My Arkansas spring grassroots hoops report (top ballers, teams, more) ...

[Kevin McPherson]

http://www.sportinglifearkansas.com/kevin-mcpherson-arkansas-basketball-stars-shine-bright/

https://twitter.com/ARHoopScoop/status/876979051474374656

[Hogs49ers]

Great stuff Kevin.

I noticed you did not have Desi Sills ranked in the top 10 or even in the "Best of the Rest"?  Is that on purpose and you have seen something you do not like or did you leave him off by accident ?

Of all these incredible players in the 2020 class, which ones do you feel love the state of Arkansas and dream of playing for the Hogs?  Or are any of them like Archie or Monk?  Have you gotten those kind of vibes from them yet?

[Kevin McPherson]

Great stuff Kevin.

I noticed you did not have Desi Sills ranked in the top 10 or even in the "Best of the Rest"?  Is that on purpose and you have seen something you do not like or did you leave him off by accident ?

Of all these incredible players in the 2020 class, which ones do you feel love the state of Arkansas and dream of playing for the Hogs?  Or are any of them like Archie or Monk?  Have you gotten those kind of vibes from them yet?

Two great questions.

As for Desi, he stopped playing at the Memphis in May Invitational due to soreness in his knees and is not expected to return, I'm told he is going to rest his knees for the HS season.

As for the 2020 kids, I really don't have a feel for their love or loyalty to the Hogs. I know they all have Arkansas high on their lists right now, so that's a great start.

[Hogs49ers]

For the 2019 class, I noticed Timothy Ceaser was ranked #146 in that class on coast2coastpreps.com out of Arkansas - have you seen him play or is he not playing in this circuit?  Also from 2019 class, Abdulsalam Mohammed (6'9" C from Green Forrest, AR) is ranked #209 on PrepHoops - have you heard that name?

I am not sure if you have gotten the opportunity to watch any of the younger kids play in the 2022 class just yet, but I saw we have a kid from Arkansas, Derrian Ford, ranked #29 and a kid, Carl Daughtryon ranked #112 on the coast2coastpreps.com rankings - was wondering if you had heard those names yet? And if so, do you know anything about them or their game?

FYI - there is also quite a few younger, highly rated Arkansas kids ranked early on the coast2coastpreps.com site.   
A couple kids are ranked #11 and #36 for the 2024 class, another kid ranked #41 for the 2023 class, another ranked #45 for the 2025 class, and ranked #20 for the 2026 class! 
I know a lot can change as those kids are still growing a lot, but it does not appear that this amazing boom of talent is going to stop coming out of Arkansas anytime soon...

I mean as of now, it looks like we are going to have a top 25-50 player in every single Arkansas class from now until 2026!  I think these kids are all around each other and at tournaments and continue to see the top talent balling out a few classes ahead of them and are saying "Man, I want to be like that guy!", so it is becoming a never ending cycle.

Okay I think I have a problem...I am just soooo damn excited about the future of Hog basketball right now! Haha

[FineAsSwine]

For the 2019 class, I noticed Timothy Ceaser was ranked #146 in that class on coast2coastpreps.com out of Arkansas - have you seen him play or is he not playing in this circuit?

Also, I am not sure if you have gotten the opportunity to watch any of the younger kids play in the 2022 class just yet, but I saw we have a kid from Arkansas, Derrian Ford, ranked #29 and a kid, Carl Daughtryon ranked #112 on the coast2coastpreps.com rankings - was wondering if you had heard those names yet? And if so, do you know anything about them or their game?

FYI - there is also quite a few younger, highly rated Arkansas kids ranked early on the coast2coastpreps.com site.   
One is ranked #11 for the 2024 class, another kid ranked #41 for the 2023 class, another ranked #45 for the 2025 class, and ranked #20 for the 2026 class! 
I know a lot can change as those kids are still growing a lot, but it does not appear that this amazing boom of talent is going to stop coming out of Arkansas anytime soon...

I mean as of now, it looks like we are going to have a top 25-50 player in every single Arkansas class from now until 2026!  I think these kids are all around each other and at tournaments and continue to see the top talent balling out a few classes ahead of them and are saying "Man, I want to be like that guy!", so it is becoming a never ending cycle.

