2023 Rankings Update: Six Who Can Rise
With a full season of high school hoops and a handful of spring club events under our belt, the Prep Hoops SoCal Staff was able to get a good grip on the class of 2023, which led to our latest…
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Continue ReadingWith a full season of high school hoops and a handful of spring club events under our belt, the Prep Hoops SoCal Staff was able to get a good grip on the class of 2023, which led to our latest update to the rising senior rankings. In this piece we write about which prospects have the chance to rise in the next rankings update.
Dennis Evans Dennis Evans 7'1" | C Hillcrest | 2023 State #28 Nation CA-S , Riverside Hillcrest, No. 11 – How can a guy whose ranked so high be a player who can rise? Well in the case of Evans, a 7-foot-1 shot blocking, double-double machine, we’re interested to see how his offense evolves over the spring and summer to see if he can crack the top 10. In our looks at him so far this spring, Evans has shown the ability to stretch the floor to the three-point line and score inside off of dump-off passes, offensive rebounds and post touches.
Isaiah Sherrard Isaiah Sherrard 6'7" | SF Oak Park | 2023 State CA-S , Oak Park, No. 18 – Sherrard jumped onto our radar after strong performances for Oak Park at The Classic at Damien tournament in December and went on to have an award-winning season that saw him earn Coastal Canyon Player of the Year and Ventura County Star Player of the Year honors. The smooth shooting 6-foot-7 wing has all the offensive tools to be a next level prospect and we’re interested to see what he can do next season.
Keyon Kensie Keyon Kensie 6'7" | SF Taft | 2023 State CA-S , Taft, No. 21 – Kensie has the look of a high major Division I recruit and top 10 overall prospect due to his size, ball skills, shooting ability and athleticism in space or in traffic. The 6-foot-7 lefty had a solid season for Taft, but to enter that top 10 conversation we’re looking to see more consistent production against top tier teams.
Devin Curtis Devin Curtis 6'10" | PF Heritage Christian | 2023 CA-S , Heritage Christian, No. 23 – Curtis has fallen victim to injuries and a covid shutdown throughout his high school career, but if he can stay healthy for the next 11 months, he’ll be a prospect who could make a major move up the rankings. The 6-foot-10 center has flashed touch out to the three-point line and good hands and footwork around the rim. We’ll be keeping a close eye on his progress and production.
Nils Cooper Nils Cooper 6'5" | SF Crossroads | 2023 State CA , Crossroads, No. 40 – Cooper comes in at 40 right now only because we want to see a little more of him before our next update – one where he could shoot up a handful of spots. The 6-foot-5 wing thrived at Crossroads as an elite perimeter defender who could slash and finish in transition. Cooper’s biggest area to improve is on his perimeter jumper and the free-flowing style of club basketball will give him plenty of reps on that.
Mikah Ballew Mikah Ballew 6'6" | SF Valencia | 2023 State CA-S , Alemany, No. 43 – What we love most about Ballew is his unrelenting motor on both ends of the floor and ability to score the ball efficiently from multiple levels of the floor. At 6-feet-5, the junior can slash his way to physical paint finishes on the break, but has the ball skills and shooting touch to be a go-to scoring option in a half-court style of play. We expect Ballew to rise as we continue to get more looks at him throughout the spring and summer.