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Sports Illustrated Unveils Candidates For 2021 SI All-American High School Basketball Team

Sports Illustrated All-American on Wednesday unveiled the SI99, a ranking of the top basketball prospects from the high school class of 2021 in the country.

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Sports Illustrated Unveils Candidates For 2021 SI All-American High School Basketball Team
Sports Illustrated Unveils Candidates For 2021 SI All-American High School Basketball Team /

NEW YORK -- Their collective athleticism, agility and court smarts are off the charts, but what makes the 99 high school basketball seniors and five underclassmen on SI.com’s watch list for the 2021 SI All-American team truly special is their polish and versatility, says Sports Illustrated’s director of basketball recruiting Jason Jordan.

“The game is evolving in a variety of ways, particularly when it comes to the multi-dimensional skills of players no matter their size, but this class really stands out because there is a refinement and finesse that you’d typically expect to see at the collegiate level,” said Jordan, whose daily, year-round coverage can be found here.

“The seniors this year haven’t had the exposure of other classes due to the pandemic,” he added. “But they’ve zeroed in on intense, individual workouts and have fine-tuned themselves. The theme in 2021 is size and versatility, particularly at the top -- a lot of these prospects have a chance to play a long time in the NBA.”

The No. 1 prospect in the SI99 is Chet Holmgren, a 7-foot-1 forward from Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis. He dominates in all facets of the game, plays all five positions and is just as dynamic on defense as he is on offense, says Jordan.

VIDEO: JASON JORDAN AND ROBIN LUNDBERG DRILL DOWN HERE ON THE CANDIDATES

“I’ve seen a lot of players refer to themselves as a unicorn on the court, but Chet embodies that label more than any player I’ve seen in recent memory,” Jordan said. “He can legitimately dominate as a point guard, then knock down threes like a marksman, and then dominate the paint on both ends. The best part about him is his mentality and motor. He competes like an underrated prospect looking to make a name. He’s a rare talent.”

The states with the most SI All-American candidates are Florida (15), California (8), Georgia, North Carolina and Texas (6 each) and Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Washington state (4 each).

The candidates will be narrowed to 50 finalists in February and in April SI will unveil its first-, second- and third-team Sports Illustrated All-American choices. Each team will consist of five players.

Coming tomorrow at SI.com: an in-depth feature, and video breakdown, on the No. 1 prospect, Chet Holmgren. And coming Friday is a video analysis of the other nine members of SI’s top 10. Next week, look for breakdowns of the top five players by position.

SI.com’s pre-season ranking of the 99 All-American candidates can be found below the state and college lists that follow.

Follow SI All-American at si.com/college/recruiting/ and on social media at @SIAllAmerican

CONTACT: For interviews with SI Director of Basketball Recruiting Jason Jordan please contact Rob Wheat at rhwheat@gmail.com or by landline at 913-642-5767 or cell at 913-653-4278.

