The Next Crop of Blue-Chip Talent
Words. dimemag
The end of the school year presents a natural opportunity to evaluate the next crop of talent for the first time. After seeing a lot of these players for the first time as juniors on their high school teams and then again during AAU season, it’s now clear who has started to separate from the pack.
Rivals added seven 5-star recruits from the Class of 2010 to their top 150 rankings, two of whom are already ranked in the High School Hoop Top 50: Andre Dawkins and Kyrie Irving. Both of these kids are really going to be special. Irving stands out among a crowd of supreme talents – UNC-commit Dexter Strickland and top wing Michael Gilchrist are also on his St. Pat’s team, but down the stretch of the high school season, Irving was the guy that consistently put points on the board. He can play the point, but has also shown the ability to score at will. I couldn’t help but see flashes of Tony Parker in his game.
While Kyrie’s dynamism comes through when you see him in person, Dawkins is the type of guy whose electricity comes through in every clip. He’s a lights-out shooter with really pretty form. But he’s also a highlight waiting to happen on the break, preferring to bang a dunk with two hands than to save his legs for the next trip down the floor. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see both of these guys shoot up the rankings by the time next season rolls around.
Along with Dawkins and Irving, PG Cory Joseph, Point-Forward Jelan Kendrick, SF Cameron Clark, Fabricio de Melo, and PG Ryan Harrow were bumped up to 5-star status.
Cory is the younger brother of Devoe Joseph, part of the influx of Canadian talent along with Tristan Thompson and Myck Kabongo, all of whom will make an impact in college hoops within the next couple of years. Thompson, Kabongo and Avery Bradley could very well do for Texas what DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, Jon Hood and maybe John Wall will do for Kentucky.
Which other new five-star talent do you think will be next to break into the HSH Top 50?
derrick wilson 2011-strongest pg in the country
jason morris 2010-athletic freak
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