Forward Josh Jackson celebrates during the 2016 McDonald’s High School All-American Game at the United Center in Chicago. (Photo: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports)
Despite not playing his senior season because of a knee injury, Harry Giles remained No. 1 in the final ESPN 100 basketball recruiting rankings released Tuesday.
The Duke-bound Giles transferred to Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) for his senior year but was injured in the first game. He then returned home to North Carolina and to finish high school via online classes at Forest Trail Academy (Kernersville, N.C.).
In a Twitter chat Wednesday, ESPN’s Paul Biancardi explained why Giles remained at the top.
Kansas-bound 6-7 small forward Josh Jackson from Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) moved up to No. 2 in the final rankings, pushing ahead of Jayson Tatum (Chaminade Prep, St. Louis).
Tatum, a 6-9 small forward, also is heading to Duke, giving the Blue Devils two of the top three players in the class and they also have No. 10 with guard Frank Jackson (Lone Peak; Highland, Utah).
Chino Hills (Calif.) do-everything guard Lonzo Ball moved to No. 4. Ball, the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Player of the Year, is heading to UCLA.
Kentucky had the next two spots with Bam Adebayo from High Point Christian in North Carolina at No. 5 and point guard De’Aaron Fox from Cypress Lakes (Katy, Texas) at No. 6 and also signed the No. 9 player in guard Malik Monk from Bentonville, Ark., and No. 14 in Wenyen Gabriel from Wilbraham & Monson in New England.