(Slight editors note- Matt Carlino has reclassified to the 2010 class and is thus missing from the rankings.)
1. Marquis Teague- 6'1 Guard- Pike High School (Kentucky Verbal Commitment)
Teague is an athletic point guard who can push the ball up and down the court at blazingly fast speeds. His jump shot is still fairly streaky, but he can score even when he's having a cold shooting night. Teague has the ball-handling to get to the rim at will, and the grace and skill to finish after contact. His speed and quickness also make him a threat pressuring the ball in both the half-court and full-court setting. His biggest knock is his inconsistency
2. Branden Dawson- 6'6 Small Forward- Gary Lew Wallace High School (Considering Purdue, Michigan State, Indiana, UCLA, Marquette, and Georgetown)
Dawson is a super athletic forward with a knack for rebounding the basketball. He's developed a nice mid-range game and is able to score using that or fighting for second chance points in the paint. Dawson's athleticism and motor allow him to be a formidable shot blocker for his size. Dawson's main area of concern is his 3-point shooting ability. There's no telling how good he could be if he improved his shooting ability from deep.
3. Michael Chandler- 6'10 Center- Lawrence North High School (Considering Louisville, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Cincinnati, and others)
Chandler is a big man with outstanding athleticism and lots of potential. While his development has cooled off a little bit, Chandler is still a good player and great prospect. Chandler has good footwork in the paint, runs the floor very well, and can challenge any shot in his vicinity on defense. The biggest thing Chandler could do to improve is assert himself on the offensive game by adding a few back to the basket moves.
4. Cody Zeller- 6'10 Power Forward/Center- Washington High School (Considering North Carolina, Butler, Indiana, and others)
Zeller is a skilled big man with the ability to knock down long range jump shots. He's got great touch in the post, but also has the ability to take bigger opponents off the dribble and score at the rim. Zeller is a good but not great athlete who can pull down tough rebounds and block shots. Zeller needs to add a lot of strength to make an impact at the college level, but other than that he has a pretty well rounded game.
5. Mitch McGary- 6'10 Power Forward/Center- Chesterton High School (Considering Purdue, Indiana, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Xavier)
McGary is a post with a big frame and good athleticism. Right now he's about 240 pounds, but still has room to add muscle and bulk. The one thing that sticks out about McGary is his ability to run the floor. He's one of the quickest big men up the floor, leading to easy baskets in transition. McGary has good touch in the post and can score in the paint. He's also got shooting touch out to the 3-point line, but at times can fall in love with the 3-point shot. McGary's best work is done when he spends the majority of his time scoring in the paint, and then slips out to the perimeter to hit an unexpected jump shot. McGary's biggest room for improvement is expanding his offensive repertoire with his back to the basket.
6. Darwin "Dee" Davis- 5'9 Point Guard- Bloomington South High School (Xavier Verbal)
Davis is an undersized point guard who is lightning quick with the ball. What he lacks in strength, he makes up for in speed and athleticism. Davis is a great finisher near the basket, and possesses acrobatic moves that allow him to convert tough baskets. He has a good first step and is able to take defenders off the dribble and get to the rim. In the full court he is one man fast break, able to dish for an open bucket if necessary. The key for Davis to succeed is to maintain shooting consistency and add a little bit of strength to handle larger opponents.
7. Jeremiah Davis- 6'3 Combo Guard- Muncie Central High School (Considering Indiana, Michigan State, Xavier, Cincinnati, Tennessee, and others)
Davis is a strong combo guard who has the ability to get to the rim. He needs to tighten up his handles as I think he relies a little too much on strength to get to the rim at this point. Davis is a streaky shooter, but can really get hot from deep and has good form on his jumper. His strength and quickness make him a good perimeter defender when he gets after it. He's a good but not explosive athlete, who can throw down the dunk in transition. Davis has good court vision, and he can set up teammates well slashing through the defense. Davis has all the tools to be a good player, he just needs to be more consistent from game to game.
8. Austin Etherington- 6'6 Small Forward- Hamilton Heights High School (Indiana Verbal)
Etherington is a great shooter who can really fill it up from well behind the 3-point line. Perhaps his most underrated ability is his passing, making smart passes in the half-court and full-court setting. Etherington is a deceptive athlete, really able to throw down some power dunks once he gets a full head of steam. He's also a tough defender, and although he isn't the quickest guy, he really gets after it on defense. He also rebounds pretty well for his position, showing the ability to scrap for boards down low. Etherington needs to improve his ball-handling, which would make him more of a threat to score off the dribble.
9. Ryan Taylor- 6'5 Small Forward/Power Forward- Lawrence North High School (Louisville Verbal)
Taylor is a combo forward with a great motor. He'll fight for any rebound on the court, and can score points from offensive rebounds. Taylor has great athleticism, and can throw down some highlight reel dunks. He can absorb contact well near the rim to finish plays. He's improving his ball-handling, but his shooting still needs some work. Taylor will struggle to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball until he improves his shooting and ability to get to the rim.
10. Nic Moore- 5'9 Point Guard- Warsaw Community High School (Considering Evansville, IPFW, Ohio, Valparaiso, Indiana, and others)
Moore is an undersized point guard, but can really shoot the ball. He shot over 40% from behind the arc during his high school season. Moore is a speedy guard, albeit probably not at the same level as Dee Davis. Moore has the ball-handling and quickness to make him a great penetrate and kick guy. What he lacks in size he makes up for in heart, and is a true competitor.
Just missed the cut- Justin Gant, Kendall Griffin, Zac VanDeWater
*Notes*
1. Teague is the clear cut choice for number one.
2./3. Some people will knock Dawson for his lack of a 3-point game, but he's still producing. Chandler and Dawson both have a ton of potential, but I see Dawson as doing more with his potential currently.
4. I like Zeller at 4. If he can add strength and play with a little bit more of a mean streak I think he'll be a great college player.
5. I have McGary here because I think he has a good upside but is currently producing pretty well. He's got the size and skill, and now that he's finally healthy he should shine.
6./7. I like Dee Davis a little bit better here because of his ball-handling and constant effort. I feel like Jeremiah Davis can take some plays off and he needs to tighten up his dribbling. Jeremiah Davis has better potential as a shooter. This one is really a tossup.
8./9. I like Etherington a little better because of his ability to shoot and pass the ball. He's not quite the athlete that Taylor is, but still is a very good one. Taylor rebounds the ball better, but Etherington is the better all around player at the position. If Taylor could add a reliable jump shot he could be a great college player. They both need to improve ball-handling.
10. You could make a case for several guys here, but I went with Moore because he's got it. I don't know what "it" is, but when you watch him play you just know he will compete hard. He's a great shooter, great ball-handler, and great passer. I could see some high major teams regret passing on Moore down the road.
Good work. I also like Nic Moore at the 10 spot and agree that if he doesn't end up at a high-major he will make them later regret it.
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