Final 2018 position rankings released

Top gun: Tre Jones. The Duke-bound point guard was not at his best during post season all-star games but is the distributor and on-ball defender that the Blue Devils will need next season.

Coming on strong: Michael DeVoe. Headed to Georgia Tech, DeVoe was a fringe Rivals150 a year ago and now he’s in the national top 50.

Best fit: Jahvon Quinerly. It wouldn’t be fair to expect Quinerly to be as good as or totally replace Jalen Brunson at Villanova. But he’s heady, tough and a winner who will fit with Jay Wright and the Wildcats.

Could surprise: Amir Harris. The undecided three-star Harris just missed the Rivals150 but if his jump shot catches up to his size and playmaking, we could regret having him all the way down at No. 32 on the point guard list.

Comments: The 2018 crop of point guards is one of the hardest-to-gauge groups that we’ve seen in a while. None of them rank in the top 10 of the final Rivals150 but 24 of them still found their way into the top 100. College fans will like that this is also a group where most of the top-rated players should be in college for at least two or three years.

SHOOTING GUARD

Top gun: Cameron Reddish. On the next level, Reddish is going to have to find a way to channel his inner competitor a bit more if he wants to flourish at Duke. However, there is no disputing his physical gifts.

Coming on strong: Kevin Porter. The USC-bound five-star has improved as much and as rapidly as any two-guard in 2018. A big-time athlete who now has the jumper to match.

Best fit: Quentin Grimes. Huge minutes are opening up in Lawrence with the departure of Malik Newman and Grimes should be able to take most of them. He shoots, he has size and his skill level is college ready.

Could surprise: Dalano Banton. Headed to Western Kentucky, the native of Canada hasn’t received a bunch of pub but with 6-foot-5 size and the ability to play on or off the ball, he could become a household name in Bowling Green.

Comments: As a positional group, this may be the best bunch that the 2018 class has to offer. There are several surefire pros at the top beginning with Reddish and the Rivals150 is littered with potential all-conference players. The group isn’t the most talented group of deep shooters, but makes up for that with great size, athleticism and versatility.

SMALL FORWARD

Top gun: R.J. Barrett. If you look at some of the top high school players of the Rivals.com era, very few have matched the Duke-bound Barrett’s accomplishments. He’s won individual awards, team championships and international glory for his home country Canada.

Coming on strong: Jeenathan Williams. Buffalo made noise in the NCAA Tournament by knocking off Arizona with a wide-open, athletic and aggressive style of play. Williams is a guy who will thrive in that setting and has talent to be a big-time contributor early.

Best fit: Louis King. When dialed in, King is a big wing who can shoot from distance, slash in transition and defend multiple positions. Dana Altman and Oregon have made a living throwing as many guys such as King on the floor as possible.

Could surprise: Aaron Nesmith. Much has been made of the potential impact of five-stars Darius Garland and Simisola Shittu going to Vanderbilt, but when it’s all said and done it won’t be a surprise if Nesmith means just as much or more to the 'Dores over the next four years.

Comments: If not the shooting guards, then the small forward group stands out as the best group in 2018. There is true star power at the top with Barrett, Nassir Little and Zion Williamson along with outstanding depth. Also important is that many of these guys have the size to also play as small ball fours, allowing their future coaches to use them in diverse ways.

POWER FORWARD

Top gun: Simisola Shittu. We’re taking a gamble here after a knee injury cost Shittu much of his senior season. When healthy, the Vanderbilt-bound four had the best combo of size, skill and productivity.

Coming on strong: Jaylen Hoard. Born in France, Hoard has now been in the United States for a few years. After hitting a bit of a ceiling with his development, Hoard has busted through and his athleticism, defensive versatility and rebounding will be welcome at Wake Forest.

Best fit: Nate Laszewski. Headed to Notre Dame, Laszewski is a fluid four-man who can smoke the ball as a shooter from beyond the three-point line. He’s exactly the kind of floor-stretching power forward with which Mike Brey thrives.

Could surprise: Darius Days. All the talk at LSU is about the three top 30 prospects and for good reason. However, Days is getting lost in the shuffle and will turn heads thanks to his toughness, rebounding and sneaky skill level.

Comments: The size and athleticism of the 2018 power forward group is impressive. What is worrisome is how many of the top players in this group are inconsistent. The other question mark heading into college is just how tough – collectively – these guys really are.

CENTER

Top gun: Bol Bol. As time has gone by, Bol’s motor and consistency have improved. Even when the Oregon-bound big man isn’t playing well, he manages to make plays nobody else can think of making.

Coming on strong: Collin Castleton. Headed to Michigan, Castleton lacks bulk but he is a fluid athlete, has a good-looking shot and has improved at a rapid pace. Once he adds strength, look out.

Best fit: Trevion Williams. A big, wide body with glue for hands, Williams looks like the type of physical big man that Matt Painter will love at Purdue. If he can be near as successful as Caleb Swanigan was changing his body, Williams will have a productive career.

Could surprise: Keenan Fitzmorris. The Stanford-bound 7-footer is at least 20-25 pounds from making a real difference. But, once he adds strength, his motor, skill and willingness to work could allow him to sneak up on some people.

Comments: While the wings are the strength of the 2018 class, the bigs are the weak spot. Outside of the top seven or eight centers in the class, it may take awhile before many of the 2018 group make a big impact on the college level.