Seven Tennessee Players Make PH National Rankings!!
The PrepHoops.com National Rankings for Class of 2019 are now hot and fresh out of the oven. Tennessee landed seven players in the top 250 players nationwide. The remarkable figure speaks to the growing reputation of our state among rival…
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Continue ReadingThe PrepHoops.com National Rankings for Class of 2019 are now hot and fresh out of the oven. Tennessee landed seven players in the top 250 players nationwide. The remarkable figure speaks to the growing reputation of our state among rival states.
First, time to talk methodology. PrepHoops.com is a national entity of which PrepHoopsTennessee is merely a branch in the PrepHoops tree. All writers and contributors are invited to recommend players for the rankings alongside ranking range they belong in. The master compiler does NOT have to listen to our views, but he typically gives them some weight.
To be open and honest I ardently backed the rise of Drew Pember and Damion Baugh in this ranking list. They were not in the top 250 in the spring and both were outside the PrepHoops Tennessee 2019 top 10. Damion was a Class of 2018 player at the time and Pember was around 17th.
Any other player you see in the top 250 nationally was already highly ranked last cycle. Here we go.
James Wiseman (#3) took a gigantic step forward in the last 12 months. Once timid and meek on the blocks James is realizing how powerful and dominating he can be in traffic. Memphis East not only developed his body. They also gifted him with the nasty streak he needs to be great.
Chandler Lawson (#37) can score with the dribble. His ultimate role should be long-armed defensive stopper. In college he will be a nice third option scorer in a top 10 program lineup. Chandler isn’t quite versatile enough to score 20 and lead a team into the Final Four alone. Few are. What he is, is a player that makes great teams unstoppable.
When Malcolm Dandridge (#98) joined Memphis East he instantly became a grunt. On any other team in Tennessee Malcolm would attract 15+ touches a night. With East he learned to hunt his own and finish putbacks. Dandridge’s value is not lost on Penny Hardaway though as Memphis enticed the 6-foot-9 big to verbally commit spring 2018. Will Wiseman follow him?
When Damion Baugh (#126) moved to the new Georgia prep school he vanished from our view. During his time away Baugh gained muscle tone and quickness. Already a low major prospect, Baugh vaulted into SEC+ must have.
Bruce Guy (#166) lives in that uncomfortable tweener neighborhood. Though athletic he spent too much time on the low blocks for Cordova. Guy considered transferring last fall, but wound up with Tyler Harris. Guy needs to prove he can do something more to attract D1 offers he covets.
Drew Pember (#181) began his surge late in the Knoxville Bearden playoff run. In March, Pember gave Memphis East more problems than any other individual player in the state. Pember’s length and shooting touch make him a nightmare matchup for slow-footed bigs. Pember already verbally committed to Tennessee. He is a three-star prospect, but stars are frankly irrelevant to committed players.
Tre Edwards (#231) was pretty good in the spring with UPlay Canada 17u. He still needs to invest defensively. Offensively Tre is a wonderful shooter at 6-foot-6. If he ever finds the grit and hunger of a professional he will get a chance at playing for pay someday. Tre will leave Hamilton Heights Christian Academy for Link Prep in Missouri next month.
Read all of the 2019 National Rankings.
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