Rivals has released their first rankings for the Class of 2018, the players that are currently sophomores in high school, and there’s no real surprise about the No. 1 player in the class.
His name is Marvin Bagley, and he’s a 6-foot-10 power forward from Arizona that does all the things that elite power forwards should be able to do these days. He’s long, he’s athletic, he’s got perimeter skills and he’s effective around the basket. As Eric Bossi of Rivals put it, “nobody has been an easier choice for No. 1 in their class.”
You should probably recognize Bagley’s name, as he had his story go viral two summers ago when, prior to entering eighth grade, he was offered a scholarship by Arizona State. (It’s not as bad as it sounds; his grandfather, Jumpin’ Joe Caldwell, is a Sun Devil legend whose number hangs in the rafters).
The No. 2 player in the class is Silvio de Sousa, a powerfully athletic, 6-foot-7 power forward that has proven to be able to dominate kids in his age group. Will his ability progress as his classmates begin to match him athletically?
Beyond that, it’s also worth noting that both Shaquille O’Neal and Manute Bol has sons that are ranked in the top 25 in the class -- Shareef O’Neal and Bol Bol.
The full top 25 can be found here.