Louisiana 2020 Rankings: Top 5
Jalen Cook 6’0 G Walker
Cook has without a doubt had the best combination of individual and team success for any sophomore in the state. As far as individual success, he became the 2nd player of the 2020 to pass 1,000 career points. He has had big games when his team needed him to step up big. As far as team success goes, he has helped lead the Wildcats to a top 4 seed, and they are a favorite to get to the Top 28.
Chanse Robinson 6’1 G Lincoln Prep
Here is a bit of a hot take. Robinson has been the 2nd most dominant individual player in the state this year, behind only Javonte Smart. He is averaging 24.0 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, which should tell you everything that you need to know about Robinson’s game that as a 6’1 PG, he is averaging nearly 12 rebounds per game. He is an incredible athlete, and plays with as much hustle as you possibly can on the basketball court.
Dante Bell 6’7 F Bossier
This year was the first time that I got to check out Bell’s game, and I came away incredibly impressed. He is a legit 6’7 with incredibly long arms and athleticism to go along with it. He plays with a very high motor, and can rebound out of position at a high level. His timing is still off at times going for blocks, but I expect him to get better with that as time goes along. He still looks pretty physically immature, so I would be incredibly surprised if he is done growing. If he reached 6’10+ he has a chance to be a top 30 recruit in the country.
Corey Smooth 6’0 G Rummel
It has been a pretty rough year for Smooth, but I can’t blame him much for that. Smooth is one of the best, if not the best pick and roll ball handler of his class. Yet for some reason, Rummel insists on running all of their offense with movement off the ball despite their three best offensive players are all at their best attacking off the dribble. That is the biggest reason that Rummel has struggled so far this year, and I don’t see that turning around anytime soon.
Byron Joshua 5’10 G Crescent City
This has been an up and down season for Joshua and the rest of Crescent City. He is an incredibly shifty lead guard that elevates the level of toughness of his entire team around him. He is equally adept at scoring as he is at facilitating, but his best asset might be his prowess on the defensive side of the ball. He makes it really tough for opposing guards to get the the places they want to get, and he is really good at gettings steals both on the ball and off the ball.