Nothing But Net Magazine’s
FINAL Look at the Class of 2021
by Van Coleman
(May 17, 2021)
Well, the strangest basketball season in my lifetime has finally come to an end and its time to finalize (as best we can) the senior class of 2021. Many schools played no or limited seasons due to Covid-19. This coming after the players in the class missed out on the spring and summer evaluation periods across the USA for the same reason. Making rating this class one of the most difficult tasks in this scout’s eyes we’ve ever faced. We watched streamed games from across the nation and followed the teams who were playing and had to make as accurate as possible comparisons to players who weren’t playing to come up with these rankings. Rankings that have more grey areas than ever before in our forty-four plus years in the scouting world.
One thing is sure in all this, the man at the top 7’0 Chet Holmgren has established himself as the dominate individual source in the Class of 2021! He can score from three, off the dribble or post and use his length around the rim to score. He doesn’t back down from physical play and can dominate the defensive end with his length, shot blocking and rebounding skills. He is followed closely by 6’4″ scoring machine Jaden Hardy who can flat-out light up the scoreboard from deep or with highlights at the rim. In at number three is 6’9 man-child Paolo Banchero who can dominate in the paint on both ends of the court, right behind him is 6’9 jumping-jack forward Jabari Smith who was a dominant force at the Pangos All-American Festival last Fall! Rounding out the top five is silky smooth 6’9 combo forward Patrick Baldwin who didn’t get to play this past season due to the pandemic and may have been more effected by it in the rankings than anyone in the top ten nationally.
From here on down there was some shake-ups (more based on who was playing than any other reason) that saw some fast risers like Hunter Sallis, Kennedy Chandler, Ty Ty Washington and others play their way into the top twenty nationally.
The biggest impact to the overall top one hundred-twenty five was the early graduation of twelve players who enrolled in division one schools and dropped out of the rankings. That certainly changed the look of the rankings from last Fall!
So with that in mind here’s our final look at the Top 125 Seniors in the Class of 2021!
| Rank | Players | Height | Position | High School | College Choice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chet Holmgren | 7'1" | C | Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis MN) | Gonzaga |
| 2 | Jaden Hardy | 6'5" | SG | Coronado (Henderson NV) | NBA G-League Ignite |
| 3 | Paolo Banchero | 6'9" | C | O'Dea (Seattle WA) | Duke |
| 4 | Jabari Smith | 6'8" | PF | Sandy Creek (Tyrone GA) | Auburn |
| 5 | Patrick Baldwin | 6'9" | CF | Hamilton (Milwaukee WI) | Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
| 6 | Caleb Houston | 6'8" | CF | Montverde Academy (FL) | Michigan |
| 7 | Kennedy Chandler | 5'11" | PG | Sunrise Christian (Bel Air KS) | Tennessee |
