Rivals Rankings Week: Class of 2019 power forward rankings

RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings

The 2019 positional rankings have been updated. After looks at the point guards, shooting guards and small forwards we move on to the power forwards, where Jaden McDaniels ranks No. 1.

RELATED: Class of 2019 PF rankings | SG rankings | PG rankings | SF rankings

By now, we’ve told the story of Jaden McDaniels' rise from relatively under the radar – outside of the Seattle area – prospect to being ranked in the national top five in the course of just a few months many times. But, it’s still just as impressive.

McDaniels isn’t a typical power forward and some could argue that he’s a jumbo-sized small forward. We love his ability to put the ball on the floor, his skill in the low post or facing the basket, his hands and his overall feel for the game. His understanding of how to capitalize on mismatches is high level, and he just keeps getting better and better. His recruitment is still wide open as he begins his senior season.

Just like McDaniels, Zeke Nnaji was relatively unheralded heading into the spring. After a growth spurt got him to 6-foot-10, his skill, smooth athleticism and inside-out game have allowed him to flourish. We suspect that he’s just scratching at the surface and he’s one that could make a strong push for five-star status before the final rankings in the spring of 2019. In August, Nnaji saw the campuses of Arizona, Creighton, Indiana, Illinois, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue and UCLA and he’s got offers from all of them plus Kansas, Kentucky, Georgetown, Minnesota and many others.

Kansas hasn’t yet landed anybody in the class of 2019, but if things go right they could be looking at a serious haul. Heading into visit season many have seen them as the team to beat for five-stars Matthew Hurt and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. The duo played extended minutes together for Bill Self on USA Basketball’s 18U team so he’s been able to prove to them that they can play together. Making that happen is another thing, but that experience can’t hurt when recruiting against the likes of Duke, Kentucky, Memphis, Minnesota, North Carolina and others for Hurt and Arizona, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Villanova for Robinson-Earl. The Jayhawks are also heavily involved with Zeke Nnaji.