Julius Randle, Perry Ellis and Findlay Prep's duo of Brandon Ashley and Anthony Bennett are set for big winters at the power forward position.
The look-ahead to the 2011-12 high school basketball season continues this week with a glance at the nation's top power forwards.
For the second week in a row, a non-senior tops the list.
Jabari Parker, MaxPreps.com's No. 1-ranked player in the Class of 2013, was also the nation's top-ranked small forward.
Julius Randle, the No. 2-ranked junior, is the top power forward. The two should wage a spirited battle for the No. 1 spot in 2013 over the next couple of years.
Next week our previews continue with a look at the nation's Top 10 tournaments. Positional rankings are based on team success, statistics and projected impact on the 2011-12 high school basketball season.
Power Forward Power Rankings
Julius Randle
Photo by Jim Redman
Randle is a prototypical NBA 4-man with overwhelming physical gifts, an expanding offensive arsenal and a strong competitive streak. His challenge this season is making Prestonwood Christian a national player after struggling against top-notch competition a year ago.
2. Perry Ellis, 6-8, 225, Sr., Heights (Wichita, Kan.)Committed to KansasWhat to expect in 2011-12: Ellis is easily the most accomplished player in this group with three state titles and a cumulative record at Wichita Heights of 72-3. The Falcons enter this season riding a 44-game winning streak.
3. Brandon Ashley, 6-8, 220, Sr., Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)Committed to ArizonaWhat to expect in 2011-12: Ashley was Findlay Prep's biggest offseason addition and has been a key component for championship teams at the high school (Bishop O'Dowd in Oakland, Calif.) and club (Oakland Soldiers) level. Expect more of the same at Findlay.
4. Aaron Gordon, 6-7, 205, Jr., Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)What to expect in 2011-12: A teammate of Ashley's on the summer circuit and star on USA Basketball's national developmental team, Gordon and Mitty will be bidding for back-to-back Division II state titles.
5. Anthony Bennett, 6-7, 235, Sr., Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)What to expect in 2011-12: Yes, Findlay Prep head coach Michael Peck is a little spoiled at the four. Ashley and Bennett will get plenty of minutes together, giving the Pilots arguably the nation's top frontcourt.
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6. Ricardo Gathers, 6-7, 235, Sr., Riverside Academy (Reserve, La.)Committed to St. John'sWhat to expect in 2011-12: Gathers puts the power in forward with his made-for-the-NFL build. There is plenty of debate about his upside at the next level but the "Bayou Bull" has scored, rebounded and won about as much as anybody at the high school level over the past few seasons.
7. Grant Jerrett, 6-9, 230, Sr., La Verne Lutheran (Calif.)Committed to ArizonaWhat to expect in 2011-12: Jerrett and the Trojans have proven they are capable of dominating the lower divisions in California with state titles in 2010 (Division V) and 2011 (Division III). Jerrett would greatly enhance his legacy by helping Lutheran have a big showing at events like the Chick-fil-A Classic in December.
Amile Jefferson
Photo courtesy of adidas
A versatile forward who may see more time on the wing at the next level, Jefferson should lead Friends' Central to its third-straight Friends School League title.
9. Shaq Goodwin, 6-8, 240, Sr., Southwest DeKalb (Decatur, Ga.)What to expect in 2011-12: For Goodwin and the Panthers, this season is all about unseating
Miller Grove (Lithonia) as Georgia's Class AAAA three-peat state champs. Though it's a tall order, anything else will be a huge disappointment after handing the Wolverines their only official loss a year ago.
10. Devontae Pollard, 6-7, 190, Sr., Kemper County (DeKalb, Miss.)What to expect in 2011-12: Pollard was wildly productive as a junior, averaging 24.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 5.3 blocked shots per game. But tucked away at a 3A school, he probably won't make much noise outside of the Magnolia State.
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11. Jerami Grant, 6-7, 195, Sr., DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)Committed to SyracuseWhat to expect in 2011-12: Yet another potential wing player as a collegian, Grant joins rock solid point guard
James Robinson and junior center
BeeJay Anya to give DeMatha a dangerous three-headed monster.
