Got next.
by Franklyn Calle / @FrankieC7
After ranking the Class of 2012 for one final time last week, our main focus will now shift to the 2013 class. You’ll begin to see stories in the Punks section of the magazine featuring these rising seniors, and you’ll also be seeing their names in news items on SLAMonline as each player begins choosing a college. So start getting used to them. They got next.
By now you may have probably heard about a kid from Chicago named Jabari Parker. After all, he did make the SLAM 2012 All-American First-Team (as a junior!) and was part of a photo shoot for the All-American lineup, featured in our latest issue, SLAM 159, which is out on newsstands right now. Now, some have gone an extra step and labeled Parker the next LeBron James. I think it’s a little unfair to put someone this young under that level of pressure and expectation, but there’s no denying that he’s one of the most promising, skilled players we’ve witnessed at his age in a while.
Although Parker has garnered much of the attention in this class, let’s make it clear upfront that the No. 2 guy in this group isn’t too far out from the top spot. Julius Randle can create offense from any spot on the floor in every imaginable way. And then you have the Harrison twins, who have made it known they’ll be a package deal in college, and both are top-10 recruits.
Overall, Kasey Hill, Isaiah Hicks and Keith Frazier were among the players with significant upward movement in the ranks.
Check out the full rankings below.
| RANK | PLAYER | HEIGHT | POSITION | SCHOOL | WHY? |
| 1 | Jabari Parker | 6-8 | SF | Simeon (IL) | Highly skilled and impressive basketball IQ—can do it all. |
| 2 | Julius Randle | 6-9 | PF | Prestonwood (TX) | Strong forward who can flourish playing multiple positions. |
| 3 | Andrew Harrison | 6-5 | PG | Travis (TX) | Terrific floor general and complementary offensive threat. |
| 4 | Aaron Gordon | 6-7 | PF | Archbishop Mitty (CA) | Very active on the glass at both ends of the floor. |
| 5 | Chris Walker | 6-10 | PF | Holmes County (FL) | Great athleticism and tremendous upside. |
| 6 | Kasey Hill | 6-0 | PG | Montverde (FL) | Tough to stop when in transition and attacking the basket. |
| 7 | Aaron Harrison | 6-5 | SG | Travis (TX) | Andrew’s twin is a shooter from just about anywhere. |
| 8 | James Young | 6-6 | SG | Troy (MI) | Strong and explosive wing who can finish above the rim or sink it from distance. |
| 9 | Isaiah Hicks | 6-8 | PF | Webb (NC) | A North Carolina-commit, his athleticism and explosiveness makes him tough in the lane. |
| 10 | Keith Frazier | 6-5 | SG | Kimball (TX) | Nice shooter with very deep range. |
| 11 | Jabari Bird | 6-6 | SG | Salesian (CA) | Explosive wing with impressive finishes at the basket and an extended jumper. |
| 12 | Isaac Hamilton | 6-4 | SG | St. John Bosco (CA) | Streaky shooter with impressive point guard skills. |
| 13 | Beejay Anya | 6-9 | C | DeMatha (VA) | The potential is there for him to become a dominant big man. |
| 14 | Nick King | 6-6 | SF | East (TN) | Lefty with nice inside-outside game. |
| 15 | Jonathan Williams | 6-8 | PF | Southwind (TN) | Has the ability to handle the ball and create for himself for others. |
| 16 | Anthony Barber | 6-2 | PG | Hampton (VA) | Tough guard to stay in front of. |
| 17 | Rondae Jefferson | 6-6 | SF | Chester (PA) | Lefty who can create his way to the rim or for others. |
| 18 | Nate Britt | 6-1 | PG | Gonzaga (DC) | A UNC-commit and lefty who you want running the offense. A great passer who can also score. |
| 19 | Matt Jones | 6-4 | SG | DeSoto (TX) | Deadliest shooter in the class? Probably. |
