Rivals.com’s Rankings Week is set to tip off on Monday, and updates to the 2021, 2022 and 2023 classes will be involved.
Below, Rivals.com national analysts Rob Cassidy, Dan McDonald and Russ Wood offer their thoughts on some of the more pressing questions they dealt with in the build up to the rankings refresh.
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Rival Views: Who most deserves to move up in 2022 rankings?
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
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1. Whose ranking did you struggle with most and why?
Rob Cassidy: It was 2023 guard Mikey Williams for me. Williams has been under such a microscope for so long, that you start to worry about nitpicking his game more than you would a prospect with which you aren’t as familiar. He’s obviously a tremendous scorer with a bright future, but he makes bad decisions with the ball at times and mixes his awe-inspiring performances with less-than-stellar ones from time to time. Williams obviously has a bright future, but determining his trajectory seems tricky at times. I could make a case to start him out nearly anywhere in the top 10. He was one of the more debated prospects in our discussions.
Dan McDonald: It's been a real struggle trying to figure out the right order and which prospects to include in the 2023 rankings. We haven't really seen those prospects on the travel circuits and we haven't seen a ton of them in the top national tournaments this year. Those will be the rankings that I would imagine change the most of any class we've seen in recent memory just because it's been so hard to get really good evaluations on them.
Russ Wood: I didn’t have many viewings of Jahmai Mashack until recently. He is a streaky shooter but I love his toughness and physicality. He is gifted with the physical tools and intangibles to be an All-Defensive Team guy at the next level. Tennessee fans are going to love what he brings to the Vols program.
2. Which prospect did you push for that you think will make you look smart down the road?
Cassidy: I first encountered Teafale Lenard in October at an event in Orlando. At that time, the 6-foot-7 forward had no offers because he had just arrived at Link Year Prep from his small West Texas town. We slapped stars on him immediately. Following the event, interest in his services took off, leading to his eventual commitment to Tulsa. He remains pledged to the Golden Hurricane but is yet to sign because other programs continue to inquire. I campaigned to shoot him up the rankings in this release and still wonder if I have him high enough. He could end up being one of the most impressive sleepers in this class.
McDonald: Malique Ewin will be making a huge jump in the next set of rankings. He's far from a finished product, but he's so talented that it wouldn't surprise if we still don't have him high enough at this update. He's a legitimate 6-foot-10 with a strong build yet he has great body control. He has strong hands, soft touch, and the skill level to make shots and beat other post players off the dribble.
Wood: I always liked Ty Ty Washington but after watching a few of Grind Session games and the Pangos camp in November I realized that he makes the game look so easy that I didn’t fully appreciate how talented he is. Washington has great size for the point guard position, is a hand-down-man-down shooter and has an elite feel for the game. He should immediately step in and make an impact at Creighton.
3. Who are you worried that we may have a little too low?
Cassidy: Scoot Henderson moved up in the rankings, but I still question if he moved up enough. I’ve been more impressed each time I’ve been able to watch him play and the fact that he seems to be developing quickly makes me wonder if we should have gotten in front of his trajectory and bumped him up a few sports further. The uncommitted point guard has had an impressive last few months.
McDonald: Kel'el Ware is one prospect I could see us looking back at when we next update rankings and thinking we went too low this time around. He's pushing 7-foot now and his skill level keeps getting better and better. He has a really high ceiling. I'm excited to see him at some point during this upcoming travel season.
Wood: Ramses Melendez. He scores it and fills up the rest of the stat sheet columns so well, that it would not surprise me if he earns All-Freshman honors next year for whichever conference he plays in. Almost every team in his high school conference has multiple Division I players and Melendez was named MVP last year. Melendez is one we should look into much closer before we do the final 2021 rankings in April.
4. Which ranked prospect do you think is being under-recruited?
Cassidy: Wesley Cardet has his share of major offers, but he’s been playing like a prospect that should have even more options. The four-star prospect was efficient in the recent Beach Ball Classic and showed he can be a facilitator as well as a scorer at the event. Few players in the class have a better motor than Cardet, who has become a tenacious defender.
McDonald: This one is easy for me and it's Josh Reed. With him being an Atlanta kid, I've seen him a bunch in the past year. He's a legitimate 6-foot-7 with a really well-rounded game. He's a scorer, but has a really good feel for picking his spots. He can play inside or outside. He's a great student, which always opens up more opportunities. At the high-major level, only Boston College and Xavier have offered so far. I'd expect him to end up with at least dozen more high-major offers by July.
Wood: It is really surprising to me that Oak Hill Academy guard Camryn Carter has fewer than 10 offers. He is a solid two-way player, good rebounder for his size, can score on all three levels and is a capable distributor.
