2020 Rankings Update: The Top 10
This Junior class has been slow to develop like the last few classes in Kentucky have. After a good run of the talent in the state, the 2020 group appears to be a little down compared to previous classes. There…
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Continue ReadingThis Junior class has been slow to develop like the last few classes in Kentucky have. After a good run of the talent in the state, the 2020 group appears to be a little down compared to previous classes. There is talent in the class and there is potential for some serious sleepers in the group. There are 5 players with current college scholarship offers and those 5 comprise the top 5 in our rankings. Here’s the breakdown of the top 10 in the class.
- Jackson Sivills, McCracken County – The top ranked player for the last few updates, Sivills had a great summer and was offered by several D1 schools. He has the size and shooting ability to play at the high major level if he can find the right fit. This high school season should be interesting as he has to carry the bulk of the scoring load at McCracken for the first time.
- Dayvion McKnight, Collins – Another player with high major potential, McKnight recently added offers from Western Kentucky and Cleveland State. McKnight continues to improve as a shooter and with his right hand. Dayvion is a strong, athletic point guard whose best basketball is all ahead of him.
- Kenny White, Madisonville-North Hopkins – Moving into the top 3 is a 6’7 wing forward who is finally starting to show some of his impressive abilities. Kenny has the potential to be the top player in the class when he wants to be and has shown flashes of dominance this summer both at WKU team camp and at the Next Up Recruits camp. White was rewarded for his potential with offers from Tennessee-Martin and Kent State this July.
- JJ Traynor, Bardstown – Another member of the class with massive potential is the 6’8 Traynor. JJ has really developed his game over the last year since I saw him for the first time. If he hadn’t missed July AAU with an injury he could very well have joined the three ranked ahead of him with a D1 offer. As it stands, Georgetown College is his only scholarship offer right now but he has a visit lined up with Purdue next month and interest from Xavier as an explosive 3/4 who can play inside and out.
- Marcellus Vail, Collins – Marcellus is primed for a breakout Junior year at Collins after a big summer of AAU and a recent offer from Kentucky State. Vail is a good shooter who can score the ball at all 3 levels and can get hot in a hurry. Marcellus still needs to improve his rebounding and ball handling but he is a gym rat who continues improving.
- Marques Warrick, Henry Clay – A lethal lefty who can score the ball from all over the floor, Warrick likely should have at least one scholarship offer at this point in his recruiting. Ques is a versatile scorer who is very long and is athletic enough that he has started dunking on people in traffic. Warrick needs to add muscle for the next level but that will come in time. Look for Warrick to have a big Junior year for the Blue Devils and get that first scholarship offer before too long.
- Ksuan Casey, Madisonville-North Hopkins – A very skilled true post with touch around the rim, Ksuan is one of the youngest players in the class and should be a candidate for prep school as he should probably be a Sophomore. Regardless, Casey is capable of scoring all around the post and has nice touch out to the 3 point line when he shoots it from out there. Ksuan was the top ranked player in the class when these rankings started and he’s capable of reclaiming that spot if he puts the work in to improve his conditioning.
- Matt Cromer, South Laurel – Cromer started in the 30s when these rankings first started and continues to move up with every ranking. Matt is a do it all player who scores, rebounds, makes the right pass and guards well. He is a highly efficient scorer and will be one of the best players in the 13th region this season. Both VMI and Western Carolina have been at South Laurel to see Cromer in recent weeks.
- Amari Taylor, Tates Creek – Amari looks for a big season with the Commodores after missing most of his sophomore year with a broken wrist. Taylor was able to have a strong AAU season this spring and summer and looks to ride the wave of momentum into staking a claim as one of the best Juniors in the state and one of the best players in the city of Lexington. Amari has hit the weights and added some needed bulk in the offseason and should be able to finish through contact better this year.
- Howard Fleming, Male – Rounding out the top 10 is another player looking to bounce back from an injury. Howard was having a good AAU season before injuring his shoulder back in May. The first time I saw Fleming play, I thought he could be D’Angelo Russell 2.0 and he still could be. If Howard can stay healthy, he could be one of the surprises of the 7th region as he should thrive in Coach Haworth’s system where pace and space are key.