Okay I think I have a problem...I am just soooo damn excited about the future of Hog basketball right now! Haha

Thanks for the new names to look out for on the horizon. Things are really looking good for Razorback bball recruiting. CMA has a chance to do some really amazing things here with the kind of talent this state is churning out.

[Hogs49ers]

Thanks for the new names to look out for on the horizon. Things are really looking good for Razorback bball recruiting. CMA has a chance to do some really amazing things here with the kind of talent this state is churning out.

No problem, I went ahead and created an easier look to view the top Arkansas players in each class based on coast2coastprep rankings below:

2020:
#13 - Chris Moore
#28 - Moses Moody
#82 - Gerald Doakes

2022:
#29 - Derrian Ford
#112 - Carl Daughtry

2023:
#41 - Bryson Warren

2024:
#11 - Tommy Reddick
#36 - Jayden Miller

2025:
#45 - Jacob Lanier

2026:
#20 - Camarion Bead

Obviously, most of these rankings will probably change quite a bit as they kids get into highschool, but still pretty neat to see so many Arkansas kids getting respect early on.

[Kevin McPherson]

No problem, I went ahead and created an easier look to view the top Arkansas players in each class based on coast2coastprep rankings below:

2020:
#13 - Chris Moore
#28 - Moses Moody
#82 - Gerald Doakes

2022:
#29 - Derrian Ford
#112 - Carl Daughtry

2023:
#41 - Bryson Warren

2024:
#11 - Tommy Reddick
#36 - Jayden Miller

2025:
#45 - Jacob Lanier

2026:
#20 - Camarion Bead

Obviously, most of these rankings will probably change quite a bit as they kids get into highschool, but still pretty neat to see so many Arkansas kids getting respect early on.

Honestly, once you get past the incoming freshmen each summer (which right now is the '21 class), everybody younger than that is too difficult to evaluate for a variety of maturation (physical and skill) reasons. I've seen some of the kids playing on the 2022 circuit (and younger), I'm just not ready to list names until the summer before their freshman year. Never say never, but as of now that's how I approach it.

BTW, speaking of that 2021 class, here's some breaking news from this morning ...

2021 class getting some national love already ... 6-3 PG Jalen Ricks of ARHawks 14U / Sylvan Hills, and 6-5 forward Ryan Maxwell of Joe Johnson Slite 14U / Jacksonville Lighthouse both invited to rpestigious CP3 Rising Stars national camp for incoming HS freshmen ... so here we go folks, strap in, because basketball in Arkansas just keeps getting better ...

https://twitter.com/ARHoopScoop/status/877552823571025924

https://twitter.com/ARHoopScoop/status/877553496152842241

https://twitter.com/ARHoopScoop/status/877554674630619136

[Kevin McPherson]

For the 2019 class, I noticed Timothy Ceaser was ranked #146 in that class on coast2coastpreps.com out of Arkansas - have you seen him play or is he not playing in this circuit?

Ceaser did not have a good year at Marion for a variety of reasons, he was playing w/Team Penny 16U last I heard, but news on his development, production, etc. was quiet. I did not include him in my spring grassroots report for that reason, but maybe July will be a different story.

[Hogs49ers]

Yah that completely makes sense on the kids in the 2022 classes and beyond, as I am sure things will change a million times by the time they get to highschool.  However, I listed those younger ranked kids off more to stress the fact that kids from Arkansas are even being noticed in pee-wee basketball, further showing the strong coaching and development at the early ages in Arkansas basketball.

[Hogs49ers]

Wow! 6-3 for a 13-14 year old PG???  That is pretty incredible for that fact alone!

[hdturner]

Most of best players in 2019, 2020 & 2021 class are guards 6-5 & under.  I wish we had couple big men in those classes. We will need replacements for Gafford & Perry. I don't have faith the Hogs can recruit top 100 big man from out of state .

[Hogs49ers]

You are talking about 8th and 9th graders, they are most likely going to keep growing...I think it would be pretty silly to assume that the height they are at right now is where they are going to end up.