2019 Rankings Breakdown: Top Bigs (10-1)
With the release of our updated 2019 rankings comes the opportunity for in depth breakdowns of our rankings. We’ll continue by looking at our positional breakdowns, ranking the players by position. To continue here’s a look at the bigs rankings,…
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Continue ReadingWith the release of our updated 2019 rankings comes the opportunity for in depth breakdowns of our rankings. We’ll continue by looking at our positional breakdowns, ranking the players by position. To continue here’s a look at the bigs rankings, going from 10-1.
10) Jaden Frazier | 6’8” | Blue Ridge (#19 Overall)
Watching this guy develop over the past four seasons has been a delight because he’s a great kid and a hard worker as well. A strong and skilled lefty, Frazier can score with his back to the basket or facing up, and he cuts and moves well without the basketball as well. He moves his feet well in the post and does a good job challenging without leaving his feet and he’s also a skilled passer out of the post as well. He should fit the style at Tennessee-Chattanooga very well.
9) Josh Oduro | 6’7” | Paul VI (#18 Overall)
Oduro is another guy we’ve watched grow over the years from a big with some potential at Battlefield to an impact WCAC guy, a state champion and an EYBL champion at Paul VI. Oduro is very mobile for his size allowing him to run the floor and beat other bigs with his quickness. He rebounds well on both ends, he has great touch out to 15 feet and he can pass as well. He’ll be at George Mason next season.
8) Dajour Rucker | 6’7” | Cape Henry (#15 Overall)
The Cape Henry big man has been a force in the Beach for the past four seasons, and it’s his mix of size, skill and high motor that makes him so tough to defend. He isn’t the tallest post guy but he has a strong and big frame that he doesn’t mind throwing around on the block or on the glass, and he’s able to create space and finish through bigger posts. He’s also an excellent jump shooter off the catch from deep. He’ll be heading to Marshall University next season.
7) Tariq Balogun | 6’9” | Miller School (#14 Overall)
Balogun is one of the top available players in the state and his potential is one of the main reasons. He has the ideal frame of a big man who just needs to fill out a little more. He’s great at contesting vertically without fouling, he has good timing as shot blocker and offensively he finishes well above the rim. He’s shown the ability to knock down the set shot out to the three-point line and he has a ton of potential moving forward.
6) Charlie Weber | 6’7” | Bishop O’Connell (#12 Overall)
Another big time available player with a host of mid major offers, Weber has blown up over the past two seasons after transferring to Bishop O’Connell as a junior. He has a skill set that translates very well as he’s an athletic big man who can stretch the floor as well. Unlike many stretch fours, his athletic ability allows him to finish plays above the rim, guard multiple positions and protect the rim as well.
5) BJ Mack | 6’8” | Oak Hill Academy (#11 Overall)
The South Florida commit is as skilled as anyone on this list, especially on the offensive end. Mack has good hands and good feet, he shoots the ball exceptionally well off the catch and on the pull-up and he’s a good passer from the top of the key as well. He’s slimmed his body down and while he needs to continue to work on that you’ve seen better mobility in him recently and that adds another dimension to his game as someone who can play in transition and get second chance opportunities more.
4) Mahamadou Diawara | 6’9” | Massanutten (#7 Overall)
Diawara is the highest rated available big man left in our class, and he’s stuck somewhere in between mid major and high major recruitment right now. He has great physical features with super long arms and wide shoulders at 6’9”. He’s athletic when he runs the floor and is quick off his feet, and he’s also strong and powerful in the paint. He’s shown the ability to knock down open shots, he has somewhat of a post game but it’s also impressive because he has so much room to grow and develop because he hasn’t been playing for that long.
3) Robbie Beran | 6’9” | Collegiate (#6 Overall)
Beran had one of the more incredible ascents in the recruiting process that I’ve seen in my five years doing this. After reclassifying and transferring to Collegiate his junior year, Beran sprout three inches from 6’6” to 6’9”, now making him a skilled stretch four with great height and length for the next level. The Northwestern commit can put it on the deck, is a good shooter in rhythm, can protect the rim and guard multiple positions and use his height and athleticism to play way above the rim.
2) Qudus Wahab | 6’11” | Flint Hill (#5 Overall)
All season Wahab was considered one of the top available big men in the country, and that ended a couple of weeks ago when he committed to local powerhouse Georgetown with legendary big man Pat Ewing as their coach. Wahab has made good strides over the past few seasons, developing physically and learning the game along the way. He’s a tremendous athlete at his height that can run the floor with guards, finish above the rim in transition and create second chance opportunities on the glass. He’s an elite level rim protector and plays with a high motor on both ends, and he’s developed a nice midrange jump shot over the past few years.
1) Kofi Cockburn | 6’9” | Oak Hill Academy (#2 Overall)
A native of NY who was a star at Christ the King before transferring to Oak Hill Academy, Cockburn has the perfect blend of power, athleticism and finesse in his game that makes him very hard to match up with. First off, if you don’t have a massive individual of your own you can’t guard Cockburn one on one in the post because he’s simply too strong and too quick off his feet. He has soft touch out to the midrange, he can score with his back to the basket or in face up situations, he dunks and blocks everything and he has great mobility on both ends as well. He should be an immediate impact guy in the Big Ten where he’ll be headed to Illinois next year.