| 8 | Michael Foster | 6'9" | PF | Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix AZ) | NBA G-League Ignite |
| 9 | Hunter Sallis | 6'3" | PG | Millard (Omaha NE) | Gonzaga |
| 10 | J.D. Davison | 6'2" | CG | Calhoun (Letohatchee AL) | Alabama |
| 11 | Nathan Bittle | 6'11" | C | Crater (Central Point OR)/Prolific Prep (Napa CA) | Oregon |
| 12 | Moussa Diabate | 6'9" | PF | IMG (Bradenton FL) | Michigan |
| 13 | Peyton Watson | 6'8" | WF | Poly (Long Beach CA) | UCLA |
| 14 | Max Christie | 6'5" | SG | Rolling Meadows (IL) | Michigan State |
| 15 | Kendall Brown | 6'8" | WF | Sunrise Christian (Bel Air KS) | Baylor |
| 16 | Harrison Ingram | 6'7" | WF | St. Mark's (Dallas TX) | Stanford, |
| 17 | Daimion Collins | 6'8" | PF | Atlanta (TX) | Kentucky |
| 18 | Trevor Keels | 6'4" | SG | Paul VI (Fairfax VA) | Duke |
| 19 | A.J. Griffin | 6'4" | SG | Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains NY) | Duke |
| 20 | Brandon Huntley-Hatfield | 6'9" | PF | Scotland Campus (Scotland PA) | Tennessee |
| 21 | Efton Reid | 6'11" | C | Steward School (Richmond VA) | LSU |
| 22 | TyTy Washington | 6'4" | CG | AZ Compass Prep (Chandler AZ) | Kentucky |
| 23 | Nolan Hickman | 6'1" | PG | Eastside Catholic (Sammamish WA) | Gonzaga |
| 24 | Aminu Mohammed | 6'6" | WG | Greenwood Lab (Springfield MO) | Georgetown |
| 25 | Matthew Cleveland | 6'6" | WF | Pace (Atlanta GA) | Florida State |
| 26 | Bryce McGowens | 6'6" | SG | Legacy Charter (Greenville SC) | Nebraska |
| 27 | Langston Love | 6'4" | SG | Montverde Academy (FL) | Baylor |
| 28 | Charles Bediako | 6'9" | C | IMG Academy (Bradenton FL) | Alabama |
| 29 | DaRon Holmes | 6'9" | PF | AZ Compass Prep (Chandler AZ) | Dayton |
| 30 | Bryce Hopkins | 6'7" | CF | Fenwick (Oak Park IL) | Kentucky |
| 31 | Manny Obaseki | 6'3" | PG | John Paul II (Plano TX) | Texas A&M |
| 32 | Malachi Branham | 6'5" | SG | St. Vincent-St. Mary's (Akron OH) | Ohio State |
| 33 | Benny Williams | 6'8" | WF | IMG (Bradenton FL) | Syracuse |
| 34 | Jaylon Tyson | 6'6" | WF | John Paul II (Plano TX) | Texas Tech |
| 35 | Tyrese Hunter | 6'0" | PG | St. Catherine's (Racine WI) | Iowa State |
| 36 | Tamar Bates | 6'5" | WF | IMG (Bradenton FL) | Indiana |
| 37 | Jalen Warley | 6'4" | CG | Westtown School (West Chester PA) | Florida State |
| 38 | Trey Kaufman | 6'8" | PF | Silver Creek (Sellersburg IN) | Purdue |
| 39 | Zach Clemence | 6'10" | PF | Sunrise Christian (Bel Air KS) | Kansas |
| 40 | Deshaun Ruffin | 5'10" | PG | Calloway (Jackson MS) | Ole Miss |
| 41 | Arthur Kaluma | 6'8" | CF | Dream City Christian (Glendale AZ) | Creighton |
| 42 | Jackson Grant | 6'9" | C | Olympia (WA) | Washington |
| 43 | Frankie Collins | 6'1" | PG | Coronado (Henderson NV) | Michigan |
| 44 | Dallan Coleman | 6'4" | SG | West Nassau (Callahan FL) | Georgia Tech |
| 45 | Samson Johnson | 6'10" | C | Patrick School (Elizabeth NJ) | UConn |
| 46 | Kobe Bufkin | 6'4" | CG | Grand Rapids Christian (Grand Rapids MI) | Michigan |
| 47 | KJ Adams | 6'6" | WF | Westlake (Austin TX) | Kansas |
| 48 | Isael Silva | 6'3" | PG | Jesuit (Carmichael CA) | Stanford |
