Every single state features hundreds if not thousands of high school basketball players, but only a small amount of those players will play NCAA Basketball. Who is the best prospect in every state?
There are currently 353 Division 1 NCAA Basketball programs, a number that will remain steadfast when Savannah State departs D1 and Merrimack joins in a few months. These colleges play all over the country, both big schools and small ones. As a result, they recruit players from all over, with standouts evident in every corner of the United States. There’s a great number of international prospects in college basketball today, but let’s take a domestic approach.
What we’re going to look at in this article is the best prospect in each state, including the District of Columbia. Clearly, this list is not going to be the 51 best prospects in the class of 2019. The level of basketball in a state like California or Texas is much greater than states like the Dakotas or Wyoming for many reasons, especially population and history. There will be 5-star prospects that every college basketball fan will know in a few months on here, but there will also be some names that nobody will ever learn.
A number of criteria are involved in deciding which player is the best in each state. A major consideration will be their ranking amongst recruiting websites and other projections like that. Their performance in the high school level will be taken into account, especially if they’ve won statewide achievements or nationwide accolades. It’s important to note that these selections are not strictly based on one statistic or ranking. This isn’t just a list of Mr. Basketball’s or a particular ranking site’s opinions.
Again, remember that the best player in a state like California is a lot better than the best player in a state like Wyoming. Regardless, let’s start taking a look at these prospects and seeing what we can expect from all 51 of them moving forward.