Days after releasing updated rankings for the 2015 and 2016 classes, ESPN unveiled its first look at the top 25 in the 2017 class on Friday.
If this doesn't make you feel old, I don't know what will. On Friday, ESPN unveiled its first look at the top 25 players in the class of 2017. Yes, that's right, the oldest players in this class were likely born after Michael Jordan's last game in a Bulls uniform. Anyway, let's take a look at the top 25 players in a class still relatively unknown to the casual prep hoops fan.
The Top Five
1. DeAndre Ayton
6'10 PF / San Diego Balboa
Often regarded as the top freshman in the world, Ayton is a load of a 6-foot-10, 220-pound power forward. Ayton is explosive, Ayton is skilled, and Ayton has an unbelievable ceiling. Highly-skilled on the perimeter and in the post, there is really no limit to what the nation's top player can do on the floor.
2. Troy Brown Jr.
6'4 PG / Las Vegas Centennial
Big point guards are always in high demand, and Las Vegas' Brown is the best of them all in the 2017 class. Listed at 6-foot-4, Brown is a high-level floor general with great instincts at the point guard position. With great vision and intangibles, Brown is a do-it-all type player that is worthy of the No. 2 rankings in the class. More impressive, however, is that Brown already holds an offer from Arizona.
3. Jarred Vanderbilt
6'7 SF / Houston Victory Prep Academy
According to several scouts that I've talked to in the last month, many believe Vanderbilt is the top player in the country. A versatile and explosive 6-foot-7, Vanderbilt has been a mainstay with Houston Hoops, playing up on the 17u EYBL Circuit, while averaging 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
4. Zach Brown
6'10 C / Miami Miami Beach
Not sure if this 6-foot-10 of a beast center has his own country band, but with the No. 4 rankings in the class, life is certainly good for Brown today. With an absolutely massive build, Brown has a wingspan stretching far over 7 feet, helping him as the nation's top shot-blocker in the class.
5. Michael Porter
6'6 SF / Columbia Father Tolton, MO
In the same state as 2016 phenom Jayson Tatum, Columbia's Porter is another lengthy but highly-skilled wing drawing attention. Much like Tatum, Porter is as smooth as can be, while possessing underrated athleticism and a knack for getting to the rim with either hand.
The Remaining 20
6. P.J. Washington
6'8 PF / Dallas Prime Prep Academy
7. Cody Riley
6'6 PF / Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, CA
8. Jalek Felton
6'3 SG / Mullins, SC
9. Brian Bowen
6'7 SF / Saginaw Arthur Hill, MI
10. M.J. Walker
6'5 SF / Jonesboro, GA
11. J.J. Smith
6'4 SG / Fayetteville E.E. Smith, NC
12. Billy Preston
6'8 PF / Santa Ana Mater Dei, CA
13. Jeremiah Tilmon
6'9 PF / East St. Louis, IL
14. Isaiah Stokes
6'7 PF / Memphis Lausanne
15. Wendell Carter
6'8 PF / Atlanta Fulton Leadership Academy
16. Victory Bailey Jr.
6'3 SG / Austin McNeil
17. Trevon Duval
6'2 PG / Wilmington Saint Benedict's Prep, DE
18. Austin Wiley
6'8 PF / Birmingham Spain Park
19. D.J. Harvey Jr.
6'6 SF / Hyattsville DeMatha Catholic, MD
20. Gary Trent Jr.
6'3 SG / Apple Valley, MN
21. Tomas Murphy
6'9 PF / Wakefield The Prout School, RI
22. John Petty
6'5 SF / Huntsville J.O. Johnson, AL
23. Jermaine Samuels
6'6 SF / Mansfield The Rivers School, MA
24. Connor McCaffery
6'4 SF / Iowa City West
25. Jordan Tucker
6'7 SF / White Plains, NY