Hot topic questions from the 2024 On3 150 ranking update

On Monday, On3 released an updated 2024 On3 150 ranking. The previous ranking update for this class was in June. In the time since the previous update, the Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, and Pro16 Circuits all had their championships. He saw USA Basketball training camps, Pangos All-American Camp, NBPA Top 100 Camp, and the June scholastic live periods. The On3 national team has ricked up the air miles along with watching countless hours of sreams and film. 

This update saw Dylan Harper hold serve at the No. 1 spot. On3 first moved Harper to No. 1 in the June update, and Harper had a strong June and July to maintain his hold on the spot. We also saw three new five-stars in this update, with VJ Edgecombe (No. 3), Kon Knueppel (No. 8), and Jalil Bethea (No. 10) making their move. Jayden Quaintance also reclassified from the 2025 class and took over the No. 5 spot in the rankings. 

On3’s rankings use a baseline of first projecting for the NBA Draft, with a career in the league being a secondary projection tool. Our goal is to assess a prospect’s long-term potential, ultimately manifest by the NBA Draft. We look at a player’s career developmental arc and how each of their games projects moving forward. 

Storylines from the 2024 On3 150 update

Here are some of the hot topic questions, applied to the 2024 class, that we get after each update.

How close was the race for No. 1?

While the previous update was pretty cut and dry that Dylan Harper was the guy, this one, we had a bit more of a conversation. Ace Bailey had a very strong summer, and his flash plays were very eye-opening. 

Bailey checks all the boxes that you want physically when projecting players toward the highest level. At 6-foot-10, he has great positional size for a wing. He can handle within two and three dribbles and rise up with full extension to knock down shots with range over his defender. He is also an explosive athlete, capable of finishing high above the rim. 

When you go through the rankings, looking to project toward NBA Draft night, physically, Ace Bailey looks like an NBA prospect. However, when you take a step back for a macro view, you see the consistent, high-level production that Dylan Harper continues to have, despite the questions about his top-end explosion. 

Harper is best with the ball in his hands. The 6-foot-6 guard has an excellent change of pace and delivers on target and on time all over the court. He led the USA Basketball U19 team in assists this summer, then followed that up, finishing Peach Jam second in scoring. 

This is a conversation that we expect to remain over the next year. Can Ace Bailey find continue to tighten his skill set and find consistency both in production and motor? Also, will anyone else be joining the class and enter the conversation?

Which players are you higher on than others?

There are a few of them. Three players in the top ten we are currently higher on than others, VJ Edgecombe (No. 3), Kon Knueppel (No. 8), and Jalil Bethea (No. 10). But for the purposes of this space, I’ll focus on Jackson McAndrew. 

The 6-foot-9 forward from Wayzata (MN) High committed to Creighton last week. He then got bumped to No. 22 in Monday’s 2024 On3 150 update. The reason for the bump is the shooting. McAndrew might be the most projectable shooter in the class. For starters, he has a lengthy 6-foot-9 frame, very projectable looking forward. A look at the last couple of years in the NBA, and you see that truly high-level shooters who are 6-foot-7 and up find their opportunities. 

McAndrew will need to continue adding weight, getting stronger, and adding to his core and base. However, he is a fluid athlete and plays with excellent balance. His range extends out beyond 30 feet off the catch, but what is so captivating is his ability to shoot off movement. 

McAndrew led his high school to a state championship this season. He followed that by averaging 16.8 points and shooting 39.7 percent from three on Nike’s EYCL Circuit this summer. 

Who was the toughest player in the class to rank?

Well, Ace Bailey could fit here, but I already talked about him previously. Carter Bryant could also be a good one here, but he filled this space during the last update. With that, two players in this class that I dove deep with are Isaiah Evans and Drake Powell. 

Isaiah Evans, the Duke commitment, landed at No. 18 in the update. And that ranking is based on the 6-foot-6 wing’s unique shot-making ability. I’m not sure that I’ve scouted a player quite like him in my decade-plus years in the industry. Evans has a good frame, great length, and he really uses it to his advantage. He has proven to be at his best when playing within two dribbles of catching the ball and rising up. What makes him unique is that it does not matter who is guarding him, he can go for a big number. If he is missing, it has nothing to do with the defender, he is just missing that day. However, his scoring is best when someone else is creating for him, which causes some inconsistency at times. 

For example, during Peach Jam, Evans averaged 20.4 points and shot 42.4 percent from three. He had some spurts of great shot-making that was really fun to watch. However, when you zoom the lens out and look at the entirety of Evans’ performances throughout Nike’s EYBL Circuit, he averaged 13.1 points in 23 games. He also shot 31.3 percent from three on 118 attempts and dished out 25 assists to 29 turnovers. I will be curious to see his consistency grow, and a lot of that has to do with shot selection and decision-making as a whole. It will also be interesting to see what he is able to add when he is not making shots. 

Drake Powell, the UNC commitment, came in at No. 24 in the update. Powell brings a lot of winning qualities to Tar Heels and plays in a similar way to many who have found success within the UNC program. Jackie Manuel and Theo Pinson are two players who come to mind with a similar archetype. With Powell, he is an excellent defender, one of the top perimeter defenders in the class. He can move his feet, plays with toughness, and can switch up and down a lineup. 

The questions come on the offensive end. For starters, it has been well documented Powell’s ability to knock down shots from the mid-range, especially the elbows. And while he is explosive in transition, he can lack burst in the half-court, causing him to struggle, at times, getting to his spots. There are also questions about the jump shot. This summer, Powell averaged 13.0 points per game while shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from three. When taking a look at his high school career stats, Powell has shot 31.3 percent on 275 attempts. With Powell, the winning plays are there. He has proven to be one of the top connecting players in the country.

Which player could you see outplaying their ranking?

A lot of the players in this class have a flaw in their game, whether it be their shooting, processing, athleticism, or their frame, there is a reason a lot of the guys are where they are. However, to answer this question, there are two players I could see the possibility of putting it all together and popping are Trent Burns and Darrion Sutton. 

Burns is a 7-foot-2 center at Houston (TX) PSAT Academy. He is a good rim protector and can step out and knock down shots. Burns is a late bloomer; how much strength he can add will play a big role in how productive he can become. However, the mobility, the touch, and the size are all there. If things continue to develop for him physically, he could be someone who has a unique enough skill set to really make a jump. 

Sutton is a 6-foot-9 forward who transferred this summer to Atlanta (GA) Overtime Elite. Why Sutton is unique is his floor vision. He is a threat with the ball in his hands, able to get past his point-of-attack defender and get into the teeth of the defense to make a play. He makes good reads in traffic with great touch from multiple angles. Sutton will need to continue to develop the jump shot, but there is something there that could be really unique if he continues his developmental curve.