Clarke, Etienne, Joseph headline New England 2021 Rankings

Friday, August 23rd, 2019

Updated 2021 New England rankings reflect significant movement among the top prospects in the class of 2021.

Where things haven’t moved at all though is in the number one spot, a distinction that Terrence Clarke has now held since 2021 rankings first debuted. The 6-foot-7 wing was playing the best basketball of his career this spring, showing the full versatility of his repertoire along with the understanding of how to play in the flow and make those around him better. While his summer wasn’t quite as efficient, he remains both the top ranked prospect in New England and a top five national prospect in the class.

Mac Etienne takes over the number two spot after a breakout summer in which he added numerous high-major offers. He has great size in the lane and the ability to impact the game in multiple ways on both ends of the court but what really differentiates him is his infectious energy and high-motor. He also may just be scratching the surface of his potential as he continues to discover his game and develop reliable weapons.

Bensley Joseph had a huge summer in his own right, embracing the mentality to be a true point guard, showing an impressive basketball I.Q. and ability to change the game on the defensive end of the floor. He’s also made good physical strides within the last year as he’s grown to a legit 6-feet while building up his body and boasting a 6-foot-5 wingspan.

Casey Simmons remains one of the best long-term prospects in the class and showed increasingly frequent signs of putting all of his tools together. He’s still physically lean and just beginning to fill out his frame, but when that inevitably happens, chances are things will start to click for him very quickly.

Jai Smith is the newest member of the top five after having a strong spring on the EYBL where he proved his ability to impact a high-level game with his athletic tools inside the paint and consequent ability to finish and rebound the ball.

Speaking of rebounders, there might not be a better one in the class than Camaron Tongue who has now jumped all the way up to the 6^th ranked overall prospect in New England thanks in large part to that special skill in addition to his soft hands and touch.

Nana Owuso’s name may not be as well known locally after returning to Canada to play his grassroots ball, but his progression has been rapid to say the least over the last 10 months. He’s long with a high-motor, proven learning curve, and is already one of the most elite defenders in the class.

Gianni Thompson is a prospect whose progression has been distinctly linear. What that means is that while some guys make big jumps at certain times, Thompson continues to get progressively better at each step along the way. He has good physical tools with a skill set and offensive game that continues to expand.

Alexis Reyes’ upside has been well-known since his arrival in high school but this spring he made notable strides in terms of turning potential into production as he served as the focal point of his team while impressing with his combination of size and skill.

Rounding out the top ten is another skilled forward in Jack Molloy. As heady as he is skilled, Malloy has an impressive feel for the game and could be on the verge of a breakout junior campaign.

In total, the updated New England 2021 rankings feature 40 prospects and while lots has changed over the recent grassroots season this class is ultimately just getting started with undoubtedly more movement coming in upcoming months as other prospects will continue to ascend, new names will undoubtedly emerge, and some others will unfortunately plateau in correlation to their work-ethic and/or focus.

Click here for the current New England 2021 rankings in their entirety.