Shaw's Superlatives: Top shooters in the 2024 class

On3 updated the 2024 On3 150 this week, and with that comes conversation. Of course, you can look through the rankings and categorize players by the numbers beside them. However, oftentimes that can be obtuse with a player’s specific skill set. I wanted to supplement the rankings while diving a little deeper and looking at a player’s skill set and talking about the best that I have seen in the class.

This week I will go through Shaw’s Superlatives. The topics will include best rim protector, best rebounder, best playmaker, most explosive, and best shooter. In this edition, we take a look at the best rim protectors.

The basics of being a shooter can be very subjective. And with that, there are guys who are scorers and guys who are shooters. For this piece, I looked at the efficiency of the shooting as well. Players like Jamari Phillips, Isaiah Evans, and Austin Swartz, who are all good shooters, fell more in the category of shot makers than shooters. 

With that caveat pointed out, let’s discuss the top shooters in the 2024 class.

Shaw’s Superlatives: Top rim protectors in the 2024 class | Top rebounders in the 2024 class

Shooters shoot

Anyone who watches today’s brand of basketball sees how important shooting is. In the age of analytics, when looking at the worth of the shot in conjunction with the success rate of the shot, many times, a three is a more valuable look than a two. The threat of a shooter behind the arc also helps with floor spacing, opening up lanes for bigs and guards to attack.

Shooting is an incredibly valuable part of the game. I wanted to take a look at shooters in the 2024 class. It should also be worth noting that a shooter and a scorer are not necessarily the same thing. Let’s talk about top shooters.

Four-star F Jackson McAndrew (Creighton)

Height/Weight: 6-9/190
High School: Plymouth (MN) Wayzata High
On3 NIL Valuation: NA
2024 On3 150: No. 22

The skinny: Not only does Jackson McAndrew have effortless range beyond 30 feet, but he also has excellent size with great length to be as fluid of a shooter as he is. What gets him into this top spot, for me, is his natural shooting off of movement. McAndrew has great spatial awareness and balance, able to come off different types of screens to get his body/feet set and torso in place to have a repeatable delivery each time the shot goes up. It is a totally natural and organic process and one that, as he continues to add weight and strength, should translate from level to level. His shooting is also why he jumped all the way to No. 22 in the most recent update. McAndrew, who committed to Creighton last week, shot 45.1 percent from three on 3.7 makes per game during Nike’s EYCL regular season.

Other top shooters

*alphabetical order

Three-star F Kual Atak

Height/Weight: 6-9/185
High School: Fort Worth (TX) Haltom High
On3 NIL Valuation:
2024 On3 150: No. 70

The skinny: Kuol Atak started his travel season off with a bang playing with the 3D Empire program on the Pro16  Circuit, knocking down five threes per game at a 40 percent clip. The 6-foot-9 sharp-shooter has not slowed down since. Naturally, at 6-foot-9, he has excellent positional size with great length. He is a great set shooter with a quick release. Other aspects of his game are still coming around, but his ability to find open space and get his shot off has been a uniquely consistent weapon. 

Recruitment: Atak announced a final six of Oklahoma, TCU, SMU, Texas, Oklahoma State, and San Diego State. He has an official visit set with Oklahoma on September 16.

Four-star SG Darren Harris (Duke)

Height/Weight: 6-6/195
High School: Fairfax (VA) Paul VI
On3 NIL Valuation: NA
2024 On3 150: No. 54

The skinny: We saw in Nike’s Peach Jam final what Darren Harris is capable of with his 28-point 5-of-7 from three performance. He won MVP as his team won a Peach Jam Championship. Harris has long been one of the top pure shooters in the nation. And this aspect caught Duke’s eye early. He has great balance and confidence in his shot, and the range extends deep and all over the court. 

Four-star SG Kon Knueppel

Height/Weight: 6-5/205
High School: Milwaukee (WI) Wisconsin Lutheran
On3 NIL Valuation: $208,000
2024 On3 150: No. 8 

The skinny: Kon Knueppel spent this summer on Nike’s EYBL Circuit, putting on an absolute scoring clinic. Not only did the 6-foot-5 guard lead the entire circuit in scoring 22.5 points per game, but he also shot 43.7 percent from three on 3.8 makes per game from three. Knueppel comes from a noted basketball family. His mom is the all-time leading scorer in Wisconsin Green Bay history, and his dad is the all-time leading scorer in Wisconsin Lutheran (NAIA) history. Knueppel shot 59 percent from three at this summer’s Pangos All-American Camp and followed that up by averaging 16.2 points at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. 

Recruitment: Knueppel has upcoming official visits to Alabama, Virginia, and Duke in September. 

Five-Star Plus+ SF Liam McNeeley

Height/Weight: 6-7/205
High School: Montverde (FL) Academy
On3 NIL Valuation: $415,000
2024 On3 150: No. 20

The skinny: Liam McNeeley led Montverde (FL) Academy in scoring this season, as he was one of only two players in double figures, averaging 12.4 points. The 6-foot-7 wing shot 45 percent from three on 4.6 attempts per game. He moved well with the ball and showcased a quick, consistent release with great balance throughout the season.

Recruitment: McNeeley, a native of Richardson, Texas, has taken official visits to Indiana and Texas so far.

Four-star SG Kur Teng (Michigan State)

Height/Weight: 6-4/185
High School: Haverhill (MA) Bradford Christian
On3 NIL Valuation: NA
2024 On3 150: No. 37

The skinny: Kur Teng turned in one of the most impressive shooting performances this summer. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard torched the Adidas 3SSB Circuit to the tune of 47 percent from three on 3.0 makes per game. Teng shoots well off movement and was very comfortable getting his feet set and his balance squared. The arms and long, and the release is quick and consistent. Overall it was a very comfortable few months of basketball for Teng as the Michigan State commit averaged 17.5 points per game. 

Next 4 shooters

*in alphabetical order

Four-star SG Jalil Bethea

Height/Weight: 6-4/170
High School: Warminster (PA) Archbishop Wood
On3 NIL Valuation:$320,000
2024 On3 150: No. 10

Four-star F Cooper Koch (Iowa)

Height/Weight: 6-7/205
High School: Peoria (IL) Notre Dame
On3 NIL Valuation: NA
2024 On3 150: No. 91

Four-star SG Juni Mobley (Ohio State)

Height/Weight: 6-1/150
High School: Mount Pleasant (UT) Wasatch Academy
On3 NIL Valuation: $102,000
2024 On3 150: No. 52

Four-star SG Elijah Moore (Syracuse)

Height/Weight: 6-3/170
High School: Bronx (NY) Cardinal Hayes
On3 NIL Valuation: NA
2024 On3 150: No. 71