Class of 2018 Position Rankings: Shooting guards

We’ve brought back the position rankings to basketball and we reintroduce them this week by ranking the best point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards and centers in the class of 2018.

Today, we move to the shooting guards who are led by the nation’s No. 2 ranked player, Duke bound Cameron Reddish of the Westtown (Pa.) School. What stands out about the 2018 crop of shooting guards as a whole? Who is the best fit for his college destination and who might be getting a bit overlooked? National Basketball Analysts Eric Bossi and Corey Evans weigh in with their thoughts.

NEW RELEASE: 2018 Shooting Guard Rankings | 2018 Point Guard Rankings

MORE RANKINGS: 2018 Team | 2018 Rivals150 | 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150

Eric Bossi: “Two things stand out to me about the 2018 crop of shooting guards. Number one is that as a group they have great positional size. The bulk of these guys are at least 6-foot-4 or bigger. This isn’t a class with a bunch of undersized shooters. These guys are big and they are for the most part pretty athletic.

"The second thing that stands out is that this is a group that is capable of creating for themselves off the dribble. Sure there are shooters who are best moving away from the ball, but by in large these guys can all go and create something from nothing when the offense breaks down. Many like Cameron Reddish, Quentin Grimes, Anfernee Simons and Coby White handle it well enough that it won’t be a surprise to see them spend minutes running college offenses as point guards too.”

Corey Evans: “Who is going to break out from the 15-30 range and develop into an all-around talent? There is no doubting the abilities of Cam Reddish and Romeo Langford as each exhibit the versatility that should make them immediate cogs within a high-major offense before likely hearing their names early in future NBA Drafts. There is some depth in the shooting guard crop, yet a number of those need to develop other facets of their game to become truly elite such as Montez Mathis, Bryce Hamilton, Dane Goodwin and Nate Hinton.”

Bossi: “If I’m a North Carolina fan, I’m pretty excited about what Coby White is going to bring the table. The Heels are going to need a quality perimeter scorer next year and I think White is ready to step in and make a major contribution. He likes to play fast, has loads of confidence and should give Roy Williams a necessary shot of energy. I also like the fit of Tyler Herro at Kentucky. He’s the knockdown shooter John Calipari and the Wildcats have been looking for and he should really help to spread the floor out for all of their other creators."

Evans: “We are a bit higher on Talen Horton-Tucker compared to other outlets thanks to his incremental improvements, versatile abilities and willingness to compete like he hasn’t seen a minute of playing time in over a month. The top-35 wing found the ideal home at Iowa State and while the Cyclones are suffering through a down year, they have begun to accumulate quality pieces that should help them bounce back. Though a little shorter, there are some similarities between Horton-Tucker and Georges Niang. Sporting point guard skills but in a wing’s body, Horton-Tucker will be used immediately for his all-around skillset and next to stud freshman Lindell Wigginton, he should create noise in more ways than one.”

Bossi: “I’m going to cheat and answer with three players here, two from the top and one from the bottom part of the rankings. Ranked No. 7, Kevin Porter has size, strength and has developed into a big-time athlete with physical maturation. If he can learn to play with motivation and aggression each and every time out, his stay in college could be short-lived.

"A few spots down at No. 10, Maryland-bound Aaron Wiggins is another with big-time potential. Pushing 6-foot-6 he’s got size, length and a crisp shooting stroke. His ball handling needs a little bit of tightening up, but as he adds strength and consistency, he could really take off.

"Finally, after seeing him play last week I’m really intrigued by Ochai Agbaji. His ball handling is a bit lacking at this point, but he’s strong, he can really shoot and he’s a nice athlete. Maybe he doesn’t make the instant impact some of the other guys do, but he’s a tremendous value at No. 45 on the shooting guard list and he’s got a chance to develop into a really good high major player.”

Evans: “Serrel Smith greatly impressed last week with his eye-popping outing as he scored 42 points against a loaded backcourt for Oak Hill Academy. Smith, an Ole Miss commit, has continually improved with his skillset and athleticism. He will not be known as a playmaker but when it comes to putting the ball through the basket, Smith does it at a high rate. Andy Kennedy has come to love guys in the mold of Smith, the type of 2-guard prospect that could maximize his full potential in Oxford.