Breaking down the top prospects in the class of 2017
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BROOKLYN — The recruiting class of 2016 is being praised as one of the best of the past decade. With star prospects like Harry Giles, Josh Jackson, Markelle Fultz and plenty of depth, the class should infuse college basketball with an abundance of high-level freshman talent this year—which would mark a stark contrast from the 2015–16 season. Yet it’s already time to start thinking about the composition of the group of freshmen that will enter the college game next year: the class of 2017.
The class is headlined by big men like DeAndre Ayton, Mohamed Bamba and Wendell Carter, but also features talented guards such as Trevon Duval and Hamidou Diallo as well as promising wings including Michael Porter and Kevin Knox. “I think, maybe the top tier of this 2017 class is maybe a little better than I initially realized,” says Evan Daniels, the director of basketball recruiting for Scout.com. He adds, “There’s some really, really good and high-level, talented players at the top of the class.”
SI.com was on hand at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal last weekend for the first session of the Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit to watch many of the top prospects in the 2017 class. Jeremy Woo and I discussed some of them in the video above.
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DeAndre Ayton
Position: Center
Height/Weight: 7-foot/235 lbs
High school: Hillcrest (Ariz.) Prep
Scout.com rank: 1
Mohamed Bamba
Position: Center
Height/Weight: 6'11"/215 lbs
High school: Westtown (Pa.) School
Scout.com rank: 2
Michael Porter
Position: Small forward
Height/Weight: 6'8"/195 lbs
High school: Tolton Catholic (Mo.) High
Scout.com rank: 5
Kevin Knox
Position: Small forward
Height/Weight: 6'8"/195 lbs
High school: Tampa Catholic (Fla.) High
Scout.com rank: 6
Trae Young
Position: Point guard
Height/Weight: 6'1"/170 lbs
High school: Norman North (Okla.) High
Scout.com rank: 26
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