Reason for the Ranking (Top 20)
This month we introduce our updated Class of 2023 rankings!! Rankings are subjective and PrepHoops.com ranks purely upon potential and where the player will be at their basketball peak. Production factors in only when helping prove the potential is greater…
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Continue ReadingThis month we introduce our updated Class of 2023 rankings!! Rankings are subjective and PrepHoops.com ranks purely upon potential and where the player will be at their basketball peak. Production factors in only when helping prove the potential is greater or lesser. Why did we rank these guys? Why are they at this spot? Take a look at five Class of 2023 prospects and learn a little about their reputation.
Peruse the complete 2023 rankings.
Read about the Top 5 players!
Read about the Top 10 players.
Read about the Top 15 players.
#16 Josh Holloway Josh Holloway 5'10" | PG Oak Hill | 2023 VA (St. George’s)
Explosive. Plus-plus bunnies. Holloway will need to player bigger than his size to compete favorably at the college level. It can be done and has been done before. Nate Robinson (smaller than JH), Charlie Ward, Sherron Collins, etc. Like Holloway they were all exceptionally athletic. Unlike Holloway at this moment, they were all extremely strong in the chest and shoulders. This is an area Holloway must address because bigger guards will try to bully him in college. Holloway is a gym rat with strong skills and excellent character. Every team needs someone that sets the tone in practice and he is that guy.
#17 Joshua Roberts (M.B.A.)
Roberts skipped the AAU season as a Co-Vid precaution both in 2020 and 2021, so his basketball reputation is hyper local and modest across the state. Way back in 2019, Roberts proved to be the best perimeter defender in the Class of 2023. This was freshman year for him and much has changed across the landscape. His lower body power and general tenacity earned him that accolade then. What is up to now?
The bouncy and hungry Roberts is now fully recovered from a unique bone growth on his knee, that is now surgically removed. The surgery cost him his sophomore track season and hindered his sophomore basketball season. At 100% now, Roberts must again prove that he is deserving of the Top 20 ranking.
For the reasons mentioned above Roberts is the most unproven prospect in the Top 20 of the ’23 class, but rankings are speculative and the elements that vaulted him up high in the beginning are still there: wonderful height, strength, willingness to work, mental toughness.
#18 Jayson Nixon Jayson Nixon 6'1" | PG Brentwood Academy | 2023 State TN (Brentwood Academy)
Quickness is the backbone of his game. Nixon put in some nice work with the Tennessee Playmakers in the spring. In the last year Nixon has developed physically quite a bit. Handle is even better. Now Nixon is establishing and perfecting more advanced moves.
#19 Zachariah LaBoo Jr. Zachariah LaBoo Jr. 6'6" | SF East Hamilton (football) | 2023 State TN (East Hamilton)
Physical specimen. Laboo is an upside talent with a raw wing game at this stage of development. His handle is subpar for a college wing prospect. It can change with work in the lab. His ability to finish in traffic is elite and the bounce and strength suggest his ceiling is so, so far above his current level. Needs to improve his outside shot significantly.
Laboo also plays football. For East Hamilton High School, Laboo plays wide receiver, tight end, and defensive end.
#20 Shamar Porter Shamar Porter 6'5" | SF Ensworth (football) | 2023 TN (Ensworth)
Offensively athletic. Shamar leapfrogged a cornerback late September playing the sport he is destined to stick with…football. Porter is yet another incredible Ensworth dual-sport athlete with the potential to dominant both sports. There is no chance he plays college basketball simply because the college recruiters are ogling and his greatness is even more pronounced in the open field.
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