| 20 | Tyler Ennis | 6-2 | PG | St. Benedict’s (NJ) | Can make plays for himself or teammates in a variety of ways. |
| 21 | Rysheed Jordan | 6-3 | PG | Vaux Roberts (PA) | Explosive guard with quick moves to the basket. |
| 22 | Sindarius Thornwell | 6-4 | SG | Oak Hill (VA) | His versatility allows to succeed in either guard position. |
| 23 | Ishmail Wainright | 6-6 | SF | Montrose Christian (MD) | Effective on both ends of the floor. |
| 24 | Troy Williams | 6-6 | SF | Oak Hill (VA) | Long and athletic wing who can get to the rim at will or pull up for a J. |
| 25 | Brannen Greene | 6-6 | SG | Tift (GA) | Great shooter who can also take it to the hole. |
| 26 | Solomon Poole | 6-0 | PG | Terry Parker (FL) | A scoring guard, Solomon has a knack for finding ways to score. |
| 27 | Bobby Portis | 6-9 | PF | Hall (AR) | An Arkansas-commit who can step out of the paint with some range. |
| 28 | Jordan Mickey | 6-7 | PF | Grace (TX) | Flourishes in transition. |
| 29 | Jermaine Lawrence | 6-8 | PF | Pope John XXIII (NJ) | Multifaceted big man. |
| 30 | Jarrell Martin | 6-7 | PF | Madison Prep (LA) | Athletic forward with much upside. |
| 31 | Allerik Freeman | 6-3 | SG | Findlay Prep (NV) | Can play any of the perimeter positions and is impressive at creating and getting others involved. |
| 32 | Semi Ojeleye | 6-6 | SF | Ottowa (KS) | Tough, strong with deep range. |
| 33 | Marc Loving | 6-8 | SF | St. John’s (OH) | This Ohio State-commit forward can step out, face the basket, and cause damage, either by sinking it from distance, or working in the paint. |
| 34 | Anton Gill | 6-3 | SG | Ravenscroft (NC) | This Louisville-commit is a versatile scorer who also takes care of business on the defensive end. |
| 35 | Kendrick Nunn | 6-1 | SG | Simeon (IL) | Athletic guard the can defend but also strike from distance. |
| 36 | Aquille Carr | 5-8 | PG | Patterson (MD) | The most exciting player to watch. Fearless competitor with lots of explosiveness. |
| 37 | Kennedy Meeks | 6-9 | C | West Charlotte (NC) | Nice touch in the paint. |
| 38 | Dominic Wooson | 6-9 | C | Vermont Academy (VT) | Expert on the glass with an improving offensive skill-set. |
| 39 | Tyler Roberson | 6-7 | PF | Roselle (NJ) | Can score in the paint or in the perimeter, but also very active defensively. |
| 40 | Austin Nichols | 6-8 | PF | Briarcrest (TN) | Has post moves as well as a mid-ranger. |
| 41 | Marcus Lee | 6-9 | PF | Deer Valley (CA) | Impressive rebounder and shot-blocker. |
| 42 | Xavier Rathan-Mayes | 6-3 | SG | Huntington (WV) | Can create room for his own shot or path to them rim. |
| 43 | Derrick Griffin | 6-6 | PF | Terry (TX) | Great overall talent who has committed to Texas A&M in a football scholarship but is expected to play basketball as well. |
| 44 | Deonte Burton | 6-4 | SF | Vincent (WI) | Committed to Marquette, this explosive lefty is always looking to attack the rim but also sink from respectable range. |
| 45 | Karviar Shepherd | 6-9 | C | Grace (TX) | Strong presence in the paint. |
| 46 | Demetruis Jackson | 6-1 | PG | Marian (IN) | Does a little bit of everything offensively. |
| 47 | Jimmie Taylor | 6-10 | C | Greensboro (AL) | Great presence on defense and in the low block. |
| 48 | Stephen Domingo | 6-7 | SF | St. Ignatius (CA) | The recent Georgetown-commit has a fatal three-point shot and can also distribute the ball. |
| 49 | Derrick Walton | 6-0 | PG | Chandler Park (MI) | A Michigan-commit, Walton is your ideal savvy point guard with range. |
| 50 | Kendall Stephens | 6-5 | SG | St. Charles East (IL) | This Purdue-commit can light it up from distance. |
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