ESPN 100: Where would we have ranked Thon Maker?
Thon Maker held the No. 1 spot in the ESPN 60 coming out of the 2013-14 season at Carlisle High School in Martinsville, Virginia, when he subsequently transferred to Orangeville Prep in Ontario, Canada. Maker's transfer north of the border took him out of consideration for our rankings, as we only rank prospects who play high school basketball in the United States. Our policy was devised because of the difficulty of evaluating international players -- we don’t feel it provides an accurate service to our readers to evaluate players we may not have seen. With an increasing number of international players participating on the AAU circuit -- Maker, Kentucky commit
Jamal Murray and UNLV commit
Justin Jackson (who will transfer from Findlay Prep and play high school basketball in Canada next year, he told ESPN last week) among them -- it's a policy we may revisit.
In Maker's case, we've seen him in plenty of high-level events, and his residence in Canada does not prevent us from giving him a grade, an evaluation and covering his progress. If a decision about ranking him had to take place, it would be heavily debated.
The class of 2016 is loaded with star power, star depth and overall depth -- there is no truly weak position in the class.
What
Harry Giles (No. 1) has done coming off ACL, MCL and meniscus surgery is amazing. He has been on a mission, and dominating against the best on every stage. The next step for Giles is to really work for his position above the block, and to become dependable scoring above the block with a move. Right now, he scores inside with power and touch.
Jayson Tatum (No. 2) has separated himself as the most efficient scorer in the game, a high-percentage player inside the arc who demonstrates his skill effectively from the mid-post, pinch post, and nailing face-up jumpers along with being a trustworthy free throw shooter. When he extends his shooting range he becomes even more potent and dangerous.
Josh Jackson (No. 3) is a fierce competitor who is playing at a high level at both ends of the floor, and thrives in the transition game. When Jackson's skill set and shot begin to match his athletic ability, he'll go to a different level.
Dennis Smith Jr. (No. 4) can take over a game in a moment’s notice, while
Malik Monk (No. 5) is the most dynamic pure bucket producer in the game.
There were no changes in the top five of the ESPN 100 because the above players have a combination of elite talent, outstanding athletic ability, skill, and basketball IQ to go along with a highly competitive spirit.
Maker, meanwhile, is a unique prospect because of his length, skill, and traits. He owns the size of a center -- 7-1 with a 7-3 wingspan, combined with the mobility and agility of a power forward, and the skill level of a small forward. He's put together some high-level performances against top competition, and his productivity touches many different categories from scoring to rebounds to blocked shots. Back in June he was named MVP of the NBA camp, and more recently was MVP at the Basketball Without Borders event in the Dominican Republic.
Maker's areas of growth are obvious. Even though he has increased his weight, he must continue to add strength, bulk and muscle. He's a very good vertical athlete, but needs to learn to play with a lower base more often on both ends of the floor, so he can compete with leverage. Maker is a coachable player and a dedicated worker, so improvements will happen over time, which is all part of what makes him special.
Similar to Jackson, Maker is already 18 and will turn 19 this season. That's a factor when evaluating players in terms of NBA draft potential -- a younger prospect with equal talent will have more time to grow and develop.
With everything we know, if we were to rank Maker we would consider him one of four No. 1 types in the class, similar to 2013 when we had
Andrew Wiggins,
Jabari Parker,
Julius Randle and
Aaron Gordon at the top. As of today, Maker would sit at No. 4 behind Giles, Tatum, and Jackson, though it would be a close call -- and a fluid debate for the future.
Biggest risers, fallers in latest ESPN 60 rankings
Trevon Duval and
Billy Preston had already carved out sterling reputations as top 20 players in the ESPN 60, but based on their work this summer, that duo may be the most notable risers in the class of 2017. Duval now finds himself ranked as the fourth-best prospect and number one overall point guard in his class, while Preston moved from No. 20 all the way to No. 6.
