Rivals Roundtable: Top ballhandler, most underrated, dream matchups
Rivals.com's basketball recruiting team answers a trio of questions on current topics in the high school recruiting world.
1. Who is the most underrated player you have seen this spring?
ERIC BOSSI: I don't yet know how much higher he will climb in the rankings than his current spot of No. 81 in the 2018 Rivals150, but combo guard Matt Bradley is my guy and will certainly be on the rise. After watching him over Memorial Day weekend I'm not sure there is a tougher, pound for pound, player in America and he's being terribly under-recruited. An explosive off-the-dribble scorer, he's like Ronnie Lott in high tops out there. Shockingly, no power conference schools have offered though Nevada, Utah State, San Diego State and UCSB have. Since his weekend performance, Arizona, Butler, Stanford, Texas A&M, UCLA and Wake Forest have inquired.
KRYSTEN PEEK: A lot of players have been playing well this spring and Hunter Tyson is one of them. The three-star small forward had this putback dunk during the live period that surprised a lot of people in the gym. He's been a consistent option on offense for Team CP3 on the Nike EYBL circuit and if he continues to work on his outside shot, he'll be a threat at the next level. Clemson, Wake Forest, DePaul and Tennessee have all offered with Michigan, NC State and Virginia showing interest.
COREY EVANS: His raw numbers may not be jaw-dropping, but when you bring to mind his advanced stats, Jason Wade is a wunderkind. Sporting a top-10 Nike EYBL offensive efficiency rating of over 130, an effective field goal percentage of over 67-percent, and a defensive ability to guard three positions on the perimeter, there is a lot to like about Wade. VCU and Wichita State are the latest to offer but it is only a matter of time before the top programs along the East Coast begin to comprehend just how good and under-appreciated the 6-foot-4 guard really is.
2. Who is the best ball-handler you've seen this spring so far?
BOSSI: I know that I want to go point guard here and it's a tough one because at the top the point guards are so closely bunched together. I guess it also depends on an individual's ability to take care of the ball and use the dribble to get wherever they need to go. Some panache with the rock is nice as well, but for me the answer is Tre Jones. The five-star floor general gets into the lane when he wants, creates for others and averaged an impressive 8.3 assists to just 1.8 turnovers playing in Nike's EYBL. Duke – where his five-star brother Tyus Jones played – appears to be the heavy favorite here.
PEEK: Darius Garland is so impressive as a point guard and it's not just his ball-handling. Garland is the top-rated point guard in the class for a reason. He's a terrific passer and is always looking to push the ball up the court. He's only averaging two turnovers per game in the Nike EYBL while adding 17 points per game and five assists. Teams that are heavily involved in his recruitment include Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and Vanderbilt.
EVANS: The debate has gone on about who the best point guard is in the 2018 class but when it comes to the top ball-handler, I find it difficult to find a better one than Jahvon Quinerly. Mixing in some Kyrie Irving to his repertoire, Quinerly plays with the ball on a string, yo-yoing his defenders with an unbelievable concoction of moves as he sets the bar for the best in high school ball.
3. What potential one-on-one matchup do you hope to see at a summer tournament?
BOSSI: I'm going to go across class lines here and say that I would love to see 2018's No. 1 player Marvin Bagley lace them up against 2019's current No. 2 player Charles Bassey. Bagley, who is averaging 25.8 points and 14.9 rebounds per game in Nike's EYBL, is probably unstoppable at the high school level but if anybody could at least slow him down it would be Bassey. Bassey has the size to bang with Bagley and is an outstanding one-on-one post defender. I also like the idea of matching up the best from different classes and two guys who generally play on different shoe circuits, Bagley with Nike and Bassey with Adidas.
PEEK: Sticking with the point guards, I would love to see Tre Jones and Darius Garland go one-on-one at the Peach Jam in July. It reminds me of the Tre Jones vs. Trae Young (2017 Oklahoma signee) matchup from last year's Peach Jam. Both point guards were playing at a high level, competing on both ends of the floor and the game went into overtime. Jones had a phenomenal spring season and he's definitely in the running for the top point guard in the class. It also doesn't hurt that Duke is recruiting both point guards so there's an underlying recruiting battle going on as well.
EVANS: I am not quite sure if there has been a matchup that we all have wanted to see more than Marvin Bagley against Zion Williamson. The two have been heavily debated about who is the best in the 2018 class; Bagley sits atop while Williamson, thanks to his playing style, has created the most buzz. Since each play on different shoe circuits and are on opposite coasts, chances remain small that a matchup ever occurs in the weeks ahead.