2013 State Rankings Announced

New England Recruiting Report | Monday, February 15th, 2010

Ranking players is always a tricky business, but never more so than with freshman.  With three plus years left before they even reach college you have to take into account not just what each player is today but also what they’re capable of doing in the future. 

With that in mind our model is to try and find the balance and reward the players who combine production and potential and keep the lists relatively short as they’re no doubt only going to shift and expand over the next few years.  Here’s how that shook out on a state by state basis: 

Connecticut

Kuran Iverson is the top ranked player in the state as he possesses both the ability to dominate his age bracket today with the physical tools and basketball skills to be a tremendous prospect down the road.  Second ranked Kahlil Dukes is putting up numbers that are just silly thus far at Capitol Prep.  East Hartford’s Cane Broome is a veteran of the junior elite circuit making a quick impact at East Hartford High School.  Salisbury’s Chris McCullough is first up on the honorable mention list with a very high ceiling of his own. 

Maine

Garrett Beal stands out because of his ability to play multiple positions and have a big impact right now.  At 6’4” he’s capable of playing some point guard and that speaks to his long term potential.  6’7” Matt Cimino appears to be the next great player to come out of Cheverus High School as the big man is already making a name for himself up north.  The third spot was a tough call but we went with Tanner Hyland.  A different player than his brother Keegan, Tanner is a steady floor general with a versatile all around attack. 

Massachusetts

The Bay State was by far the most difficult to assess.  Rene Castro, Wayne Selden, and even Ramone Gibbons may be the most effective players right now but guys like Noah Vonleh and Jaquille Taylor may have higher upsides.  Then there’s Cornelius Tyson who is the best point guard we’ve seen in the class along with Jake Fay, Derek Collins, Carlin Haymon, Colin Richey, Bobby Ahearn, and a handful of others all fighting for a spot in the top five.  Ultimately we decided to leave Castro #1 until someone knocks him off and put Vonleh at #2 because of his staggering long term potential and current production.  Selden is third for the time being, with Taylor fourth, and Tyson fifth, but the bottom line is that if you ask five different qualified evaluators they may give you five totally different orders. 

New Hampshire

It should come as no surprise that Goodluck Okonoboh sits in the top spot for New Hampshire as he has already made a big name for himself on both the AAU circuit as well as the prep scene.  He’s already a game changer on the defensive end and projects as an intriguing offensive prospect down the road with an inside out skill set.  Second ranked Kaleb Joseph is super skilled, already making a big splash on the high school level, and a growth spurt away from being a stud as his long and gangly frame is undoubtedly bound to fill out.  Third ranked Demitri Floras is also very skilled for a young player and consequently one of the top young players around. 

Rhode Island

Charles Correa takes top billing as he could be the latest in a long line of star guards to come out of St. Raphael Academy.  Second ranked Tom Hunt is a shot maker from LaSalle Academy who is already playing major minutes and putting points on the board on a consistent basis.  Rounding out the top three is Ben Engvall an intriguing young prospect from Barrington High School who has good size and versatile potential for the future. 

Vermont

Casey Tipson hasn’t failed to live up to the expectations that come with his great pedigree as he has made an immediate impact in his freshman season at Rice Memorial High School.  He takes top ranking honors as a result.  Second ranked Matt St. Amour has put up some staggering numbers at Missisqui High School in his first season on the job while Marcus Willingham projects as the frontcourt anchor of the future for Rice. 

Check back tomorrow to see New England 2013 rankings in their entirety.