Re-Ranking the 2018 Class (Part 6)
We’ve been thrown a curveball this summer. Due to social distancing guidelines, opportunities to comprehensively evaluate prospects in and around the DMV area have been few and far between. As a result, we will not be providing a mid-summer rankings update as we typically do.
But to be creative and keep content flowing consistently, the team is excited to take a look back at the 2017 and 2018 rankings. Our aim is to re-rank notable prospects in those respective classes based on their performances since high school and ultimately come up with a new top-30 for each.
Here we conclude this series by taking a closer look at the new top-five from 2018.
#5 | Prentiss Hubb, 6’3″ PG | Gonzaga | Original Rank: #3 | College: Notre Dame
Wilson: Coming off an ACL injury his senior year at Gonzaga, as soon as he got to South Bend, Hubb was given the keys to run the show for the Irish. Between both his freshman and sophomore year at Notre Dame, he averaged 34 minutes of playing time and has been constantly scoring the basketball and assisting others since he has been in college. Hubb had a slew of high major schools to choose from when he was going through the recruitment process but he has found a great home in South Bend and is one of the catalysts to help to get Notre Dame back into the NCAA Tournament.
Prentiss Hubb leveled up his game and became one of the conductors of the Notre Dame offense! 📈
Full Highlights: https://t.co/Fxir9exnE6#RunItBack #ACCMBB | @NDmbb pic.twitter.com/Pz3NGjL2u1
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) April 6, 2020
#4 | Wynston Tabbs, 6’2″ CG | St. Mary’s Ryken | Original Rank: #9 | College: Boston College
Ayalew: A WCAC First-Teamer and a two-time All-Met selection at St. Mary’s Ryken, Wynston Tabbs was without question one of the best guards to come out of the DMV in 2018. He hit the ground running in his freshman season at Boston College. Tabbs started in 14 of the 15 games he played, leading his team to a 10-5 record before suffering an injury that cost him the final 16 games along with the duration of the following season. Tabbs has since recovered and will once again be a big part of Coach Jim Christian’s setup next season.
For the week ending Dec. 3, Wynston Tabbs averaged 22.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 3.0 steals in a 2-0 week.
Since 1996-97, only two freshmen in the ACC have posted at least that stat line over a two-game span. (1/)#FYCLW // #WeAreBC pic.twitter.com/Y1f3VWNVnn
— BC Men's Basketball (@BCMBB) July 24, 2020
#3 | Immanuel Quickley, 6’3″ PG | John Carroll | Original Rank: #1 | College: Kentucky
Giacubeno: Quickley’s story is arguably one of the best in college basketball within the last decade. As a top-25 player in the country coming out of John Carroll expectations were high once he gave his pledge to Kentucky. While he appeared in all 37 games as a freshman for the Wildcats, there were certainly challenges and questions of whether or not he was made for that level of basketball. As a sophomore, he completely shut all doubters down by becoming a staple for head coach John Calipari and took home SEC Player of the Year honors. Quickley is now preparing for the NBA Draft. I wouldn’t be shocked if it played out similar to his college career in that he’ll utilize the first year or two to find how he can be a productive player and then capitalize by being a steady producer for years to come.
🔹 Career-high 30 Pts
🔹 5 RebImmanuel Quickley is the first @KentuckyMBB player to score 30 points in a game since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2018 😼 pic.twitter.com/ma8n226w3q
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 26, 2020
#2 | Jalen Smith, 6’10” P | Mount Saint Joseph | Original Rank: #2 | College: Maryland
Giacubeno: Smith was also considered a top-25 prospect in the 2018 class. At 6-foot-10, his length, size, and potential to grow as a stretch four were evident. Those expectations carried over well as appeared and started in 33 games as a freshman averaging 11.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks as a freshman for the Terps. As a sophomore Smith was the centerpiece of the program and helped lead Maryland to a share of the Big 10 Conference title. He averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks while compiling 21 double-doubles on the year. His skill set for his size fits the mold for how the NBA game continues to trend. His overall strength is a concern, but he’s put on a ton of weight since he stepped foot on campus. I fully expect an NBA franchise to trust their strength and conditioning staff while banking on Smith’s potential to be a rotational player in the league for a significant amount of time.
Jalen Smith of @TerrapinHoops earns #B1GMBBall Player of the Week honors after posting back-to-back career-highs and leading @TerrapinHoops to two victories on the road. pic.twitter.com/Wm3CrDPdsJ
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 27, 2020
#1 | Saddiq Bey, 6’8″ W | Sidwell Friends | Original Rank: #5 | College: Villanova
Wilson: Saddiq has been a star ever since he stepped foot onto Villanova’s campus and was an easy no brainer choice for me at the number 1 spot. After two successful years under Jay Wright, he will be entering the NBA draft as the next Nova star to enter the league after the development done by Jay Wright and his staff. This past year he averaged 16.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Also, during his sophomore year, he boosted his three-point shot shooting 45% from the floor and I expect that to translate well for him at the next level. You also get a lot of versatility with Bey which should attract NBA GM’s. I expect Bey to continue the success he had at Nova into the NBA.
Congratulations Saddiq Bey! 🎯 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐚 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝟓 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 💪💪 pic.twitter.com/5R0V53eJKV
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) April 15, 2020