SI All-American senior-class candidates ranked 1 through 99

  1. PF/C Chet Holmgren / Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnehaha Academy) – undecided
  2. C Paolo Banchero / Seattle, Wash. (O'Dea) – Duke
  3. SG Jaden Hardy / Henderson, Nev. (Coronado) – undecided
  4. PF Michael Foster / Milwaukee, Wis. (Hillcrest Prep) – undecided
  5. SF Patrick Baldwin Jr. / Sussex, Wis. (Hamilton) – undecided
  6. PF Jabari Smith Jr. / Tyrone, Ga. (Sandy Creek) – Auburn
  7. PG Kennedy Chandler / Wichita, Kan. (Sunrise Christian Academy) – Tennessee
  8. SF A.J. Griffin / White Plains, N.Y. (Archbishop Stepinac) – Duke
  9. PF Moussa Diabate / Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy) – Michigan
  10. C Nathan Bittle / Napa, Calif. (Prolific Prep) – Oregon
  11. PG J.D. Davison / Letohatchee, Ala. (Calhoun) – Alabama
  12. SG Caleb Houstan / Montverde, Fla. (Montverde Academy) – Michigan
  13. SG Trevor Keels / Fairfaix, Va. (Paul VI Catholic) – undecided
  14. SG Max Christie / Rolling Meadows, Ill. (Rolling Meadows) – Michigan State
  15. PG Daeshun Ruffin / Jackson, Miss. (Callaway) – Ole Miss
  16. SG Hunter Sallis / Omaha, Neb. (Millard North) – undecided
  17. C Efton Reid / Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy) – undecided
  18. SF Kendall Brown / Wichita, Kan. (Sunrise Christian Academy) – Baylor
  19. C Franck Kepnang / West Chester, Pa. (Westtown) – Oregon
  20. C Daimion Collins / Atlanta, Texas (Atlanta) – Kentucky
  21. SG Langston Love / Montverde, Fla. (Montverde Academy) – Baylor
  22. SG Matt Cleveland / Alpharetta, Ga. (Pace Academy) – Florida State
  23. PG Zion Harmon / Benton, Ky. (Marshall County) – Western Kentucky
  24. C Charles Bediako / Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy) – undecided
  25. SF Harrison Ingram / Dallas, Texas (Saint Mark's School of Texas) – Stanford
  26. SF Trey Patterson / Somerset, N.J. (Rutgers Prep) – Villanova
  27. SF Malakhi Branham / Akron, Ohio (St. Vincent-St. Mary) – Ohio State
  28. PF Bryce Hopkins / Oak Park, Ill. (Fenwick) – Kentucky
  29. SG Bryce McGowens / Greenville, S.C. (Legacy Early College Charter) – Nebraska
  30. PF Ben Gregg / Portland, Ore. (Clackamas) – Gonzaga
  31. PG Frankie Collins / Chandler, Ariz. (Compass Prep) – Michigan
  32. SF Josh Minott / Boca Raton, Fla. (St. Andrew's School) – Memphis
  33. PG Jalen Warley / West Chester, Pa. (Westtown) – Florida State
  34. C Jerrell Colbert / Germantown, Tenn. (Houston) – LSU
  35. SG Dallan "Deebo" Coleman / Callahan, Fla. (West Nassau) – Georgia Tech
  36. PF Caleb Furst / Fort Wayne, Ind. (Blackhawk Christian) – Purdue
  37. PG Zaon Collins / Las Vegas, Nev. (Bishop Gorman) – UNLV
  38. SG Chance Moore / Powder Springs, Ga. (McEachern) – Arkansas
  39. SF Peyton Watson / Long Beach, Calif. (Long Beach Polytechnic) – UCLA
  40. C Wilhelm Breidenbach / Santa Ana, Calif. (Mater Dei) – Nebraska
  41. PF DaRon Holmes / Montverde, Fla. (Montverde Academy) – Dayton
  42. C Micawber "Mac" Etienne / Wolfeboro, N.H. (Brewster Academy) – UCLA
  43. PG Rahsool Diggins / Warminster, Pa. (Archbishop Wood Catholic) – Connecticut
  44. C Jackson Grant / Olympia, Wash. (Olympia) – Washington
  45. PF Arthur Kaluma / Glendale, Ariz. (Dream City Christian) – UNLV
  46. SF Keon Edwards / Phoenix, Ariz. (Hillcrest Prep) – DePaul
  47. PG Nolan Hickman / Mt. Pleasant, Utah (Wasatch Academy) – Kentucky
  48. PF Zach Clemence / Wichita, Kan. (Sunrise Christian Academy) – Kansas
  49. SF Dontrez Styles / Kinston, N.C. (Kinston) – North Carolina
  50. SF Johnathan Lawson / Memphis, Tenn. (Wooddale) – Oregon
  51. PG Isael Silva / Napa, Calif. (Prolific Prep) – Stanford
  52. PF Benny Williams / Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy) – Syracuse
  53. C John Butler / Greenville, S.C. (Christ Church Episcopal) – Florida State
  54. SF Quincy Allen / Washington, D.C. (Maret School) – Colorado
  55. SF Alex Fudge / Jacksonville, Fla. (Lee) – LSU
  56. PG Jordan Hawkins / Hyattsville, Md. (DeMatha Catholic) – Connecticut
  57. SG Trey Alexander / Oklahoma City, Okla. (Heritage Hall) – Auburn
  58. SG Manny Obaseki / Plano, Texas (John Paul II) – Texas A&M
  59. PF K.J. Adams / Austin, Texas (Westlake) – Kansas
  60. SG Will McClendon / Las Vegas, Nev. (Bishop Gorman) – UCLA
  61. PG Jaden Akins / Ypsilanti, Mich. (Ypsi Prep) – Michigan State
  62. PF Ernest Ross / Alachua, Fla. (Santa Fe) – N.C. State
  63. SG Kobe Bufkin / Grand Rapids, Mich. (Grand Rapids Christian) – Michigan
  64. SF Reese Dixon-Waters / Los Angeles, Calif. (Saint Bernard Catholic) – USC
  65. SG Kowacie Reeves / Macon, Ga. (Westside) – Florida
  66. C Ryan Mutombo / Atlanta, Ga. (The Lovett School) – Georgetown
  67. PG Tyrese Hunter / Racine, Wis. (Saint Catherine's) – Iowa State
  68. SG D'Marco Dunn / Fayetteville, N.C. (Westover) – North Carolina
  69. SG Shane Nowell / Sammamish, Wash. (Eastside Catholic) – Arizona
  70. SF Jordan Nesbitt / St. Louis, Mo. (St. Louis Christian Academy) – Memphis
  71. SG Pierre Brooks / Detroit, Mich. (Douglass Academy) – Michigan State
  72. PF Trey Kaufman / Sellersburg, Ind. (Silver Creek) – Purdue
  73. C Samson Johnson / Elizabeth, N.J. (The Patrick School) – Connecticut
  74. SG Shane Dezonie / Wolfeboro, N.H. (Brewster Academy) – Arizona
  75. C Jonas Aidoo / Charlotte, N.C. (Liberty Heights Athletic Institute) – undecided
  76. PF Julian Reese / Owings Mills, Md. (St. Frances Academy) – Maryland
  77. C Roosevelt Wheeler / Richmond, Va. (John Marshall) – Louisville
  78. C Kaden Perry / Battle Ground, Wash. (Battle Ground) – Gonzaga
  79. SG Luke Goode / Fort Wayne, Ind. (Homestead) – Illinois
  80. PG TyTy Washington / Phoenix, Ariz. (Compass Prep) – Creighton
  81. SF Jaylon Tyson / Plano, Texas (John Paul II) – Texas Tech
  82. PG Bensley Joseph / Putnam, Conn. (Putnam Science Academy) – Miami
  83. PG Ahamad Bynum / Chicago, Ill. (Simeon) – DePaul
  84. PG Bobby Pettiford / Creedmoor, N.C. (South Granville) – Louisville
  85. SF Kaleb Washington / Mableton, Ga. (Pebblebrook) – Dayton
  86. SG Tamar Bates / Bradenton, Fla. (IMG Academy) – Texas
  87. SG Malik Thomas / La Verne, Calif. (Damien) – USC
  88. SG Brandin Podziemski / Delafield, Wis. (St. John's Northwestern Academies) – undecided
  89. SF Ramses Melendez / Kissimmee, Fla. (Central Pointe Christian) – undecided
  90. PF Mason Miller / Germantown, Tenn. (Houston) – Creighton
  91. SG Ike Cornish / Greenville, S.C. (Legacy Early College Charter) – Maryland
  92. SG Terquavion Smith / Farmville, N.C. (Farmville Central) – N.C. State
  93. SG Jakai Robinson / Fort Washington, Md. (National Christian Academy) – Miami
  94. SG Jahmai Mashack / Etiwanda, Calif. (Etiwanda) – Tennessee
  95. SF Jeremy Sochan / La Porte, Ind. (La Lumiere) – Baylor
  96. SG C.J. Noland / Waxahachie, Texas (Waxahachie) – Oklahoma
  97. SG Jordan Longino / Germantown, Pa. (Germantown Academy) – Villanova
  98. SG Wesley Cardet / Orlando, Fla. (West Oaks Academy) – undecided
  99. C Nnanna Njoku / Hockessin, Del. (Sanford Academy) – Villanova

