Rankings Rewind: 2016 Class
The 2016 class was pretty weak overall. The transfers of Eli Wright and Braxton Beverly to out of state prep schools hurt the top half of the class. There are a handful of players who are no longer even playing basketball. Here’s a look at how the top ranked players in the 2016 class have performed since they left the high school ranks.
- Quentin Goodin, Taylor County – Goodin was forced into duty as a freshman after the Musketeers starting point guard went down with a season ending injury. Quentin met the challenge and helped lead Xavier to the Final 4 as a freshman. This past season, Quentin averaged 8.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game for Xavier as they locked in a top 4 seed in the NCAA tournament. Goodin should be a leader for coach Travis Steele as a junior.
- Carson Williams, Owen County – Carson was the 2016 Mr. Basketball and a starter at NKU from day one. His freshman season the Norse made the NCAA tournament and fell to the University of Kentucky as a 15 seed. This season Williams averaged 12 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Norse. He recently announced a transfer to Western Kentucky where he will sit next season then have 2 to play.
- James Boone, Murray – As a freshman, Boone played only 6 games at Samford due to injuries. This past season Boone gave up basketball and moved back home to attend Murray State and be a regular student.
- Mason Faulkner, Caverna – Another Northern Kentucky signee in the 2016 class, Faulkner recently announced a transfer to Western Carolina. As a freshman at NKU, Mason averaged 7.4 points per game. This past season, his average dropped to 5.6 points per game as he saw a decrease in playing time.
- Jalaam Hill, Waggener – Hill went the junior college route for two years after high school. Jalaam recently signed with Cleveland State and will enroll there in the fall as a junior.
- Wade Coomer, Barren County – Coomer has had quite the odyssey trying to get to the college ranks. Originally committed to Coastal Carolina, he took a prep year after high school then enrolled at Olney Central Junior College. He is currently preparing for a sophomore season at Olney.
- DeAndre Dishman, Bryan Station – Dishman was a late addition to the EKU roster for his freshman season. He averaged 6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as a freshman before making large strides this past year. DeAndre upped his averages to 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore this season and will look to continue his improvement next year.
- Matt Wilson, Campbell County – Wilson has had a stellar two seasons playing for Army. After averaging 9.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a freshman, Matt averaged 12 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in his sophomore campaign.
- Alex Cook, Male – Cook elected to stay home and attend Bellarmine after a great career at Louisville Male. This season Cook averaged 12 points and 5 rebounds per game while starting 17 games for the Knights.
- Darius Williams, Dunbar – Williams is playing at Paris Junior College in Texas where he averaged 8 points per game this season and shot an impressive 51% from 3.
Other Notable Players:
13. Tyler Sharpe, Bullitt East – Sharpe started his career as a walk-on at Louisville before a transfer to Northern Kentucky this season. Sharpe started out as a role player off the bench but was starting for the Norse by the end of the season. Tyler averaged 6.7 points per game this year for NKU.
14. Isaiah Tisdale, Henry Clay – Tisdale was named a junior college All American this season while playing at Vincennes junior college. He recently committed to East Tennessee State and should compete to be their starting point guard next season.
17. Jordan Perry, Morgan County – Perry enrolled at Pikeville and has been an impact player since his first game on campus. Jordan was named Freshman Player of the Year in the Mid South Conference and followed that up by averaging 14.3 points per game for the Bears this season.
22. Jaiveon Eaves, Madisonville-North Hopkins – Eaves played his freshman season at Evansville before enrolling at John A. Logan Junior College this season. Eaves is committed to Murray State for next season and will be an immediate impact player for the Racers in the OVC.
61. Perry Ayers, Bowling Green – Ayers is having a great career at Centre College. Perry averaged 13 points per game this season for the Colonels while providing leadership and toughness for a Centre team that improved drastically over the course of the season. Ayers also added 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for Centre this season.