Five-star prospects Shabazz Muhammad, Marcus Smart, Archie Goodwin, Rasheed Sulaimon and Gary Harris looking to close out high school careers with state titles.
MaxPreps.com's look-ahead to the 2011-12 high school basketball season continues this week with a glance at the nation's top shooting guards.
The 2-spot is a position of strength in the Class of 2012 with five-star prospects
Shabazz Muhammad,
Marcus Smart,
Archie Goodwin,
Rasheed Sulaimon and
Gary Harris. Each of them play for programs expected to compete for state titles this winter.
Next week our preseason power rankings continue with a look at the small forwards. Rankings are based on team success, statistics and projected impact on the 2011-12 high school basketball season.
Shooting Guard Power Rankings
Shabazz Muhammad
Photo by Louis Lopez
The nation's top-ranked player has accomplished just about everything in his illustrious career at Bishop Gorman, but a shocking loss in last season's state playoffs should keep Muhammad motivated throughout his senior season. The Gaels will be a consensus preseason Top 10 team and anything short of a state title would be a massive disappointment.
2. Marcus Smart, 6-3, 205, Sr., Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas)Committed to Oklahoma StateWhat to look for in 2011-12: With his strength, skill and determination, Smart could play four positions at the high school level and may end up a point guard at Oklahoma State. He's slotted as a shooting guard for power rankings purposes, but will do it all as Marcus looks to defend its 5A state title in one of the nation's toughest classifications.
3. Archie Goodwin, 6-5, 185, Sr., Sylvan Hills (Sherwood, Ark.)Committed to KentuckyWhat to look for in 2011-12: Goodwin is a scoring machine, pouring in 28.3 points per game as a junior for 5A state runner-up Sylvan Hills. He showed his toughness over the summer by playing through a wrist injury at the Nike Peach Jam and still finishing as one of the event's leading scorers.
4. Rasheed Sulaimon, 6-3, 185, Sr., Strake Jesuit (Houston, Texas)Committed to DukeWhat to look for in 2011-12: Sulaimon has demonstrated his ability to score throughout his time at Strake Jesuit (21.4 points per game) but it was defense that separated him from his peers on the summer circuit. The Crusaders will be playing with something to prove after going 26-4 last season but faltering early in the state playoffs.
5. Gary Harris, 6-5, 195, Sr., Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.)What to look for in 2011-12: Harris has a load on his shoulders right now as a star wide receiver for the 8-1 Hamilton Southeastern football team and being the center of a heated recruiting battle between Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan State and Purdue. He is expected to make his decision next month, clearing the way for a pursuit of Indiana's 4A state title after going 19-3 last winter.
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6. Katin Reinhardt, 6-4, 200, Sr., Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)Committed to UNLVWhat to look for in 2011-12: Reinhardt broke out last December at the City of Palms Classic and will head to the same event this season as a star. Reinhardt will be in position to showcase his game at the highest level as the Monarchs play a national schedule and are expected to compete for high school basketball's mythical national title.
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera
Photo by Nick Koza
Smith-Rivera's transition to Oak Hill Academy will be an interesting one after averaging 25.1 points per game as a junior at North Central. He will join UCLA commitment
Jordan Adams to give the Warriors an explosive scoring duo.
8. Aaron Harrison, 6-5, 205, Jr., Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas)What to look for in 2011-12: Expectations are high at Fort Bend Travis as Harrison joins twin brother and elite point guard recruit Andrew in the Tiger backcourt. Aaron averaged 13.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore, helping Travis go 34-5.
9. Omar Calhoun, 6-4, 185, Sr., Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.)Committed to ConnecticutWhat to look for in 2011-12: With rival Rice closing its doors last spring, Christ the King is now the preeminent Catholic school program in New York City and Calhoun is the Big Apple's highest-profile senior. The future Husky pumped in over 20 points per game as a junior and has plenty of help in the Royal backcourt with juniors Isaiah Lewis and Jon Severe.
10. Gabe York, 6-2, 175, Sr., Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)Committed to ArizonaWhat to look for in 2011-12: York is an electrifying combo guard and will make sure all the attention in Orange County doesn't go to rival Mater Dei. The Arizona pledge put up 19.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.7 assists per game as a junior.