SI All-American candidates broken out by state:

Alabama

  • JD Davison – 6-3 / 175 / PG from Letohatchee, AL

Arizona

California

Connecticut

Delaware

Washington, D.C.

Florida

Georgia

One candidate from Germany

Illinois

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Mississippi

North Carolina

Nebraska

New Hampshire

New Jersey

Nevada

New York

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

  • Ben Gregg – 6-8 / 210 / PF from Clackamas, Ore.

Pennsylvania

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

SI All-American candidates broken out by college commitment:

ACC

Duke

Florida State

Georgia Tech

Louisville

Miami

N.C. State

North Carolina

Syracuse

BIG 10

Illinois

  • Luke Goode – 6-6 / 185 / SG from Fort Wayne, Ind.

Maryland

Michigan

Michigan State

Nebraska

Ohio State

Purdue

Big 12

Baylor

Iowa State

Kansas

Oklahoma

Texas

Texas Tech

Big East

Connecticut

Creighton

DePaul

Georgetown

Villanova

Pac-12

Arizona

Colorado

Oregon

Stanford

UCLA

USC

Washington

SEC

Alabama

Arkansas

Auburn

Florida

Kentucky

LSU

Ole Miss

Tennessee

Texas A&M

Others/Mid-Majors

Dayton

Gonzaga

  • Ben Gregg – 6-8 / 210 / PF from Clackamas, Ore.
  • Kaden Perry – 6-9 / 225 / C from Battle Ground, Wash.

Memphis

UNLV

Western Kentucky

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