| 49 | Zion Harmon | 5'11" | PG | Marshall County (Benton KY) | Western Kentucky |
| 50 | Julian Reese | 6'9" | PF | St. Frances Academy (Baltimore MD) | Maryland |
| 51 | Jaden Akins | 6'3" | SG | Ypsi Prep (Ypsilanti MI) | Michigan State |
| 52 | Kaden Perry | 6'9" | C | Battle Ground (WA) | Gonzaga |
| 53 | Will McClendon | 6'3" | SG | Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas NV) | UCLA |
| 54 | Rashsool Diggins | 6'2" | PG | Archbishop Wood (Warminster PA) | UConn |
| 55 | Jordan Hawkins | 6'5" | SG | DeMatha (Hyattsville MD) | UConn |
| 56 | Pierre Brooks | 6'5" | WF | Douglass (Detroit MI) | Michigan State |
| 57 | Jonas Aidoo | 6'11" | C | Liberty Heights Athletic Institute (Charlotte NC | Tennessee |
| 58 | Josh Minott | 6'8" | WF | St. Andrew's (Boca Raton FL) | Memphis |
| 59 | Trey Alexander | 6'5" | WF | Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City OK) | Auburn Oklahoma, Florida State, Arkansas |
| 60 | D'Marco Dunn | 6'3" | SG | Westover (Fayetteville NC) | North Carolina |
| 61 | Dontrez Styles | 6'7" | WF | Kinston (NC) | North Carolina |
| 62 | John Butler | 6'11" | C | Christ Church Episcopal (Greenville SC) | Florida State |
| 63 | Lawson Lovering | 7'0" | C | Central (Cheyenne WY) | Colorado |
| 64 | Caleb Furst | 6'8" | PF | Blackhawk Christian (Ft. Wayne IN) | Purdue |
| 65 | Mason Miller | 6'9" | CF | Houston (Germantown TN) | Creighton |
| 66 | Jordan Longino | 6'3" | SG | Germantown Academy (Ft. Washington PA) | Villanova |
| 67 | Ernest Ross | 6'8" | PF | Santa Fe (Alachua FL) | NC State |
| 68 | Jerrell Colbert | 6'10" | PF | Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio TX) | LSU |
| 69 | Kowacie Reeves | 6'5" | SG | Westside (Macon GA) | Florida |
| 70 | Ryan Nembhard | 6'1" | PG | Montverde Academy (FL) | Creighton |
| 71 | Ahmad Bynum | 6'3" | SG | Simeon (Chicago IL) | DePaul |
| 72 | Quincy Allen | 6'6" | WF | Maret (Washington DC) | Colorado |
| 73 | Johnathan Lawson | 6'7" | WF | Wooddale (Memphis TN) | Memphis |
| 74 | Ramses Melendez | 6'5" | WF | Central Point Christian (Kissimmee FL) | llinois |
| 75 | Jahmai Mashack | 6'4" | WG | Etiwanda (CA) | Tennessee |
| 76 | Shane Nowell | 6'5" | SG | Eastside Catholic (Sammamish WA) | Arizona |
| 77 | Chance Moore | 6'4" | SG | McEachern (Powder Springs GA) | Arkansas |
| 78 | Bensley Joseph | 6'1" | PG | Cushing Academy (Ashburnham MA) | Miami FL |
| 79 | Michael James | 6'6" | WF | Oakridge (Orlando FL) | Louisville |
| 80 | Roosevelt Wheeler | 6'10" | C | John Marshall (Richmond VA) | Louisville |
| 81 | Jakai Robinson | 6'5" | WF | National Christian (Ft. Washington MD) | Miami FL |
| 82 | Jordan Nesbitt | 6'6" | WF | St. Louis Christian (St. Louis MO) | Memphis |
| 82 | Enoch Boakye | 6'10" | C | George Harris Prep (Mississauga, ON CAN) | Arizona State |
| 83 | Brandon Weston | 6'5" | WF | Hillcrest Prep (Phoenix AZ) | Seton Hall |
| 84 | Malik Thomas | 6'3" | SG | Damien (La Verne CA)/Veritas Prep (Santa Fe Springs CA) | USC |
| 85 | Nnanna Njoku | 6'10" | C | Sanford (Hockessin DE) | Villanova |
| 86 | Logan Duncomb | 6'8" | PF | Moeller (Cincinnati OH) | Indiana |
