Each year, national scouting services work to find and evaluate the next wave of young, up-and-coming high school prospects. Ranking kids as freshmen usually has no real basis, since there’s no conclusive way to determine all the variables that go into the process. Between mentality, work ethic, physical growth, and countless other dynamics, plenty of factors should be considered. That being said, it seems like the transition into these prospects’ sophomore season is when the smoke begins to clear and players begin to truly separate themselves from their peers. While there are plenty of guys worth mentioning in this discussion, we will take a closer look at four specific names who should already be targets for various high-major programs.
6’2 Yohance Connor (1 of 1 Academy/1 of 1 Elite)
Seeing Yohance Connor’s name on this list should surprise approximately zero people, given the fact that he’s been nothing short of utterly dominant over the last twelve months. It’s quite rare to see a player, especially at this age, turn his biggest deficiency into a legitimate weapon—but that’s exactly what he did. Connor’s foundation as a player is clearly predicated on toughness, athleticism, nonstop energy, and incredibly sharp instincts. However, watching him become a high-level creator and knockdown perimeter shooter has been legitimately amazing. Between his elite presence on both ends of the floor, Connor has essentially no weaknesses. He’s a natural leader by example and understands how to consistently affect all facets of the game. Connor is a defensive terror due to his blend of quickness, anticipation, and physicality. He shuts down opponents with relative ease, forces turnovers on a frequent basis, and pushes the break in transition—where he’s among the best in the state. On the other side, he utilizes his IQ and tight handle to reliably generate quality looks for himself and others. Connor applies phenomenal downhill pressure and welcomes opponents to meet him at the rim, but genuinely scores the ball at a high clip from all levels. It’s only a matter of time before he becomes a priority throughout the country.
6’7 Cole Cloer (Orange/Team CP3)
Arguably the first of this grouping to emerge as a highly touted prospect, Cole Cloer has continued to showcase the makings of a special player. At 6-foot-7, he’s a highly skilled wing prospect with IQ, athleticism, and exceptional offensive polish. Cloer can control the offense with the ball in his hands or be featured in a variety of different roles. He’s able to cut, spot-up, create his own shot, and effectively produce from the block or elbows. Cloer possesses the necessary blend of vision, ball-handling, and scoring prowess to consistently apply pressure with the ball in his hands. He attacks well off the bounce and has been actively showcasing his improved explosiveness as a finisher throughout the spring season. There’s no real bad shot for Cloer, and that’s only further solidified by his efficiency from all levels. He’s a versatile piece with the ability to adapt and alter his approach based on matchup. On the other end, Cloer is a useful defender with quality instincts and a solid rebounding presence. Given everything he brings to a team, it’s easy to see why he’s trending as one of the top prospects in North Carolina.
6’9 Rivers Knight (Jordan/Team United)
After recently earning his first Division I offer (Illinois), it probably isn’t widely considered a hot-take for Rivers Knight to start receiving national attention. Given the amount of time he’s been playing basketball, Knight is already impressive. At 6-foot-9, he’s a long, fluid, skilled big man with touch, athleticism, and interior instincts on both ends of the floor. Knight is a quality finisher and knockdown shooter with the ability to cause problems for opponents in screening actions—since he’s able to torch teams when rolling to the basket or popping to space the floor. That being said, he’s skilled enough to do way more than just catch and shoot. Knight can reliably attack off the bounce, generate clean looks within a few dribbles, or hit highly difficult jumpers off movement. For his size, what he’s doing is absolutely insane. He’s very comfortable from beyond the arc but more than willing to utilize his size to post up and finish around the basket. Knight does a nice job of running the floor, lurking for lobs and putbacks, and controlling the glass on either side of the ball. He also protects the rim effectively and blocks shots at a healthy rate. Already becoming a next-level priority, expect Knight’s stock to continue rising over the foreseeable future.
6’7 Elhadji Diallo (Combine Academy/Team Curry)
Of all the names listed, Elhadji Diallo might have the most intrigue and long-term upside. He’s a strong, physical forward prospect with a blossoming skillset and incredible all-around athleticism. Diallo is already built like a tank, yet doesn’t compromise quickness or end-to-end speed. Right now, he finds most of his production through finishing, rebounding, and patrolling the paint to block shots. However, Diallo has shown flashes of post moves and a workable jumper. The fact that he’s able to make a consistent impact without a clear-cut identity arguably makes him even more impressive. Consider what Diallo will become with more experience and game repetitions. He possesses all the necessary physical tools to be a nightmare for opponents, yet is truly still just beginning to scratch the surface of his long-term abilities. Given his motor, toughness, physical attributes, and obvious amount of upside, folks should start getting familiar with Diallo.