2025 Rankings Explained Part 1 (5 Honorable Mentions)
With the 2026 class rankings wrapped up, we move on to the deepest class in the triangle from top to bottom. Elite top-end talent and college level players littered up and down the rankings. There’s legit talent well outside the 40 that we’ve ranked, and the 10 honorable mentions are a testament to that.
You can view the full list of honorable mentions here (part 1) and here (part 2).
5’9” Qua’Shaun Williams (Clayton)
Williams is a strong, solid point guard that plays with poise and toughness. He’s very quick with the ball and his change of pace combined with his strength allows him to generate a lot of paint touches. He brings an unselfishness and steadiness to his team that will be incredibly valuable, especially with Clayton in the hunt for a conference title. He finishes well through traffic, thanks to his body control, aggressiveness, and strength. Williams is a capable shooter, forcing defenses to respect him from the outside and freeing up more room for his downhill attacks. He rebounds well for his position and is a sturdy defender. He slides his feet well and does a good job of walling up when opponents drive. Look for him to play a pivotal role in an underrated Clayton rotation this year.
6’ David Major (Apex Friendship)
Major is one of the better passers in the class, playing with great vision, feel, and creativity. He’s a long and useful defender that plays with good court sense and instincts. His frame is solid and he’s lankier than most guards in his class. That length advantage gives him more range than his counterparts and it’s a trait that adds a lot of variety to his finishing and playmaking ability. In that, he’s good at jump passing, specifically manipulating defenders in mid-air, and he’s grown pretty strong at acrobatic finishes. Major is an all-around solid player and is at his best when hunting shots for open teammates and prioritizing the right play. He’s in a position where he can handle a lot of the playmaking responsibilities in a stacked Apex Friendship backcourt if he continues his current trajectory.
6’1” Parker Bye (Trinity Academy)
Bye is a sharpshooter with great footwork, composure, and shooting mechanics. His calling card is obviously his shooting ability, but he’s shown to be much more well-rounded than one would perceive. He’s a capable handler, finisher, creator, and shot maker that can expand his role when the situation calls for it. He has a shifty enough handle to create for himself and the IQ to recognize when teammates have advantages. His 1-2 dribble pull-up game is strong and is a useful counter for when he gets ran off the line. With the current outlook of things, it appears that Bye will have an opportunity this year at Trinity Academy to play in an expanded role and showcase more of his overall skillset, something that I think will surprise a lot of people.
6’4” Kaden Drumgo (Leesville Road)
Drumgo has an intriguing amount of upside as a bigger wing. He has plus athletic tools and continues to grow into his frame. The first place to look in his future projection is his ability to finish round the rim. It’s something that’s seen a lot of growth over the past 8-12 months, especially on self-created drives. He’s more comfortable than ever operating off the dribble, evidenced by his production with the DB Elite 16s group this summer. He does a great job of using his strides to his advantage and is able to gain small advantages because of it. He’s also shown improvement in his footwork in traffic, another skill improved upon by his long strides. Outside of the finishing talent, his defensive upside is high, and it’ll be interesting to see how he’s used on that end at Leesville Road this season.
6’6” Justice Mitchell (Clayton)
Mitchell is a productive forward that plays with a high motor and good touch around the rim. He rebounds at a high rate and does a great job of fighting for position. He has a solid frame, and his energy level makes him a difficult assignment for opposing bigs. Mitchell has a solid balance in his offensive skillset with a healthy mix of post ups, drives, and C&S threes. As a shooter, he’s shown some promising flashes over the summer and it’s a trait that could really unlock his potential as a hybrid forward. He enjoyed a quietly productive sophomore season at Clayton acting as a solid and versatile piece within their underrated offense. Look for him to build upon that production and be a Breakout POY candidate in the GNRC.