| 87 | Luke Goode | 6'5" | SG | Homestead (Ft. Wayne IN) | Illinois |
| 88 | KJ Simpson | 6'2" | CG | Chaminade (West Hills CA) | Colorado |
| 89 | Tyler Powell | 6'5" | WF | Ribet Academy (Los Angeles CA) | Seton Hall |
| 90 | Jaylen Blakes | 6'2" | CG | Blair Academy (Blairstown NJ) | Duke |
| 91 | Ryan Mutombo | 6'11" | C | Lovett School (Atlanta GA) | Georgetown |
| 92 | Wilhelm Breidenbach | 6'8" | PF | Mater Dei (Santa Ana CA) | Nebraska |
| 93 | Steve Mitchell | 6'2" | PG | Wilson (Reading PA) | Marquette |
| 94 | Terquavion Smith | 6'3" | SG | Central (Farmville NC) | NC State |
| 95 | Shane Dezonie | 6'4" | SG | Huntington Prep (WV) | Vanderbilt |
| 96 | Keshawn Murphy | 6'8" | PF | Ramsay (Birmingham AL) | Mississippi State |
| 97 | TJ Wainwright | 6'3" | CG | Westchester (Los Angeles CA) | |
| 98 | Jusaun Holt | 6'6" | WF | St. Francis (Alpharetta GA) | Alabama |
| 99 | Casey Simmons | 6'5" | SG | Milton Academy (Milton MA) | Northwestern |
| 100 | Ike Cornish | 6'6" | WF | Legacy Charter (Baltimore MD) | Maryland |
| 101 | Wesley Cardet Jr. | 6'5" | SG | West Oaks (Orlando FL) | Samford |
| 102 | Kyle Cuffe | 6'1" | CG | Blair Academy (Blairstown NJ) | Kansas |
| 103 | Isaiah Barnes | 6'6" | WF | Simeon (Chicago IL) | Michigan |
| 104 | Chucky Hepburn | 6'1" | PG | Bellevue West (Bellevue NE) | Wisconsin |
| 105 | Bobby Pettiford | 6'1" | PG | South Granville (Creedmoor NC) | Kansas |
| 106 | Jordan Riley | 6'3" | SG | Brentwood (NY) | Georgetown |
| 107 | John Christofilis | 6'4" | SG | O'Dea (Seattle WA) | Creighton |
| 108 | Glenn Taylor | 6'6" | WF | AZ Compass Prep (Chandler AZ) | Oregon State |
| 109 | Jamiyah Neal | 6'6" | WF | Hillcrest (Phoenix AZ) | Arizona State |
| 110 | Sam Ayomide-Onu | 7'0" | C | The Phelps School (Malvern PA) | Memphis |
| 111 | Mouhamed Mbaye | 6'8" | PF | Colorado Prep (Aurora CO) | George Mason |
| 112 | Brooks Barnhizer | 6'6" | WF | Jefferson (Lafayette IN) | Northwestern |
| 113 | Chase Courbat | 6'9" | PF | Cedar Falls (IA) | Northern Iowa |
| 114 | Alexis Reyes | 6'6" | WF | Cushing Academy (Ashburnham MA) | East Carolina |
| 115 | Nate Santos | 6'7" | WF | The Loomis Chafee School (Windsor CT) | Pittsburgh |
| 115 | Sekou Kalle | 6'10" | C | Aspire Academy (Louisville KY) | Akron |
| 116 | Aiden Applewhite | 6'6" | WF | AZ Compass Prep (Chandler AZ) | Mississippi State |
| 117 | Harrison Hornery | 6'10" | PF | Mater Dei (Santa Ana CA) | USC |
| 118 | J.R. Konieczny | 6'6" | WF | St. Joseph's (South Bend IN) | Notre Dame |
| 119 | Kaleb Washington | 6'8" | WF | Pebblebrook (Mableton GA) | Dayton |
| 120 | Elijah Hutchins-Everett | 6'10" | C | Putnam Science Academy (Putnam CT) | Austin Peay |
| 121 | Emarion Ellis | 6'4" | WG | Central (Davenport IA) | Marquette |
| 122 | Jalin Billingsley | 6'8" | PF | Lutheran East (Cleveland OH) | Georgetown |
| 123 | Sekou Gassama | 6'10" | C | DeSmet (St. Louis MO) | Pepperdine |
| 124 | Daniel Nixon | 6'7" | WF | Winston-Salem Prep (NC) | George Washington |
| 125 | Kalen Etzler | 6'8" | PF | Crestview (Convoy OH) | Ohio State |