Regional Rankings: The I.E. Top 5
Over the last few months, the Prep Hoops SoCal staff has broken down each ranking update with in-depth pieces on the top players by position, by class and covered sleepers and players to watch across the vast SoCal area. In…
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Continue ReadingOver the last few months, the Prep Hoops SoCal staff has broken down each ranking update with in-depth pieces on the top players by position, by class and covered sleepers and players to watch across the vast SoCal area.
In our latests rankings coverage, we wanted to regionalize the lists a little more, and in this piece we take a look at the top five players in the Inland Empire region regardless of class with input from PH SoCal staff writers taken into consideration. These rankings remain consistent with our consensus class rankings published earlier this spring and take into account current impact at the high school level and long-term upside at the college level.
1. Jahmai Mashack Jahmai Mashack 6'3" | SG Etiwanda | 2021 State #68 Nation CA-S , 2021, Etiwanda – Mashack is the premier on-ball and team defender in SoCal regardless of class and his offensive skill-set continued to improve during his junior season. The 6-foot-4 guard has seen his recruiting stock soar this offseason and his intangibles, combined with his defensive prowess, make him a guy who can contribute immediately at the college level.
2. Malik Thomas Malik Thomas 6'3" | SG Damien | 2021 State #99 Nation CA-S , 2021, Damien – Thomas is one of the best scorers in SoCal regardless of class. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard uses his strong frame and sound footwork to create space on the perimeter for open looks off the bounce and can also use the dribble to get by defenders and into the paint where he can score through and around contact.
3. Brenton Knapper Brenton Knapper 6'0" | PG Colony | 2021 State #136 Nation CA-S , 2021, Colony – Knapper is one of the most explosive athletes in any region of Southern California and his quick hands and anticipation defensively allows him to be one of the best defense-to-offense guys around. The 6-foot-1 junior doesn’t need much space to take off and rise up for a dunk, while his speed and change of direction in transition make him a difficult cover.
4. Jared McCain Jared McCain 6'3" | PG Centennial | 2023 State #24 Nation CA-S , 2023, Corona Centennial – McCain is one of the best pure shooters in SoCal regardless of class and is another young Centennial player who has an inherent feel for the game and how it’s supposed to be played. The 6-foot guard played largely off the ball last season as Paris Dawson Paris Dawson 6'1" | PG Corona Centennial | 2020 State #356 Nation CA-S ran the show for the Huskies, and it will be good to see him share PG duties with Boswell in the 2020-21 season.
5. Kylan Boswell Kylan Boswell 6'2" | PG AZ Compass Prep | 2023 AZ , 2023, Corona Centennial – Boswell had an impressive freshman campaign at Colony before making the move to Centennial a couple weeks ago. The 6-foot-2 point guard has high level feel and IQ for the game at such a young age and understands how to create for himself and others out of high ball screen action. Boswell can get into the paint when needed or pull back and hit a three-point shot if a defender goes under the screen.