Grassroots basketball is a grind, and now that grind is finally just about over. From the middle of April to the start of August, there isn’t much time off for the best high school basketball players in the country. They’re flying from coast to coast almost every weekend to prove themselves against their peers, with recruiting analysts and college coaches keeping track of every performance.
6 college basketball recruits who blew up this summer
A look at some of this summer’s breakout players on the AAU trail.
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
It’s easy to make the argument that the summer entering a player’s senior year is the most important period of their life. Blue chip recruits don’t just get the best scholarship offers, their status also typically earns them more playing time and maybe even the benefit of the doubt from NBA scouts.
For as willingly as some like to criticize summer basketball, there’s certainly a lot on the line for the players. Some rise to the occasion more than others.
With grassroots season in the books and shoe brand All-American camps wrapping up, NBC Sports’ Scott Phillips and and I talked about which players boosted their stock the most this summer in a new podcast. I took a closer look at some of the biggest risers in the class of 2016 below, as well.
Markelle Fultz
From: Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Size: 6’5, 180 pounds
Who wants him? Kentucky, Louisville, Arizona, North Carolina, Maryland, Xavier
Two years ago, Fultz couldn’t make the varsity team at famed DeMatha Catholic as a sophomore. Last summer, he was just another 6’1 guard struggling to separate himself within a loaded class’ deepest position. Even just a few months ago, he was No. 55 in ESPN’s rankings and didn’t hold offers from any of the blue bloods.
Things can change fast on the grassroots trail, and they certainly have for Fultz. He shot to 6’5 over the last year and may still have room to grow. Now he’s big enough to play the two or can be an oversized point guard, as has been all the rage recently.
And the blue bloods? Yes, they’ve offered. Kentucky and North Carolina joined the mix in July and Louisville is making a recent push as well. Now he’s up to No. 7 in the class, according to 247 Sports, and he’s due for a big bump from the other services, too.
Wenyen Gabriel
From: Manchester, New Hampshire
Size: 6’9, 185 pounds
Who wants him? Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Notre Dame, UConn, Maryland, Texas
Frank Jackson
From: Alpine, Utah
Size: 6’3, 185 pounds
Who wants him? Duke, Stanford, Utah, BYU
Frank Jackson had his life all planned out. He’d play for BYU, but would delay his basketball career by two years to instead take a Mormon mission. That all changed starting in the spring, when Jackson played himself into elite status in the class of 2016.
Jackson decommitted from the Cougars in May and earned an offer from Duke soon after. Now he’s reportedly ready to make a decision in early September, with most thinking he’ll join a loaded Blue Devils class that already includes the No. 2 player in the country (Jayson Tatum) and soon might add the No. 1 player (Harry Giles).
Jackson is more of a combo guard than a pure point, but that works out perfectly for Duke. Derryck Thornton reclassified to take over for Tyus Jones in the backcourt this season. If he sticks around for his sophomore year, Jackson can play next to Thornton as a two guard and then run the show when he’s out of the game.
Terrence Ferguson
From: Dallas, Texas
Size: 6’6, 180 pounds
Who wants him? Kansas, Alabama, Louisville
It feels like Ferguson’s rise is only just beginning. He was picked as one of four high school players to play for USA Basketball’s gold medal winning U19 team -- and the other players are the consensus top three prospects in the class. From a skill set perspective, his long-term outlook could be as bright as any of his teammates’ in Greece.
What does Ferguson bring to the table? NBA size for a wing, A-plus athleticism and a sweet shooting stroke from three-point range. This is basically everything you’re looking for out of a two guard once his handle tightens and he becomes more comfortable making plays for others.
Ferguson is still young for his class -- he won’t turn 18 until May -- so it might take some time for him to put it all together. That’s fine. Regardless of where he chooses to go to college (Kansas is a strong favorite), there’s little doubt NBA scouts will like what they see when he decides to enter the draft.
Rawle Alkins
From: Brooklyn, New York
Size: 6’5, 185 pounds
Who wants him? Kansas, Louisville, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, St. John’s, N.C. State, Maryland, Texas and UNLV.
Jarrett Allen
From: Austin, Texas
Size: 6’9, 225 pounds
Who wants him? Texas, Kansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Oregon, Oklahoma State
There’s nothing flashy about Jarrett Allen’s game. He’s sound defensively, a reliable offensive option in the post and does many of the little things that coaches love.
Big-time college programs have started to take notice. Allen got an offer from Kentucky in May, North Carolina in June and Kansas in July. Shaka Smart and Texas have been on him for a while, as has Baylor.
Allen was tremendous on the adidas circuit this year, averaging 20.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game on nearly 60 percent shooting. He was impressive at the end of July in Las Vegas and seems poised to jump up the rankings a few spots even though he’s already considered a five-star prospect.
It just keeps getting better for “Young Fundamentals”.
All images via adidas.
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