Player Ranking Updates: What You Need to Know (FREE)

With the launch of our site, the 2019-2022 rankings are being released. This includes the 2019-2022 class rankings. Starting with 2022, we are up to 20 ranked players, 30 ranked 2021 players, 40 ranked 2020 players and 50 ranked players in the 2019 class. Here's what you should know about the rankings process: 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PLAYER RANKINGS The question we always get asked – sometimes out of curiosity and sometimes with a taste of bitterness – is how do we evaluate the players and decide where to rank them. Here are 10 things you need to know about that and how the rankings come together. #1. There are a lot of people involved. Lots of basketball folks from around the state take part each time the rankings are updated, and it’s not always the same people. #2. Beyond that, we allow parents, players, coaches, etc. to submit players for consideration to add to the rankings or move up. Does this mean that we just rank kids whose parents ask for it? No. The nomination process does help to get players on our radar for rankings purposes though. #3. Participants come from a variety of perspectives. We have current and former AAU coaches, current and former high school coaches, long-time basketball observers as well as D1, D2 and D3 college coaches. There are males and females; people of various ethnic backgrounds; urban and rural folks; and a broad age range. #4. We watch a ton of basketball. This high school season we have covered games from all over the state. We go to open gyms and practices and training sessions and showcases. We do everything in our power to see as many kids as possible. #5. We don’t pay the evaluators. The evaluators don’t pay us. Players cannot pay for a place in the rankings. #6. Geography matters. Although we try to watch players across the state as much as possible, it isn’t easy. All of our evaluators have other jobs, and it's hard to make a 3-4 hour drive to Western Kentucky for a game. It doesn’t help that some of the high school coaches don’t take the time to post individual stats or fail to keep them updated. #7. AAU matters. In this latest update we are obviously adding players who are having great high school seasons and kids who don’t play AAU. But the reality is, if you don’t play AAU your chances of making our list (and playing college basketball for that matter) are significantly diminished. #8. Seniors who make it clear that they are pursuing a different sport at the college level will likely see their ranking drop. Why? Because a talented athlete with options who decides to play soccer or volleyball is no longer a good college basketball prospect. #9. This list is about college potential, not current performance. That’s why an awkward freshman who has barely cracked the varsity lineup can be ranked 30 spots ahead of a highly-skilled guard who is a starter. If the awkward freshman is 6’2 and athletic, she’s going to be near the top of the list because those kids are few and far between, especially in Kentucky. #10. Level of competition matters. When evaluating players, a post player should dominate if everyone on the floor is 6 inches shorter than them. For example, the level of competition in the 6th, 7th and 11th regions is better than in the 15th. Because there is more talent in the bigger cities, there are players sitting on benches that are better prospects than kids who start in other areas of the state. That's why we put more stock in when players compete in AAU games and in camp settings. If you are from the less populated areas of Kentucky, it is important to play a high level of competition in AAU and make sure to attend camps, when possible. Watch for the new rankings as they are released class by class in the days ahead.