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Trio of Indiana Commits Named to Final SI99 Basketball Rankings
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Sports Illustrated's Jason Jordan released the final edition of the SI99 basketball rankings on Thursday, which ranks the top players in the class of 2022. And in Mike Woodson's first recruiting cycle, he secured commitments from three players listed, completing the nation's fifth-ranked class.
The first future Hoosier on this list is Jalen Hood-Schifino, who came in at No. 26. Hood-Schifino is a 6-foot-5, 185-pound combo guard from Montverde Academy in Florida and was the 12th-ranked guard on the SI99 list.
Hood-Schifino is coming off a national championship victory as the floor general for Montverde Academy, which is considered one of the top basketball prep schools in the country after two consecutive national titles. He recently competed in the Jordan Brand Classic game where he scored 14 points and hit three 3-point shots.
Joining Hood-Schifino on this list is his high school teammate Malik Reneau, who committed to Indiana on Monday. Reneau was originally committed to Florida, but reopened his recruitment when head coach Mike White left for Georgia.
Reneau comes in at No. 28 on the SI99 list and is the second highest ranked player listed strictly as a forward. The lefty big man stands at 6-foot-8, 230 pounds and was the second starter on the Montverde national championship team to commit to Indiana.
On Thursday, Indiana released a statement from Woodson on how Reneau can impact the game.
"He's an outstanding offensive player who continues to expand his game. He has great touch and tremendous footwork and he uses his quickness to his advantage. He has a great Basketball IQ and is an unselfish teammate who has benefitted from working with and against some very talented players on a daily basis. Defensively, he is well suited to today’s game. He keeps his man in front of him and can step out in pick and roll situations and hold his own."
And the third incoming Hoosier on the SI99 list is Kaleb Banks, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound forward from Fayetteville, Georgia. Banks came in at No. 85 on this list, making him the 18th-highest ranked player listed strictly as a forward.
Banks averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and 1.4 steals in his senior season, making him the Georgia Class 4A Player of the Year. This breakout season helped Banks rise into the top 100 as he developed various parts of his game.
Banks can do a bit of everything now, from blowing by defenders for dunks, leading the fast break, leaping for rebounds and even shooting 3's. Last summer, Banks competed in the NBPA Top 100 camp where he put up 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
