North Carolina’s 2018 class is quickly shaping up to be very perimeter oriented. However, it is also shaping up to be a very deep class with a depth of Top 100 talent as well as a lot of D1 prospects throughout.
Schools from across the country, at every level, should be recruiting this class hard. There is a lot to be had.
The Top 3
At the top of the list, 6’6” Rechon Black of Concord High School, 6’7” Jairus Hamilton of Cannon School, and 6’2” Devon Dotson of Providence Day are the consensus Top 3. Keep these names in mind, because each of these guys are Top 25 types, nationally. Black is a long point guard that conjures thoughts of Spencer Dinwiddie and Shaun Livingston. Hamilton is a skilled wing that makes many thing of Justice Winslow. Devon Dotsonis a tough minded point guard who reminds some of Kemba Walker.
Regardless, each of these guys are national level recruits that should be ranked Top 25 across the board.
The Next Tier
While the Top 3 are national level Top 25 guys, numbers 4-10 are all Top 100/150 types. Led by 6’2” Will Dillard of Greensboro Day. Dillard, a relentless defender, is a returning starter for the top 10 team in the country. 6’3” Coby White of Greenfield School is a name that is burning up the charts. Many haven’t seen him yet, but look for the Top 80 alum to make waves over the next year. 6’5” Nate Hinton of Northside Christian has always had a motor, over the last year he developed that jump shot. 6’4” Tre Turner of Northwest Guilford has great genes, is confidently skilled, and is getting HM offers as a wide receiver. Turner’s start is on a continual rise. 6’5” Johnny Newman is the ultimate glue man. He plays multiple roles on high caliber winning teams. 6’5” Elijah McCadden, like White is a player many have not heard of yet. The jumbo combo guard, and NC Top 80 alum, is incredibly skilled for a player with his size and will be heard of a lot over the next year. Rounding out the Top 150 guys is Qon Murphy is finally forced to become the alpha dog and his killer instinct is catching up to his high level basketball frame.
The Bigs
While this class is a great one for wings and guards, but there are some high upside bigs in the mix as well. 6’8” Immanuel Bates of Jack Britt has a 7’4” wing span and is like clay with his ability to be molded right now. 6’10” Deaundre Wilkins of Holmes High School has a great frame, is athletic, and is growing into his own game. Not many have heard of Wilkins, but that will soon change. By now everyone has heard of 6’8” Ian Steere at Wesleyan Christian. He is long, has great genes, and is very athletic. 6’9” Nate Springs of Myers Park is another newcomer to the list. While slender, he is coordinated and has a high motor. Naturally with most bigs it takes them more time to grow into their bodies. These are conservative rankings, and each of these guys could take considerable jumps as their bodies and games develop over the next couple years.
The Big Movers
With kids so young, it doesn’t take much for them to take a considerable athletic jump. Such is the case here. We are able to see kids throughout the year, in multiple settings. These have been working on their game. 6’4” Andy Pack of Northern Guilford is a sturdily built, tough wing. The NC Top 80 alum is a high scoring shooting guard who shoots and rebounds at a high rate. 5’10” Maurice Wilcox of Neuse Christian played a backup role at Word of God last year. This year he came out with deep range, a tight handle, and ability to produce a lot of points (both off the shot and the pass). 6’2” Issac Sufferen of Myers Park is a long sweet shooting two-guard. He broke onto the scene at Session 2 of the NC Phenom 150 camp, where he averaged 17 points per game. He can get buckets in a variety of ways. 6’1” Tripp Greene of Forsyth Country Day has long been a name Phenom Hoops has spoken about. However, his game and confidence has jumped to the next level. The way he defends and his propensity of making big plays has brought to mind Aaron Craft for many.