Up Next: 2020s, 2019s With Promise
In this article:
Dominic Shaw, Monsignor Pace
After a stellar sophomore campaign which witnessed Shaw average 18 PPG and pioneer the team offensively, Shaw should return as one of the area’s top-tier talents. The 6-foot-2 guard/forward is versatile and can play from the 1-3 on both sides of the ball. He’ll enter the 2018-19 campaign as his team’s best shooter and on-ball defender. While he’s still got a ways to go as far as polishing the skill-set that’s in front of him, he’s certainly got a chance to be special.
Trevor Ward, McArthur High
As a sophomore, Ward got his degree in game management and how to really lead by example out of the backcourt. After starting every game for Warren Gale at the point, Ward was a stabilizing force which helped propel the program to a berth in the regional final.
The 6-foot incoming junior is an oft-penetrating guard with an effective set shot from beyond the arc. He’s improved drastically at scoring on the fly, carving his way to the rim and laying it in through the contesting hands. Ward will shoulder some ownership of the program next season. The important blend of consistency and sturdiness from this past season has solidified his battle tested status.
He’s shifty and plays at a fast pace, mirroring the style traditionally forced by Ward.
Jordan Howard, McArthur High
With 2018 graduation claiming the sterling inside-outside tandem of 6-foot-7 Nicholas Choi and hot-shooting guard Jacob Narvaez, Howard is flushed into a bigger role next season. The 6-foot-4 sophomore is an advanced scorer at all three levels, who has improved during his day-to-day development with SOH Elite. After playing both in the post and in the backcourt as a sophomore, Howard will come back with a mixed back of polished guard skills and a knack for interior banging. While they lose the aforementioned tandem of Choi and Narvaez, Gale returns much of the core with this stacked 2020 class.
Scottie Barnes, U-School
The 6-foot-7 wing might be the most intriguing one and done prospect in the country over the ensuing year.
Barnes is averaging 15 points, shooting the ball at a 54 percent clip for Nike Team Florida on the 17U EYBL circuit this spring. While Barnes brings unrivaled open court finishing, he’s currently focusing on expanding his range and turning his consistent mid-range game into a behind the arc threat.
He’s averaging close to a three-pointer per game this spring. Establishing this component of his game would fit with NSU head coach Adrian Sosa’s style of position-less basketball. Barnes recently rattled off Miami, Florida, Louisville, Villanova, and Maryland as the programs recruiting him the hardest.
Angel Smith, Northeast
The high-motored 6-foot-5 lead guard has some serious burst in his game. He’s got the explosiveness and downhill game capable of generating considerable attention this summer. Smith’s equally adept in the one on one game and isolation sets, which enable him to either attack or whiz an interior dish to an astonishingly open big. Smith’s ability to pass the ball in the half court set and also leak out in transition and make plays perhaps stand out most. His 3-point shot, with a high release point and increased range, is what makes him likely a two-guard or a combo at the next level.
Smith, who missed the entire spring with a toe injury, is now back and 100 percent. He will play for Team Breakdown. Tennessee Tech, Kansas State, and Old Dominion are currently recruiting the upside-heavy prospect.
Malcolm Farrington, BPA
The local West Palm Beach product has shown he can get hot on some of the biggest stages the prep scene has to offer.
Against USC-bound guard Elijah Weaver and a then Oldsmar Christian team dripping with talent in October, Farrington scored 21 points on 5-for-7 from downtown. Against an Aspire Academy team headlined by 6-foot-10 wunderkind Charles Bassey, Farrington scored 20 points and kicked in four assists to take home MVP honors during The Corinth Tourism/Balfour tournament. As a sophomore, Farrington went 6-for-7 (in the first half) against a Wesleyan Christian team featuring (Wake Forest-signee) Jaylen Hoard and a slew of Division-I players. Getting stronger and devoting himself to player development has made Farrington a threat on both sides of the floor.
It certainly helps that he’s got a 4.0 GPA.
Sheldon Edwards, Palm Beach Lakes
The 6-foot-2 Class of 2019 prospect has prolonged the success he had during a breakout junior season during the live periods. He consistently scored in the 20s, engineering game-altering runs and showing what makes him a deadly all around scorer: shiftiness, deft 3-point shooting, and a knack for finding seams in the defense and taking advantage. The incoming senior has grasped the importance of spacing and fluid ball movement, bedrock tenets of Palm Beach Lakes’ system.
While he arrived at the doorstep as a guy who loved to spot up and stick corner treys, he’s become more active in getting into the driving lanes and scoring. Playing for the Wellington Wolves has allowed him to showcase his scoring toolbox, which have been proven to break open a game.