NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Notable late risers in the 2020 class

B.J. Boston – Kentucky

SG | 6-foot-6 | 175 lbs | No. 4 overall

BJ Boston has been highly regarded as one of the top 2020 recruits essentially since the start of the evaluation periods for the class. Although the 6-foot-6 wing has always been regarded as a five-star prospect, he really took the next step with his game during his senior season with Sierra Canyon. While playing on one of the nation’s best high school teams, he showcased his tremendous scoring ability and improvements in other facets as well.

Thanks to his excellent play, Boston took a substantial leap in recruiting rankings. While he might not have moved up as many spots as some of his counterparts on this list, Boston’s jump from the Top 15 of the class to the Top 5 is something that shouldn’t go overlooked. He is now slotted at No. 4 in the updated 247Sports Composite rankings, just behind the highly-regarded trio of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, and Evan Mobley.

This growth was largely due to development in his shooting. He is now a much more consistent perimeter threat and that has impacted his game in other ways as well. While playing alongside several other highly-rated players at Sierra Canyon, he was also able to show off more of his secondary playmaking ability.

This 2020 class features elite talent at the top of its rankings and Boston’s ability to leapfrog several five-star players en route to becoming Kentucky’s first Top 5 commit since 2015 (Skal Labissiere) is impressive. He is now the top-rated commit in UK’s recruiting class, which is ranked at No. 1 in the nation.

Boston appears to be a “one-and-done” lock as he heads to Lexington to begin his career in the fall. He should immediately join the starting lineup for head coach John Calipari as an elite bucket-getter capable of filling it up from anywhere on the floor. He brings superb length and athleticism to the shooting guard slot and is hardwired to score. While he is best known as a scorer, Boston also projects well on the defensive end for his lone collegiate season.

These incoming freshmen all seem to be trending in the right direction based on their play over the past few months. Will their upward trajectories continue into their collegiate careers? We will soon find out, but they are definitely some names to know.