If there are any people out there who dispute Emoni Bates status as the top prospect in high school basketball, regardless of class, they aren’t very vocal and they are in the minority. Committed to Michigan State, 2022’s top-ranked player is special with skill, size, athleticism and an intense competitive spirit. He is pretty much the undisputed No. 1 for any class. But if not Bates, who should be considered the top prospect regardless of class? Today, analysts Eric Bossi and Dan McDonald take Rival views.
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK: Five biggest movers in 2022 | Who was the toughest 2022 player to rank? | Five biggest movers in 2021 | Team rankings storylines for class of 2021 | Breaking down updated 2021 position rankings | Four new five-stars added to 2021 class | Rivals Roundtable on new 2021 Rivals150 | Should disjointed summer limit five-stars? | Should there be an early signing period this year?
BOSSI'S VIEW: JALEN DUREN
There are so many good choices to go with here. 2023’s DaJuan Wagner Jr. and the top three in 2021 – Patrick Baldwin Jr., Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren – could all make a strong argument. But I’ll take Jalen Duren who has scholarship offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgetown, Howard, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Penn State, UCLA and Villanova.
A native of Delaware who is now at Montverde (Fla.) Academy, the 6-foot-10 big man has been one of the least talked about elite prospects I’ve ever encountered. Part of it is because he doesn’t have a bunch of people pushing him on social media, part is that he’s pretty quiet himself and much of it is because so much 2022 attention gets devoted to Bates. I’ll tell you this, though, what he does look to be all about is the work. Whenever I’ve seen him at events like USA Basketball he is an active listener and worker who does any and everything asked. That kind of focus to go with his size, athleticism and ability to intimidate in the lane is something to be reckoned with.
I’ve long felt that he’s much more skilled in the post than he’s been given credit for. I’m looking for a monster year from Duren at Montverde and I’m betting we’ll see a lot more talk about him this winter.
MCDONALD'S VIEW: DIOR JOHNSON
I'm a really big fan of Syracuse commit Dior Johnson. Up to about 6-foot-3 now, I think he's arguably the best playmaker in high school basketball right now. He's also a really talented scorer and a great athlete. He's the type of player that elevates the players around him and I think that's a really hard trait to find in young players. He's going to be a star for the Orange and I see him becoming the best player in the class outside of Emoni Bates.
