Stock Risers: Five power forwards that made the most of grassroots season
With the 2023 grassroots season in the books, Rivals analysts Rob Cassidy and Jason Jordan are ready to reflect on what they saw on the road last month in form of a position-by-position look at which players raised their stock the most this summer. Today, the duo take a look at five power forwards that helped themselves with their play.
MORE IN THIS SERIES: Point guards | Shooting guards | Small forwards
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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Top 130
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Overview: We sometimes heap a lot of praise on modern, floor-spacing, finesse-focused big men, but Johnson is not that - in fact, he’s nothing close to that. Instead, the 6-foot-8 Illinois commit is the simplest kind of basketball beast, a thick-bodied, rebound-gobbling force that knows exactly what he is and leans into it. Johnson, who runs with Meanstreets in the Nike EYBL, led Peach Jam in rebounding, averaging 13.2 boards per game, and was a double-double threat almost every time he stepped on the floor this summer. A high-percentage scorer that seems to dunk anything close to the rim, Jonson’s summer masterpiece was a mid-July performance that saw home rack up 26 points and 19 rebounds against UPlay Canada in a game in which he finished a number of buckets through hard contact and dominated for long stretches on both the glass and in the low post. Johnson jumped up to No. 31 in the Rivals150 in the mid-summer update and could creep a bit closer to the top 20 this fall.
Recruitment: Johnson is committed to Illinois.
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Overview: When you talk about NBA upside, you have to talk about Sherrell, whose long-armed build and versatile skill set already have NBA front office people talking. He has some development to do, sure, but the 6-foot-10 big man took massive strides from a skill perspective in the last year. He's fluid as players with his build come and brings some serious athleticism to the table. Add in the fact that he can shoot it from the mid-range and - very occasionally - from deep, and you have the receipt for a hyper-versatile prospect that could find himself in the thick of NBA Draft discussion down the road. Sherrell averaged 14 points and five rebounds per contest in seven Peach Jam games this year and shot better than 60% from the floor while doing so. He’ll need to add size and become a more motivated rebounder and defender down the road, but the four-star’s long-term potential gets more tantalizing by the month.
Recruitment: Alabama, Michigan State, Ohio State, Texas and Oklahoma remain in contention for Sherrell.
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Overview: A red-hot start to summer helped McAndrew debut in the rankings a month or so ago, when a reclassification opened a spot in the Rivals150. The recent Creighton commit, who spent the summer shining for Howard Pulley in the EYBL, is a high-level shooter that can take over a game from long-range if not properly checked. In a class that lacks a depth of truly elite snipers, McAndrew has the chance to be just that. Still, he’s shown himself to be a bit more than just a specialist. And while he isn't a masterful shot-creator just yet, the solid work he does on the boards and what he brings to the table as a ball handler will allow the 6-foot-9 forward to add some versatility to his game down the road. His length and ability to fill it up from outside make him intriguing, to say the least.
Recruitment: McAndrew is committed to Creighton.
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Overview: Peat has been exploiting matchups and taking names all summer, exploding out of the gates early as arguably the best overall prospect in the adidas 3SSB. At 6-foot-8, Peat is stellar athlete who can handle the ball and create his own shot against big forwards and even wings and guards. Peat, who is ranked No. 3 overall in the Rivals150 for 2025, is adept at finishing with wow plays and has a knack for rebounding on both ends with an awareness on the defensive end that consistently makes him a threat. His IQ on the court is one of the most underrated aspects of his arsenal as he has the innate ability to balance choosing his spots and creating for teammates.
Recruitment: Alabama, UCLA, Baylor, USC and Arizona, among others, are in contention to land Peat.
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Overview: Wilson strung together a dominant showing this summer, pumping in 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 blocks per game during the Nike EYBL regular season then capped off the summer averaging 16.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks a game at the Peach Invitational in July. At 6-foot-9, Wilson is a playmaker extraordinaire, with a keen eye as a passer and the ability to defend all five positions on the floor. He’s an elite ball handler for the position and that gives him a distinct matchup advantage against most bigs. That said, Wilson’s best attribute could be his motor, which remains in overdrive at all times on both ends of the floor. Wilson checks in at No. 5 overall in the Rivals150 for 2025.
Recruitment: Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, Stanford and Alabama, among many others, remain in contention for Wilson.