12. Brice Johnson, 6-8, 190, Sr., Edisto (Cordova, S.C.)Committed to North CarolinaWhat to expect in 2011-12: Johnson is South Carolina's reigning Gatorade Player of the Year, but falls into the same category as Pollard in that he won't have many showcase opportunities playing at Edisto.
Jarnell Stokes
Photo courtesy of adidas
Poythress broke out as a sophomore for a 29-3 Northeast team that lost to Memphis power White Station in the state semifinals. Last season Poythress and the Eagles took a step back, struggling to a 15-15 mark.
14. Jarnell Stokes, 6-8, 245, Sr., Southwind (Memphis, Tenn.)What to expect in 2011-12: Stokes' entire senior year is in serious jeopardy as transfer rules may keep him on the sideline. He's an elite talent and huge addition for Southwind if he is cleared.
15. Robert Carter, 6-8, 245, Sr., Shiloh (Snellville, Ga.)What to expect in 2011-12: Carter probably plays the five for most high school teams, but 6-10 sophomore
Trayvon Reed will allow him to get an early start at the four spot. Both players are new to the Shiloh program – a bit of a mystery team in the race for the Class AAAAA title.
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Johnathan Williams III
USA Basketball/Steven Maikoski
Stokes alongside Williams in the Southwind frontcourt could make the Jaguars a national Top 25-caliber team. They went 26-5 a year ago without Stokes, so even if Williams is the centerpiece once again, Southwind will be just fine.
17. Jake Layman, 6-8, 190, Sr., King Philip Regional (Wrentham, Mass.)Committed to MarylandWhat to expect in 2011-12: Layman has resisted the lure of the Northeast's prep schools to lift a lifeless King Philip program to new heights.
18. Matt Costello, 6-9, 225, Sr., Bay City Western (Auburn, Mich.)Committed to Michigan StateWhat to expect in 2011-12: In three seasons from 2006 to 2009, Western won just 19 games. Costello helped the Warriors win 11 as a sophomore and improve to 24-3 in 2010-11.
19. Jordan Goodman, 6-9, 215, Sr., Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.)Committed to Texas TechWhat to expect in 2011-12: Goodman, who has attended multiple high schools and committed to multiple colleges, is one of the nation's biggest enigmas. The talent is there to become a star at the high school level and beyond, however.
20. Adolphus Washington, 6-5, 240, Sr., Taft (Cincinnati)What to expect in 2011-12: With offers from programs like Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC, Washington's future is on the gridiron. But he is also a two-time All-State basketball selection in Ohio and helped Taft record possibly the most impressive state championship win of the 2010-11 season – a 95-52 throttling of Cleveland Central Catholic.
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21. Hanner Perea, 6-8, 225, Sr., La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.)Committed to IndianaWhat to expect in 2011-12: Will the native Colombian step up and help put the La Lumiere basketball program on the map as a senior or head to Bloomington as a highly regarded recruit that didn't accomplish a whole lot at the high school level? It's anybody's guess as the physical tools are all there but the production comes and goes.
22. Elijah Macon, 6-8, 230, Sr., Huntington Prep (W.Va.)Committed to West VirginiaWhat to expect in 2011-12: Expectations are high for Huntington Prep and the Express looked like the real deal in an 81-48 win over Next Level Prep of Canada last Friday. Macon tacked up 12 points and swatted four shots, exactly the type of effort head coach Rob Fulford is looking for from the future Mountaineer.
Derek Willis
Photo by Wayne Litmer
Josh and junior brother Jordan should make Lewis-Palmer a contender in Colorado's 4A classification after combining for more than 34 points and 16 rebounds per game last season.
24. Devin Thomas, 6-8, 215, Sr., Central Dauphin (Harrisburg, Pa.)Committed to Wake ForestWhat to expect in 2011-12: Thomas will have to continue putting up numbers like he did as a junior (21.4 points, 12.2 rebounds per game) to even become the most well-known player in his family. Sister Alyssa is a star sophomore for national power Maryland.
25. Derek Willis, 6-9, 210, Jr., Bullitt East (Mt. Washington, Ky.)What to expect in 2011-12: Could have gone with phenom
Chris Walker here, but few will see him play this year tucked away at a 1A school in Florida. Willis is expected to help Bullitt East contend for Kentucky's celebrated single-class state title.
