Marvin Bagley III is headed to Hillcrest. (Photo: Cheryl Evans/azcentral sports)
Harry Giles III is ranked No. 1 overall in the ESPN 100 and last week his peers voted him Most Likely No. 1 NBA Draft Pick.
That’s why, last month when he announced that he was transferring from Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.) to Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) for his senior season, it was, quite naturally, the most high profile high school hoops change of address of the year.
TRANSFERS: Where will Trevon Duval and Rawle Alkins play this season?
Still, Giles wasn’t the only big time transfer.
We’ve managed to zero-in on the five hardwood relocators not named Harry Giles III that will make big impacts for the coming high school hoops season.
1. Marvin Bagley III, F, 2018
From: Corona del Sol (Phoenix)
To: Hillcrest (Phoenix)
What he brings: Bagley isn’t building the coveted “next big thing” buzz; he’s had that for a while now. Good luck trying to stop the 6-foot-11 combo forward; he’s got guard skills on the perimeter and he’s too athletic for most post players. Last season he led Corona del Sol (33-1) to its fourth state title, averaging 19.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 2.3 assists a game. Bagley, who recently won the Next Up award in the 2015 Players Choice Awards/Superlatives, is the consensus No. 1 overall player in the ESPN 25.
2. Edrice “Bam Bam” Adebayo, F, 2016
From: Northside (Pinetown, N.C.)
To: High Point Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.)
What he brings: You’d be hard pressed to find a player that turned in more poster dunks than Adebayo did this summer. He was voted Most Likely to Break a Rim in the 2015 Players Choice Awards/Superlatives; seems dead-on for a guy nicknamed “Bam Bam.”
At, 6-foot-9, Adebayo overpowers the opposition in the paint and has a soft touch from 15 feet that keeps the defense honest. Last season at Northside, Adebayo, who is ranked No. 8 overall in the ESPN 100, averaged 32.2 points and 21 rebounds a game.
3. Tyus Battle, SG, 2016
From: Gill St. Bernard’s (Gladstone, N.J.)
To: St. Joseph (Metuchen, N.J.)
What he brings: Battle has the size (6-foot-6) to shoot over the top of the defense from the perimeter and the skill to knock down shots efficiently. What makes him a tough matchup is that he’s skilled and athletic enough to get into the lane at-will and finish with authority. Battle sat out most of his junior season with an ankle injury, but averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game as a sophomore.
4. Matt Coleman, PG 2017
From: Maury (Virginia Beach, Va.)
To: Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
What he brings: Coleman is a heady point guard who has a propensity for making the right play at the right time. Last season he averaged 20 points and five assists and was the Atlantic Conference Player of the Year.
Pressure?
The last Oak Hill point guard (Missouri freshman Terrence Phillips) has led the Warriors to two-straight DICK’s High School Nationals title games.
Coleman is ranked No. 25 in the ESPN 60.
5. Markus Howard, G, 2016
From: Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.)
To: Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)
What he brings: Howard adds a level of firepower rivaled by few, regardless of class. As a sophomore, Howard, who is ranked No. 26 in the ESPN 60, was the state of Arizona’s leading scorer at 32.5 points per game. As a freshman, he averaged 23 points a game. He was tied for fourth in scoring (20 points a game) in the prestigious Nike Elite Youth Basketball League this summer.
Honorable Mention
Mook Harris, PG, 2019 to Montverde (Montverde, Fla.)
Omari Spellman, F, 2016 to St. Thomas More (Oakdale, Ct.)
Braxton Blackwell, SF, 2016 to Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
J.J. Smith, SG, 2017 to Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.)
Mario Kegler, SF, 2016 to Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY