Bossi's Best: All-Hoophall Classic
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- The 2020 Hoophall Classic has come and gone. In this week's edition of Bossi's Best, Eric Bossi names his 12 man All-Hoophall Classic team after watching four days of basketball.
Recruitment: Signed with Kentucky.
Why him? No, Boston didn't put up numbers quite as big as he has during other stops this winter, but he showed off his electric scoring ability. He would help out John Calipari and the Cats right now and could step right in to be their leading scorer next season as a freshman.
Recruitment: Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech and more.
Why him? Maybe the finest shooting performance of the event was turned in by the 6-foot-10 junior. A native Texan, Clemence can really find the bottom of the net from deep. He's got a big frame to build on, can run and has some toughness.
Recruitment: Signed with Oklahoma State.
Why him? Montverde has made it clear that they are the best team in the country and Cunningham has made it clear that he's the best player on the team. He can assert his dominance as a passer, scorer, rebounder or defender and his IQ is off the charts.
Recruitment: Committed to Michigan.
Why him? Dickinson led his team to wins on Saturday and Monday and much of what he did on Monday was while matching up with 2020's top ranked player Evan Mobley. He isn't going to be rushed, but he is going to be physical, he is going to score at the rim and he even talks a little trash. He's Big Ten ready.
Recruitment: Auburn, Fresno State, Memphis, Oregon and USC.
Why him? I mean why not Green? The best pure scorer in the country, he along with Cunningham has made this week's meetings to discuss updating the 2020 rankings very difficult. Now he's hitting his deep jumpers and mixing in his drives with efficiency? Green has taken his game to a new level this season.
Recruitment: Signed with Georgia.
Why him? Johnson left the Atlanta area to go to prep school and focus on academics and hoops and the move is paying off. He's still a little wild at times, but it's hard not to love the way he attacked the rim and got on streaks with his jumper. At some point, he could be an elite SEC defender and he may have been one of the crowd's favorites over the weekend.
Recruitment: Alabama, Connecticut, Duke, Georgetown, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Villanova, Virginia and several others have offered.
Why him? Keels put on a spectacular two-way performance against a loaded Sierra Canyon team as he scored big on offense and took turns locking up Boston and five-star Ziaire Williams. He's a high level competitor who has become a blueblood target and he's in the conversation for five-star status in 2021.
Recruitment: James Madison (brother Matt Lewis plays there), no offers.
Why him? There weren't many people outside of the Bishop O'Connell locker room who knew who the sophomore point guard was prior to him taking the floor on Monday. By game's end, everybody was scrambling for info. He hit five threes and scored 22 of his 30 points in a huge win over Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei. It won't be long before the offers start pouring in.
Recruitment: Signed with Duke.
Why him? As he's done all year, Steward put a big number on the scoreboard to lead his team. He's awfully fast with the ball, only knows attack and his deadly jump shot makes him tough to guard. He's headed to five-star status.
Recruitment: Signed with LSU.
Why him? Thomas is a walking bucket and after Oak Hill got down early to Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman, he went to work securing a rim. His 29 points came in a hurry and they came from deep, mid range and at the rim. Look for him to play major minutes as soon as he arrives in Baton Rouge.
Recruitment: No offers yet, but his father Dajuan Wagner played for Calipari at Memphis and his grandfather Milt Wagner was on the staff.
Why him? It's early, there are still many players to be seen and who will emerge from the class of 2023 remains to be seen. But, as of today, Wagner Jr. is the best freshman that I have seen play all winter long. He's skilled, he's tough, he's a baby faced assassin who has big-time potential.
Recruitment: LSU, USC, UNLV and Vanderbilt.
Why him? Bishop Gorman came away with a win and a loss in Springfield and Wilkinson was their best player. He is a freak athlete with a motor and he's evolved from undersized power forward to wing with big upside. His 29 points and 12 rebounds in Monday's loss to Oak Hill were eye-opening. He'll be a climber in next week's rankings release and is closing in on a decision.