Hoophall Classic: The No. 1s, who wore it best?
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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – On the final day of the Hoophall Classic, 2017's No. 1 player Michael Porter Jr., 2018's No. 1 player Marvin Bagley III and 2019's No. 1 player R.J. Barrett led their teams to wins in three consecutive games. The question is, which of them wore their No. 1 ranking the best?
Emphatically, the answer was Porter.
Headed to Washington, the 6-foot-9 small forward at Seattle (Wash.) Nathan Hale was elevated to No. 1 in the class of 2017 last week and he validated that move during an 80-77 win over Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill.
By the time his day was over, Porter finished with 36 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. All of this against an Oak Hill team with a five-star McDonald's All-American power forward in Billy Preston and a whopping six prospects with a four-star rating.
A lot can change between now and when Porter gets drafted by the NBA – and right now he looks like the potential top pick in the 2018 draft – but at this point he appears to be a potential long-term NBA All-Star and is arguably the best wing prospect to come along since 2013's No.1 player Andrew Wiggins.
Then again, Bagley III and Barrett aren't slouches either and backed up their top billing in their respective classes.
It took awhile for Sierra Canyon to get Bagley III – and UCLA-bound senior teammate Cody Riley – established in the low post but once they did, good things started to happen. By the time Bagley was done, he had racked up 21 points and nine rebounds in a 76-74 win over previously unbeaten, and ranked No. 1 nationally, La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere.
In many ways, he will remind of a young Amar'e Stoudemire. However, what was most impressive about Bagley's day was that he never got rattled when his team had early troubles getting him the ball. While he's normally stoic on the floor, he showed a lot of emotion and it was clear that winning really mattered.
Barring a sudden stall in his development, Bagley III looks well on track to be a one-and-done player in college and whether it's Arizona, Arizona State, Duke, Kentucky, Oregon or UCLA that gets him, they'll be very fortunate.
Maybe the best example of what makes Barrett so good is that he had 21 points, six rebounds and four assists in 73-67 win over Torrance (Calif.) Bishop Montgomery.
What really stands out about Barrett is that he is committed to doing what his team needs from him to win. That means scoring on a lot of toughness plays around the rim, hitting out of the high post and bringing a physical swagger to the floor. He looks to be a pretty good shooter, but his role doesn't call for him to bomb away from deep and it's a credit that he stays locked into what is needed.
Looking back, Barrett is very similar to 2012's No. 1 ranked player, Shabazz Muhammad, at the same age because of his power wing style and post-up game. Barrett still doesn't talk about specific schools but John Calipari of Kentucky watched him recently, while Kansas, Duke and Indiana have been in touch. UCLA, USC, Baylor, Oregon and others have offered.