2020 Rankings Update: The Top Five
The Class of 2020 rankings have finally been updated and it was not an easy task! But after watching tons of action in-person and on film and talking with plenty of coaches, we were able to come up with a…
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Continue ReadingThe Class of 2020 rankings have finally been updated and it was not an easy task! But after watching tons of action in-person and on film and talking with plenty of coaches, we were able to come up with a list that we felt comfortable with. Prep Hoops prospect rankings are ranked on their status as a college prospect, so when it came down to it we felt comfortable with how things shook out – especially with the Top Five, which has shuffled around since the last update. It was very close though as there wasn’t a ton of room separating all of the spots basically within the Top Ten and things could easily change as the season moves along.
Here’s a breakdown of the new Top Five:
1) Brian Goracke (2020 Churchill) – previous rank: #5
One thing became clear as we went through the process – after the summer, Goracke was the clear-cut choice for the #1 spot. In terms of his abilities, production on the AAU circuit with Elite 24/Cascadia Hoops, and college recruitment, the athletic 6-foot-5 swingman ended up having the best resume out of anyone. Recruiting-wise he holds a D-I offer from UMKC, D-I interest from Navy, and holds a handful of high-level D-II offers from schools up and down the West Coast. That college interest ranks among the most of anyone in the class, which solidified his standing at the top.
2) Micah Garrett (2020 West Linn) – previous rank: #1
Despite the fact he not picked up any new offers – low-major D-I Jackson State offered early on in the process – Garrett only drops to #2 in the new rankings. The main reason – his potential. The 6-foot-3 guard has long been ranked at or near the top of his class because he simply is a great basketball player. He made a good decision to play against the best on the EYBL circuit with Seattle Rotary, but unfortunately the limited playing time didn’t really accelerate his recruitment. But a big season with West Linn this year under Coach V should bring about the offers he deserves in the spring.
3) Kaelan O’Neil (2020 Churchill) – previous rank: #3
O’Neil remains in the #3 spot in the rankings update. The 6-foot-5 swingman is the only Division I commitment at press time and that summer pledge to Eastern Washington is what holds him in this slot. That’s not to say his play suffered any as the ultra-competitive senior still played super hard and worked on his game and body this summer. The fact he showed up at the PrepHoops Oregon Top 250 Expo last month showed that he wants to play and dominate against the best and that’s exactly what he did.
4) Dakota Reber (2020 Wilsonville) – previous rank: #4
Reber also holds steady at #4. The athletic 6-foot-5 forward pretty much did everything expected out of him this spring and summer witn International Elite, showcasing his athleticism above the rim but also an improved versatility with his perimeter game. Several scholarship D-II offers have come about as a result and D-I schools continue to monitor his progress as he enters his senior season with Wilsonville as perhaps the odds-on favorite to win 5A Player of the Year honors for the second year in a row.
5) Isaiah Amato (2020 Central Catholic) – previous rank: #7
The big jump into the Top Five belongs to Amato and the key is his college recruitment. The addition of a second Division I offer in the summer from the University of the Pacific is what helped him leapfrog some other well-deserving seniors into the #5 spot. The now 6-foot-5 combo guard certainly looks the part as he’s athletic and skilled and has the ability to play as a big point guard. So while the production may have been sporadic – especially this summer as he played on a deep and talented circuit team with ML20 – his potential as a college player is quite high, which translated into his current rating.