point shooting continues to rise, the demand for a player like Younkin is only increasing. He’s also long enough to defend both guard spots and can be a primary ball-handler.
[28] Dalton Mischal, 6’4” W, McClain / Mid Ohio Pumas White
Mischal has as good of a motor as you’re going to find in this class. He flies all over the court and makes his living on the glass. Although he’s a bit undersized to play the 4, Mischal is a flat-out competitor who can bring toughness from one of the wing spots. He’s still not much of a threat as an outside scorer, but he can handle a little bit. Versatile defender.
[29] Cameron McCreary, 6’0” PG, Colonel Crawford / Mid Ohio Pumas Elite
McCreary is a pure floor general who sees the floor well and takes care of the ball. While size and lack of explosives could hold him back from reaching the D-I level, McCreary is projecting as one of the top D-II point guard prospects in 2020. He’s a pass-first player with a jumper that improved every time we saw him last summer.
[35] Tahj Staveskie, 5’9” PG, Sandusky / Rebels
As we reported in the Stock-Riser article from earlier in the week, Staveskie will be out for 3-6 weeks with an injury. However, the Sandusky product is another premier D-II point guard prospect in this class. He’s a dynamic ball-handler with a ton of skill. Although he’s undersized, Staveskie finds clever ways to get his shot off in the paint and has no trouble getting separation on the perimeter.
[37] Khalil Davis, 6’1” PG, Princeton / Cincy Lakers
Davis is a supreme athlete. While he’s not capable of being the primary playmaker with the ball in his hands right now, Davis makes an impact on the defensive end. Although he’s just 6’1”, he may be able to defend three positions because of his athleticism and activity level. If he makes improvements on the offensive end, expect Davis to see the floor a lot more as an upperclassman for the Vikes.
[68] Elijah Kimmons, 6’3” W, Toledo St. John’s
Kimmons logged a surprisingly limited amount of minutes for SJJ this winter, as he was used as a utility forward. He did impress with his ability to guard larger players. Kimmons is lengthy and tough inside. We’re not quite sure about his ability to play on the perimeter offensively, so that remains his biggest question mark going forward.
[84] Caleb Smith, 6’4” W, Rogers
Smith is one of three Toledo Rogers players in our 2020 rankings, and the lowest ranked of his classmates. However, that doesn’t mean that Smith doesn’t have a chance to shoot up the charts throughout his career. He’s extremely raw right now, as he just kind of flies towards the basket for finishes. Yet, Smith is capable of having huge scoring nights because of his aggressiveness, quick first step, and strong frame. If he becomes a consistent shooter, Smith will be a scholarship-level prospect.
[94] Luke Powell, 6’1” G, Barnesville / All Ohio Black
Powell is a small town kid with a big-time jumper. Just last weekend, he made defenses pay for going underneath screens by hitting triples off the bounce. Powell has some deceptiveness to his game, as he was able to sneak by defenders by changing speeds. The kid can fill it up.
[106] Anthony Maxie, 6’5” F, Benedictine / All Ohio Cleveland
Maxie is back from an injury that shortened his grassroots season last summer. Now that he’s back, Maxie has actually gained a lot of spring to his leaping ability. He was flying around the rim last weekend for rebounds and layup attempts. Maxie has room to grow as far as polishing up his post moves and such, but we love his upside as a face-up 4 that makes hustle plays.
[110] Gbolahan Adio , 6’3” W, Richmond Heights / All Ohio Cleveland
From last summer to now, Adio is a completely different player. Although he still has some explosion at the rim and knows how to drive, Adio has added a completely new element to his game. The kid was hitting 3-point jumpers off the dribble last weekend and even improved as a ball-handler. In fact, if what we saw last weekend is the new normal for Adio, he’s ranked too low. Transferred from VASJ over to Richmond Heights this last year.