Attacking off the dribble has become commonplace for just about every top guard in the country, but few if any do it with quite the same combination of speed, quickness, power and athleticism that Duval displays. His ability to accelerate, burst right through contact and attack with sheer force is second to none. He’s as explosive going through the air as he is on the ground and when you combine that with the ability to make sharp changes of direction with his handle, and his impressive floor vision, you get the best playmaking guard in the country.
Preston's physical tools immediately jump out at you along with his long and powerful 6-foot-9 physique, but he’s also highly skilled for his size. His handle was his first weapon, and his ability to attack off the dribble at his age and size made him especially unique, but we’ve also seen his jumper start to come along now as well. As Preston continues to polish that skill set, while also learning to utilize his physical tools to the best of his ability inside the paint, he has the potential to be the biggest mismatch problem in the class.
Duval and Preston weren't the only prospects to make a jump up the
ESPN 60 rankings, though. Here’s a look at others who gained major ground over the summer months:
Ikey Obiagu, No. 10 (previously No. 18), C, 6-11, 240, Greenforest Christian/Decatur, GA
In virtually any other AAU program in the country, Obiagu would have been playing at the U17 level. But for the Georgia Stars, who boast seemingly the deepest collection of high-major frontcourt prospects on the AAU circcit, Obiagu headlined their 16-and-under squad, where he’s an absolute man among boys. Already physically dominant with his powerful 7-foot frame and complementary high motor, Obiagu is an elite rim protector and physical presence inside the lane who needs to continue to develop his offensive game to keep rising on this list.
Hamidou Diallo, No. 11 (previously No. 30), SG, 6-4, 185, Science Academy/Putnam, CT
Diallo may be older for his class (he turned 17 in July), but he hasn’t just continued to improve, he’s continued to grow as well. Now what you have is a 6-4 two-guard who is super smooth, very athletic, a natural playmaker and much-improved shooter. Considering he was a virtual unknown just 15 months ago, and the areas of his game that could still stand to improve, maintaining this same rate of improvement will give Diallo a chance to finish as one of the top scoring guards in the class.
D.J. Harvey Jr., No. 12 (previously No. 17), SF, 6-5, 190, DeMatha Catholic/Hyattsville, MD
Harvey’s been a well-known prospect since the moment he entered the high school ranks -- and he’s been nationally ranked since that time as well -- but there’s no denying he’s made strides to his game of late, and both his recruitment and his ranking have risen as a consequence. Harvey's mid-range pull-up has developed into a true weapon, his three-point range become much more consistent and his athleticism has started to come out more in a halfcourt game.
Kevin Knox, No. 16 (previously No. 45), SF, 6-6, 190, Catholic/Tampa, FL
Knox won a gold medal with the USA Basketball 16-and-under squad and followed that up with a strong showing at the Nike Peach Jam. His combination of length, athleticism, skill and versatility makes him one of the toughest budding mismatches in the class. What's equally intriguing is that while Knox has been coming on strong in recent months, he’s still only 15 years old and recently gave up football to concentrate on basketball year-round, so the best is still yet to come.
Brandon McCoy, No. 17 (previously unranked), C, 7-0, 230, Morse/San Diego, CA
Of the 10 first-timers to crack the ESPN 60, no one is making a bigger splash than McCoy, who debuts in the 17th spot. First and foremost, there’s an obviously high physical upside with his size, frame and athleticism. McCoy has a motor in the way he changes ends and is active on the glass, but there’s also an element of budding skill to make him more than just a physically gifted hard-worker. McCoy owns a soft touch, both facing the basket and playing with his back to it, as well as some developing footwork on the block.
As for the fallers, there are certainly some who haven’t evolved as we had hoped, whether physically or from a skill standpoint, and others whose lack of efficiency (more so than natural talent) has cost them. Of the 10 prospects who fell out of the rankings, nine were ranked in the last 16 spots of the previous ESPN 60, so it really had more to do with the discovery or development of new talent than it did them falling off.
