2020 Prospect Rankings – SD’s Next Five
In our first San Diego-centric piece on the 2020 rankings, we examined the game of the first five San Diego prospects to appear in the rankings. Now, we break down the next group of players, including one who is probably due for a huge jump in our rankings update.
2020 Prospect Rankings – SD’s Next Five
Luke Haupt, 6-5 WF, Saint Augustine/ College Bound 17u (Prep Hoops So-Cal No. 31 overall)
Haupt approaches the game as you would come to expect from a coach’s son. The four man makes up for average athleticism with a tremendous basketball IQ and great feel. He can score both on the block and off the dribble from the perimeter, and his perimeter shooting and range have both improved year over year. Haupt is also an excellent passer, delivering crisp outlets to trigger fast breaks, and locating cutters when double teamed on the block. If he can continue to improve his lateral quickness and perimeter defense – areas where he has shown growth – he will continue to rise the ranks.
Maurice Holmes, 6-6 WF, Helix/ West Coast Elite SD Silver (Prep Hoops So-cal No. 52 overall)
Holmes, who is coming off of a solid sophomore campaign at Helix, has all of the tools to move up the ranks. He just needs to put them together. The 6-6 wing forward type has a sleek frame, improved ball skills and a jump shot that extends out to the college three. When he is engaged on both ends, he can be a very good rebounder and a versatile scorer off the catch and off the drive. In recent viewings, however, Holmes’ lack of assertiveness lessened his impact on the game on both ends. If he is to tap into his gifts, he must change his approach to the game.
Kimo Ferrari, 5-11 PG, Francis Parker/ Gamepoint 16u Elite (Prep Hoops So-Cal No. 53 overall)
Ferrari missed a segment of the season due to transferring from Saint Augustine to Parker midseason, which didn’t give all of our scouts an opportunity to see him before grassroots season. But Ferrari has been nothing short of spectacular this spring, so expect a big jump in his respective ranking. The true point guard plays at a blistering pace, sets the table for his teammates off the dribble and has made a big leap scoring and shooting. He also takes pride on defense being a lockdown on-ball defender. You can argue that none of the prospects in our rankings play harder than Ferrari.
Albert Pichardo, 6-3 WF, Army-Navy/ San Diego All-Stars 16u Elite (Prep Hoops So-Cal No. 57 overall)
Pichardo made a big impression on our panel at the Battle at the Bay in January, where he showed off his scoring from all three levels, relentless motor and nose for the ball on the boards. This spring, Pichardo has been playing a lot of “point forward” for his undersized SDA team, and the results have been largely positive. He handles the ball well enough to initiate the offense as a secondary ball handler, and still impacts the game in the same way with his motor, rebounding and shooting off the ball.
Kailen Rains, 6-3 SG, San Ysidro/ Cali Rebels 16u Elite (Prep Hoops. So-Cal No. 66 overall)
While San Ysidro struggled this year, Rains emerged as the leading scorer on a very young squad. This spring, he continues to improve his overall feel and skill set. At 6-3, Rains has impressive length and looks like he still has some growing to do. He has a quick, fluid release from three and his confidence off the dribble has rapidly improved, which has opened up his scoring from midrange and at the rim. His frame is still very frail, and as a result he struggles to finish plays through contact and to negotiate pressure off the dribble. If he can continue to develop his physique, he’s a real D1 sleeper.