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11. Matt Jones, 6-4, 185, Jr., DeSoto (Texas)What to look for in 2011-12: Jones is one of the deadliest long-distance shooters in the country and plays in a talent-rich program. DeSoto is yet another contender in Texas' deep 5A classification.
12. Michael Frazier, 6-4, 185, Sr., Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)Committed to FloridaWhat to look for in 2011-12: Frazier was known as a prolific scorer in three seasons at
Plant (Tampa). Now at Montverde Academy, former St. Patrick head coach Kevin Boyle should help make him a complete player. Don't be surprised if Frazier's stock rises significantly this winter.
Theo Pinson
USA Basketball/Steven Maikoski
Though Pinson is one the nation's top sophomores, it's a bit tough to project what his season will look like. He wasn't asked to star as a freshman at Oak Ridge Military Academy and is in a totally new setting at Wesleyan. The best indication of what's to come for Pinson may be his play with USA Basketball's developmental program, where he shined on a FIBA Americas gold medal team.
14. Frank Mason, 5-11, 180, Sr., Petersburg (Va.)Committed to TowsonWhat to look for in 2011-12: Don't discount Mason because he is headed to a Colonial Athletic Association school. He averaged 27.4 points per game as a junior in one of Virginia's most tradition-rich programs and should have the Crimson Wave in the hunt for a state title.
15. Zak Showalter, 6-1, 190, Sr., Germantown (Wis.)Committed to Wisconsin (walk-on)What to look for in 2011-12: It's a huge testament to Wisconsin's pull in-state that Showalter is headed to Madison as a walk-on. He is deadly 3-point shooter who can also run a team from the point. Showalter is coached by his father at Germantown – a Division I state championship contender after going 24-2 a year ago.
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16. Juwan Parker, 6-4, 185, Jr., Washington (Tulsa, Okla.)What to look for in 2011-12: Parker and the Hornets are looking for a three-peat and the program's 16th state title overall.
Emmanuel Mudiay
Photo by Alik McIntosh
Teams with five-star 7-footer Isaiah Austin to make Grace Prep one of Texas' top private school programs.
18. Tyree Robinson, 6-3, 195, Jr., Lincoln (San Diego, Calif.)What to look for in 2011-12: More of a versatile athlete than shooting guard, Robinson and twin brother Tyrell have helped Lincoln go 60-4 over the past two seasons. A trip to the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions in January looms large.
19. Nick Emery, 6-1, 165, Jr., Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)Committed to Brigham YoungWhat to look for in 2011-12: Utah's player of the year as a sophomore, Lone Peak will need even more from Emery as it tackles top-notch out-of-state competition at the Great Western Shootout and Beach Ball Classic.
20. Isaiah Whitehead, 6-3, 175, So., Lincoln (Brooklyn, N.Y.)What to look for in 2011-12: Next in line at the school that produced Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Lance Stephenson.
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21. Ron Patterson, 6-3, 190, Sr., Broad Ripple (Indianapolis, Ind.)Committed to IndianaWhat to look for in 2011-12: With Patterson in the lead, Broad Ripple quietly had a very good season in 2010-11, going 20-3.
Torian Graham
Photo by Steven Worthy
The only thing holding Graham back from a huge season will be all the other talent at ACD. Every player on the Apache roster has Division I potential.
23. Alex Caruso, 6-4, 180, Sr., A&M Consolidated (College Station, Texas)Committed to Texas A&MWhat to look for in 2011-12: Caruso posted over 18 points per game as a junior and led A&M Consolidated in virtually every statistical category, but didn't make a name for himself nationally until breaking out on the summer circuit.
24. D.J. Balentine, 6-1, 170, Sr., Kokomo (Ind.)Committed to EvansvilleWhat to look for in 2011-12: The combo guard helped one of Indiana's most storied high school programs return to the state championship game for the first time since 1989.
25. Melvin Johnson, 6-3, 185, Sr., St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.)Committed to MiamiWhat to look for in 2011-12: After Rice closed its doors, Johnson moved over to St. Benedict's Prep to join new head coach Mark Taylor.
