How these rankings work
The Inquirer’s Nifty Fifty is a ranking of the top high school basketball players throughout Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania suburbs and South Jersey, based on how players project at the next level.
2008 Rankings
| POS | HT/WT | SCHOOLS |
| 1 |
Wayns is the latest in a long line of tough Philadelphia point guards. A pass-first, shoot-second player, he brings a coach-on-the-floor mentality. Blessed with a solid three-point shot, a killer crossover, a secure handle, explosiveness and great court vision, he is an opponent's nightmare. | |||
2 | Aaric Murray
Blessed with soft hands and a solid frame, Murray is a highlight clip in the making. He can maneuver past defenders with cat-quick twists. His thunderous dunks send shock waves through the crowd. Murray can face up and consistently shoot an eight- to 12-foot jumpers, finish feeds to the post and score off one- or two-dribble spin moves to the hoop.Only participating in his third season of organized basketball, Murray has a huge upside. | |||
3 | Dion Waiters
Waiter has a solid mid-range jumper, is deceptively quick and has a tight handle. Extremely strong, he loves to use his body to score. He is good at getting into the lane and pulling up for his shot. | |||
4 | Dalton Pepper
An intelligent, hard-nosed competitor, Pepper is a three-point marksman and solid rebounder. His solid frame and dribbling ability allows him to navigate in half-court or transition situations. A good, but not great athlete, he has deceptive leaping ability and average speed. His high basketball IQ is in full display during structured, team-oriented plays. | |||
5 | Rahlir Jefferson
Jefferson is not a complete player yet, However, he has the athletic ability, basketball IQ and offensive moves to be recruited at a high level. Whether throwing down high-rising dunks, shooting mid-range jumpers or blocking shots, his versatility is always on display. His quick feet and long arms make him a very good defender. He effectively defends the other team's best player. | |||
6 | Tony Chennault
| |||
7 | Greg Robbins
Robbins is a terrific two-sport athlete (soccer) and multi-dimensional hardwood player. Unless he has a decent growth spurt, he is projected as a two guard in college. He can shoot three-pointers, slash to the rim or post-up on the block. | |||
8 | Daniel Stewart
| |||
9 | Daryus Quarles
| |||
10 | Jake Cohen
Cohen is a good rebounder at either end of the floor and is an effective shot blocker. He has solid post moves and footwork. He really excels as a face-up player. Cohen's range on his jumper extends to three-point land. He's not explosive, but plays hard and runs the floor well. | |||
11 | C.J. Aiken
Aikens is extremely long and has a fantastic upside. He can finish and is developing a solid 15-footer. The solid shot blocker will be much better once he adds strenght. | |||
12 | Cameron Ayers
| |||
13 | Ferg Myrick
| |||
14 | Will Barrett
A highly-skilled combo forward, Barrett is versatile enough to score on post-up moves, spin moves and jump hook shots. He's a good passer that also moves well without the ball. Barrett can also defend a number of positions. His perimeter skills are the most impressive aspects of his game. Barrett is a very good catch-and-shoot scorer. | |||
15 | Sam Givens | |||
16 | John Johnson
| |||
17 | Jamir Hanner
| |||
18 | Travis Robinson
| |||
19 | Will Adams
A classic shooting guard, Adams has a nice jump shot and plays hard. He has superior strength for his position. After he improves his ball-handling skills, his best days could be ahead of him on the next level. | |||
20 | Tyree Harris
| |||
21 | Gary Lawrence
| |||
22 | Lijah Thompson
Though a little raw, Thompson is very athletic. He's a highlight in the making. | |||
23 | Shannon Givens
| |||
24 | Malik Tinsley
| |||
25 | Desmond Hubert
| |||
26 | Khalil Murphy
| |||
27 | Josh Thompson
| |||
28 | Rakeem Brookins
Brookins' ability to distribute the ball continues to improve. He has a good shooting touch. He is a good ball handler and a tough defender. | |||
29 | Denzel Yard
Yard's quickness puts pressure on defenders as he repeatedly drives the lane. The left-hander is blessed with solid ballhandling skills and can stick jumpers way beyond the three-point line. If there's a weakness, he needs use his speed to his advantage by changing speeds instead of playing at one speed throughout the game. | |||
30 | Jaylen Bond
The La Salle transfer is a blossoming front-court talent with superior athleticism. Potentially he can become one of the best players in his class due to his worth ethic and basketball IQ. Bond also hustles on every play. | |||
31 | Tyreek Duran
A pass-first point guard, Duren makes a living out of locating an open teammates for scoring chances. His quickness makes it easy for him to drive the lane. Duran also has the ability to draw defenders and kick out to an open teammates on the perimeter. His shot is improving. | |||
32 | Malcolm Gilbert
A defensive-mind, low-post player, Gilbert is an excellent shot blocker. He, however, is raw offensively. Most of points come off put backs and tip-ins. Gilbert is getting better at running the floor and is a good passer out of the post. | |||
33 | Savon Goodman
Goodman is aggressive in the low post. Extremely flexible, he also has a good touch from the outside. Goodman is playing power forward, but he has a bright future as a swingman. | |||
34 | Aaron Moss-Walton
Moss-Walton can create off the dribble and get to the rim. He finds open teammates and has range that extends beyond the three-point line. If there’s a flaw, it’s that he has settles for long jumpers when teams take away his penetration | |||
35 | Khalif Wyatt
Blessed with a soft shooting touch, Wyatt can knock down three-pointers and burry floaters. He gets to the lane with ease. Having Known more as a scorer, Wyatt is cut ting down on his unforced turnovers. He has also improved defensively. But Wyatt is something to watch when he's on his game. | |||
36 | Marcus Kennedy
| |||
37 | Brett Roseboro |
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