2020 rankings: 5 players who could have been top 10
Class rankings tend to get people talking. The rankings tend to start debates and sometimes arguments. Debates are always good, because people will have the chance to make their case for players who they felt should have been ranked higher…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingClass rankings tend to get people talking. The rankings tend to start debates and sometimes arguments.
Debates are always good, because people will have the chance to make their case for players who they felt should have been ranked higher or dropped down some spots.
The top 20 of the updated 2020 rankings was put together the best way it possibly could have. There are a handful of players who could have been ranked somewhere in the top 10, but the top was too heavy to make that happen.
Here are the 5 players who could have been ranked somewhere in the top 10:
Jalen Bo Montgomery, Lausanne: Without Montgomery, the Lynx are not Division II-A state champions. As I have said before, junior big man Moussa Cisse is Lausanne’s best player. There’s no doubting that, but Montgomery is the team’s most important player. That’s because he plays the most important position on the floor. As the floor general, Montgomery made the team go offensively. He made it easy for Cisse and senior forward Johnathan DeJurnett to get easy dunks. He’s able to see over the defense because of his height (6-foot-5), and he’s a solid slasher.
Montgomery proved his value in the state championship game against FACS. He finished with 11 points, six rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal. He was named to the Division II-A Boys State All-Tournament Team. Montgomery came in at No. 15 in the updated 2020 rankings, but his effectiveness with the basketball in his hands could have made him a legit top 10 player in the state.
Andersson Garcia, Hamilton Heights: The 6-7 forward is the glue guy for the Hawks. He does everything on the floor. Yet, he doesn’t get talked about a lot like some of the other top prospects in the class. Garcia plays solid defense, rebounds the ball well and can score in double figures when needed to do so. He had a solid outing against West Oaks Academy in The Lighthouse Classic this season and had more as the season went along. He’s another kid that was worthy of a top 10 spot.
Joe Anderson, Maryville: Let’s get straight to the point on Anderson. The 6-0 point guard put up good enough numbers to be a Mr. Basketball finalist in Class AAA. He can score from different areas on the floor. Anderson has a nice release. He came in at No. 11. Anderson was knocking on the door of the top 10.
Kavion McClain, Whitehaven: After the departure of point guard Matthew Murrell, McClain was handed the keys to the Tigers’ offense. He didn’t disappoint this season as he averaged over 20 points for Whitehaven. At the mid-point of the season, McClain was averaging 23 points, six assists and five rebounds. He loves to shoot 3s, and he made a lot of them this season.
Akeem Odusipe, Knoxville Catholic: Odusipe did all of the small things plus more for the Fighting Irish this season. He has a knack for rebounding and blocking shots. The 6-9 forward averaged 16.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks for Knoxville Catholic, which defeated Briarcrest in this season’s Division II-AA Boys State Championship game. Odusipe was in the top 10 but dropped to No. 18 in the new rankings. His numbers made a case to stay put in the top 10.