With Rivals.com set to update rankings in January, the analyst team is starting to think about which players may be in line for bumps. Below, our Rob Cassidy, Russ Wood and Dan McDonald have a look at which prospects they think should be in the discussion to add a star when the Rivals150 gets an overhaul.
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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
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ROB CASSIDY
I like Zion Cruz a bit more than his current ranking and think he could be in line to add a fifth star. It’s not so much based on anything I’ve seen from Cruz in the past few months as much as it is the fact that I’ve long thought he should be a five-star and will lobby to get him bumped up. Cruz gets to the basket as well as anyone in the 2022 class and his defense is maybe a bit undersold when people discuss his game. One of the most athletic guards in the class, Cruz’s upside in sky-high.
Efton Reid is a guy that has also made a case to add star. You’d like to see him become a bit more consistent, but his combination of length and athleticism is rare. He’s not quite polished offensively, but he has a superstar ceiling and defends extremely well. Giving him a fifth star would maybe be a bit of a risk, but I think a calculated one.
DAN MCDONALD
In the 2021 class, Elijah Tucker has been a man on a mission so far this season trying to make schools who overlooked him in the recruiting process feel bad for not going on him and making those of us who don't have him ranked nationally look silly. The Xavier signee is routinely posting double-doubles against really good competition. He's showing a complete offensive game that will make his transition to playing for Travis Steele very smooth next year. He has a ton of upside in his 6-foot-8 frame and could be a really good player in the Big East.
Richard Isaacs came to the Holiday Hoopsgiving last month in Atlanta with Wasatch Academy and looked like a prospect that deserved strong consideration for a fifth star. I love his overall skill level and he just had a really good play-making quality to his game. He changes speeds and never lets himself get sped up by pressure from the defense. He makes those around him better.
RUSS WOOD
In 2022 I'll go with Arterio Morris. He is athletic, tough, plays under control no matter the pace and has a great combination of size and length. Morris can score at a high level and has great court vision which makes him a very good passer. I watched him go up against five-star Cason Wallace earlier this month. Morris definitely held his own.
In 2021 my pick is Efton Reid. After watching him last week when IMG Academy played Link Year, I wondered why we didn't already have him rated a five-star prospect. Reid is very skilled, has the size NBA scouts look for in centers, runs like a small forward, can hit shots beyond the NCAA three-point line, is a solid screener and a very good passer. Reid is a very good defender and is as good of an area rebounder as I've seen this season.
