Rivals Rankings Week: Roundtable on updated Rivals150 for 2020

There is a new No. 1 in the class of 2020. After pushing for months, Oklahoma State signee Cade Cunningham has taken over the top spot and holds the edge of new No. 2 Jalen Green and No. 3 Evan Mobley as we update the 2020 Rivals150.

After strong performances so far through their senior seasons, there are five new five-star prospects. LSU-bound shooting guard Cameron Thomas, Duke-bound shooting guard D.J. Steward, Arizona State-bound forward Marcus Bagley, Illinois-bound combo guard Adam Miller and Kentucky signee Lance Ware have all upgraded from four to five stars.

This winter, we have seen many take big steps forward and they were rewarded by climbing the rankings. Already a five-star, Kentucky signee B.J. Boston has rocketed from No. 17 overall all the way to No. 4. Making the biggest climb of anybody inside the Rivals150 is Las Vegas forward Mwani Wilkinson who climbs and impressive 55 spots from No. 134 to No. 79. Undecided wing Darius Miles (143 to 112) and Georgia signee K.D. Johnson (125 to 90) each rose over 30 spots.

A total of 13 prospects have entered the rankings this time around. Leading the way is Kenyon Martin Jr. who enters at No. 50. After signing with Vanderbilt he chose a year of prep school and is planning to pursue professional opportunities. Also debuting as four-star prospects are seven-footer Kai Sotto (70), guard Eric Gaines (87) and NC State signee Shakeel Moore (111).

RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

MONDAY: Updated 2020 Rivals150

TUESDAY: Updated 2020 position rankings

WEDNESDAY: Updated 2021 Rivals150

THURSDAY: Updated 2021 position rankings

FRIDAY: Updated class of 2022 top 75

Bossi: For me the hardest part was deciding how to order players in the 20s and low 30s of the ranking. The margin between Sharife Cooper at No. 20 and Lance Ware at No. 32 was razor thin. With all of those guys bunched up so close together we decided that it was fair to go ahead and promote any in that range who weren’t already five-star prospects to five-star status. I really wouldn’t argue with any order people wanted to put the prospects in that range in.

Evans: Who is No. 1? This is a special class throughout but the talent, abilities and upside of the top three, Cunningham, Green and Mobley, is unlike any in one particular class for a few years now. You can’t go wrong with any of the bunch. Green might have the best upside of the three, Cunningham the best at the moment, while Mobley has the unique factor to him. The debate will continue well beyond the publishing of the final Rivals150 in the spring but right now, the decision doesn’t get a whole lot tougher for who is deserving of the No. 1 overall spot.

McDonald: Deciding between Green and Cunningham for the top spot is really tough. Both have been really good so far this high school season and both will be stars next year in college basketball. We have this right with Cunningham at No. 1, but I'm really curious to see how it plays out years down the road between these two.

Bossi: All summer long and now all winter long, Cunningham has performed like a No. 1 prospect. A native of Texas, the guard at Montverde (Fla.) Academy never takes a game off and he is just as excellent on defense as he is as a playmaker and scorer on the offensive end. He’s a model of consistency, continues to expand his game. For those reasons and more he was deserving of a promotion to the top spot.

Evans: We were getting hammered all fall and winter long for the ranking of Boston who, up until now, sat 17th overall in the 2020 class. Not any longer. Moving all of the way up to No. 4 in the new Rivals150, no one has had a better high school season than Boston.

Up against the nation’s elite and with the spotlight on him every single night thanks to the attention that Sierra Canyon has drawn, Boston has proved that he is one of the best in America. Better yet, he fits today’s positionless basketball perfectly. He is someone that can play a variety of spots and fill different roles on both ends which is why I am a firm believer in his ascent within the updated rankings.

McDonald: Cliff Omoruyi jumped up 19 spots in this update. I'm completely on board with it. He's going to be an instant impact big man next year in college hoops. He plays his tail off, is an intimidating presence in the paint defensively, and he's looking to dunk every time he gets the ball in the paint. We have this one right.

Bossi: I really love what big man Mady Sissoko brings to the floor and I love the fit for him at Michigan State. He plays with passion, toughness and physicality and has better skill than he’s often gotten credit for. However, he missed a large chunk of the season due to injury, so hasn’t had as much opportunity to show what he can do. Keeping an eye on him down the final stretch of the

Evans: Is Dalen Terry better than No. 46 in America? He is not having the best of high school seasons, but I still believe in his abilities and what he brings to the floor as a prospect. The giant lead guard needs to continue to work on his jumper but someone with his size, fluidity and defensive punch should not be short changed.

Sean Miller has come to love physical and tough-minded guards that really defend which is why I cannot see him not succeeding at Arizona. Do we have him too low? Possibly, which is why I wouldn’t be surprised to see him outplay his ranking immediately in college.

McDonald: I really think Daishen Nix could have a similar impact next year at UCLA to what Lonzo Ball did a few years ago. He's really easy to play with and makes his teammates better. He can get his own offense. If Mick Cronin is able to add either Ziaire Williams or Josh Christopher to join him in Westwood, he'll look even better in that Bruins jersey next year.

Bossi: I would have a hard time coming up with a five-star prospect who has generated less national buzz than No. 22 Josh Hall. Too bad, because a lot of people are missing out on a fun player with huge upside. Like almost all of these guys, Hall isn’t a sure thing, but at 6-foot-9 or so with a big time jump shot and improving explosiveness as he gets stronger he isn’t a bad one to bet on. NC State has a potential game changer on the way and Hall headlines a strong class.

Evans: Eric Gaines is one of the winter’s top breakout recruits as he has gone from practically a no-name prospect just months ago to now, sitting as the 87th best prospect in America. While he is still ascending and evolving as a ballplayer, there is no shortchanging the talent level from Gaines. Maybe we are ahead of the pack with him and that he is deserving of such a lofty ranking. Here is to hoping that he proves us right and more than cements his standing as a four-star prospect the rest of the way.

McDonald: I'll go with Sharife Cooper here. I've been watching him play for four years in the Atlanta area. Nobody can take away from what he's done to this point in his career with a state championship last year on an undefeated season in Georgia's highest classification and now he's a McDonald's All-American.

He's incredibly accomplished. As a prospect though in the long run, I have some concerns. He struggles with bigger, stronger, longer, and/or more athletic guards, which he'll see a lot of next year in the SEC. He also doesn't always bring a ton of energy. It could be a situation where I've seen too much of him and I'm being overly critical, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned some guards behind him could outplay him going forward.