Thanks to three open evaluation periods for college coaches resulting in a multitude of big-time events across the country, July is generally the month you learn the most in basketball recruiting.
So with the first live period (July 10-14) over and our team of scouts out at events like the LeBron James Skills Academy, Nike Peach Jam, adidas Invitational, Reebout Breakout Classis, Hoop Group Elite Camp and a pair of SoCal events, it's the perfect time to check in and see what they learned from the first evaluation period. We'll check in again following the second (July 17-21) and third (July 24-28) July periods as well.
What was the biggest thing you learned from the first evaluation period?
Dave Telep: If you're going to be a 5-foot-9 point guard at the highest level, you'd better have a special quality. For the longest time, my appreciation for ESPN 100 point guard Tyler Ulis (Matteson, Ill./Marian Catholic) was fair to middling. Boy, have I come full circle. Ulis might be the best point guard in the country at driving to pass instead of score. He's simply marvelous at running a team. A few years ago, an undersized point guard from the Chicago area named Jerome Randle finished his career at Cal as the Pac-10 Player of the Year. They're different players, but there's something special about Ulis. More than anyone, he's won me over.
Paul Biancardi: The fight for the top spot in the Class of 2014 is far from over -- in fact, it's just beginning. Right now, it looks like a race among three prospects. Current No. 1 player Jahlil Okafor (Chicago/Whitney Young) has been polishing up his post game and punishing defenders inside. He's skilled, strong and plays with a wide base as he overwhelms opponents inside the paint. Okafor responded with strong play at the Peach Jam last week. Standing at No. 2 in the ESPN 100, Cliff Alexander (Chicago/Curie) hangs his hat on rebounding with a relentless pursuit of the ball and being a physical presence in the lane, using his size and long arms to defend and block shots. He has shown a jump hook and a short jumper, but he scores mostly on putbacks, duck-ins and transition and is a capable inside scorer. Playing hard is the norm for Alexander, so he will continue to improve, dominate and produce. Finally, Myles Turner (Euless, Texas/Trinity) was not even in our rankings a couple of months ago, but he shot all the way up to No. 10 in the ESPN 100 and has turned heads because of his potential. He displays versatile scoring skills such as a 3-point shot and a jumper inside using the glass. He is another big man who makes protecting the rim a priority. What's exciting about these three players is that they are all different, yet they each get big-time results.
Reggie Rankin: The biggest thing I learned from the first evaluation period is about the talent and competitiveness of the Class of 2016 ESPN 25 prospects I evaluated at the adidas Invitational. There were two in particular who were playing up on U17 teams and were already the go-to players on their squads. No. 15 rising sophomore Josh Langford (Huntsville, Ala./Madison) is a terrific scorer who not only can complete plays from anywhere on the floor but also can pass and rebound from the perimeter at a high level. Langford is physically ready and has the skill to put a team on his back if needed. Meanwhile, No. 20 rising sophomore Mario Kegler (Jackson, Miss./Callaway) has great size and strength to along with his excellent midrange game. He is a matchup nightmare who can also rebound and defend multiple positions. Kegler has the talent to take over games and his upside is off the charts. There are not many rising sophomores who can have the impact these two young players have on a U17 game. It's scary to think how much they would dominate a U16 game.
Adam Finkelstein: The biggest takeaway for me last week was the value of ESPN 100 point guard Josh Perkins (Denver/Huntington Prep). He's one of the last pure point guards you'll find -- a guy who plays a pass-first style and makes the game easier for his teammates. That's a big reason why he was followed by a slew of high-major head coaches and also why No. 11 recruit Rashad Vaughn (Golden Valley, Minn./Findlay Prep) went on record saying he'd like to play next to Perkins at the next level. Whether or not this latest potential package deal comes to fruition isn't necessarily the point; the point is that Perkins is a one-of-a-kind throwback whom coaches want to coach and players want to play next to. And you can bet wherever he ends up, there will be plenty of other guys interested in following.
John Stovall: What I learned during the first open period of the summer was that there are no clear-cut No. 1 players in any of the three current high school classes. In the 2014 class, 6-10 center Jahlil Okafor is the current No. 1, but 6-9 power forward Cliff Alexander and 6-11 center Myles Turner are challenging heavily for the crown. Let's also make sure we don't forget top point guard Tyus Jones (Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley), who also has to be in the conversation. In the 2015 class, power forward Ivan Rabb (Oakland/Bishop O'Dowd) is holding onto the top spot, but he has a lot of competition, primarily from combo guard Malik Newman (Jackson, Miss./Callaway), center Stephen Zimmerman (Las Vegas/Bishop Gorman) and power forward Ben Simmons (Melbourne, Australia/Montverde Academy). And in 2016, the injured Harry Giles (Winston-Salem, N.C./Wesleyan Christian) is on top, with Thon Maker (Martinsville, Va./Carlisle), Deadrick Lawson (Memphis, Tenn./Hamilton), V.J. King (Akron, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary) and Josh Jackson (Southfield, Mich./Consortium Prep) really pushing hard. It will be interesting to watch these prospects during the last two open periods of July to see who emerges as No. 1 in each class. Let the battles continue …
Joel Francisco: The biggest thing I learned from the first evaluation period is that the level of talent in states like Utah and Nevada is significantly better than I originally imagined. Last week at the Double Pump Summer Tip Off and Pangos 16, four travel programs (Utah Prospects, Las Vegas Prospects, Utah Pump-n-Run and Las Vegas Knicks) had a number of underclassmen -- including 2015 Makol Mawien (West Valley City, Utah/Granger), 2015 Ray Smith (Las Vegas/Las Vegas), 2015 Nate Grimes (Las Vegas/Desert Pines) and 2017 Troy Brown (Las Vegas/Centennial) -- who could crack our national rankings sooner rather than later.