McCoy, Hands top 2017 San Diego Rankings

So...it's been a while.

It has been nearly two years since the last time Full-Time Hoops released rankings of any kind. There were a number of reasons, but one of the major reasons was because we felt that an emphasis on players' strengths and weaknesses would help prospects out more than assigning them a number.

But rankings do serve a purpose, especially for upperclassmen. They give prospects an idea of where they stand in the eyes of evaluators and, in theory, a goal to shoot for, motivation as it were.

Full-Time Hoops will be releasing rankings for seniors and juniors over the next few weeks, beginning today with our Class of 2017 Top 25 Rankings. The rankings (especially at the top) represent a consensus of several of Southern California's top scouts. Feel free to contact us via email or Twitter with any feedback!

1. Brandon McCoy- 7-0 215 C, Cathedral Catholic- Potential McDonald’s All American is one of the top post prospects in the country. Elite size, length and budding offensive skills to go along with a tremendous rebounding and defensive package.

2. Jaylen Hands- 6-3 163 PG, Foothills Christian- Hyper athletic true point guard has underrated vision to complement his scoring exploits. Arguably the better "player" of the top two prospects in the class. UCLA commit is also a strong McDonald's All American candidate.

3. Reed Farley- 6-5 175 SG, La Jolla- Deadly spot up shooter has a nice dose of athleticism in transition. and has made a rapid rise to the No. 3 player in the class. The Harvard commit has improved his ball handling year over year and continues to improve on the defensive side of the ball.

4. JJ Overton- 6-5 160 G, Rancho Bernardo- High-octane utility guard can score and create

for others and has the length to guard multiple perimeter positions. Overton is blessed with a top-end motor and plays with maximum effort on both ends. One of the top unsigned prospects on the West Coast.

5. Richard Polanco- 6-7 220 F, Army Navy- Mercurial point forward is a physical scoring presence with impressive vision in transition. A streaky shooter, but when he catches fire can fill it up in a hurry.

T-5. Jose Serrano- 6-7 220 F, Balboa City Schools- Explosive scoring wing is always on attack off the dribble, and has a polished pull-up jumper going to his right. Mistake prone at times (plays too fast), but can't discount his effort level. Very good athleticism in transition and in the halfcourt.

6. Jake Gilliam- 6-10 250 C, Torrey Pines – Massive post presence is a high-IQ passer, below-the-rim scorer and a vocal leader on offense and defense. Gilliam has excellent footwork, soft hands and nice touch in one-on-one settings in the paint. He is a Division 1 center prospect with a ton of upside when he gets into a college S&C program.

7. Michael Diaz- 6-2 180 PG, Orange Glen- Lockdown perimeter defender can score off the

dribble and is a solid passer in the halfcourt and in transition. Diaz has a great motor and gives a great effort on either end. Not the greatest shooter from the perimeter but can knock down shots from 15 feet off the dribble.

8. Robby Robinson- 6-9 200 PF, Kearny- Jack-of-all-trades forward can score in the post and

from mid-range with consistency. Has the length to be a good rim protector and while not the greatest athlete, makes up for it with a great motor and a willingness to make plays for others.

9. Otto Taylor- 6-2 155 G, St. Augustine-

Athletic combo guard (a tip jam waiting to happen) has a true jump shot and has improved his play at the point. Scrappy defender.

10. Ethan Esposito- 6-6 200 W, Torrey Pines- Rapidly rising wing forward has improved his ball skills, scoring. Still 16. Already a solid defender and rebounder. Big-time West Coast sleeper.

11. Cade Shackelford, 6-5 180 W, Torrey Pines- Jack-of-all-trades wing does a little bit of everything, and is a solid on-ball defender. 12. Ben Okhotin- 6-6 190 W, Westview- Big wing shooter has prolific range, a quick release, deceptive athleticism. Think poor man’s Dalton Soffer. 13. Dallas Cunningham- 6-7 180 WF, Cathedral Catholic- Sharpshooting and skilled face-up four has his best days ahead of him. 14. DJ Wilson- 6-0 140 PG, Horizon- True point guard has become a formidable scorer in addition to his passing skills. Underrated athlete. 15. Blake Seits- 6-4 160 SG, Ramona- Rapidly improving true shooting guard is a confident shooter and improving all-around playmaker. 16. Darnell Johnson- 6-5 180 SG, Point Loma- Late blooming wing has grown three inches over the past two years, potent right-hand dominant scorer. 17. Josue Lara- 6-5 190 W, St. Augustine- Crafty “point wing” needs to play with better pace, but has a top-end motor, rebounds, defends and creates for others. 18. Joshua Clarke, 6-1 164 G, Health Sciences- Sleeper guard is an explosive athlete and playmaker, scoring from all three levels. Biggest surprise in San Diego. 19. Jahloni Mitchell, 6-2 158 G, Patrick Henry- Another smooth sleeper guard who can score it from all three levels and play the point in a pinch. Long and athletic younger brother of former Helix standout Kaelen Mitchell. 20. Malik Parsons, 6-1 160 PG, Lincoln- Another rapidly improved point guard can score, pass and shoot it. 21. Josiah Esselstrom, 5-11 G, La Jolla Country Day- Dynamic undersized scoring guard can get buckets from all three levels, underrated PG skills. 22. Ed Fenzi 6-0 180, Army Navy- Sturdily built point guard is a lockdown perimeter defender and capable slasher with a solid mid-range pull-up jumper. 23. Quincy Ferebee- 6-0 160 PG, Serra- Young 2017 prospect (Sept. birthday) is also explosive in transition and has an evolving pull-up game. 24. Hayden Helfrich- 5-10 160 PG, Torrey Pines- Might not have ideal size, but you won’t find another fiery competitor. Undersized scoring guard gets it done. 25. Kale Baldado- 6-6 180 F, Foothills Christian- Bouncy, albeit undersized four impacts the game with his motor, rebounding on both ends and shot blocking.

26. Terrell Smith- 6-3 180 SG, Lincoln- Athletic and physical scoring guard has improved his scoring ability off the dribble, solid shooter. Expect a breakout year. 27. Sage Crawford- 6-3 170 SG, Bonita Vista- Streaky, yet explosive scoring guard has range and can get hot in a hurry. Very underrated athlete with upside. T-27 Jack Peterson- 6-1 170 SG, St. Augustine- Crafty scorer is one of the top spot-up shooters in the class, but also is an underrated playmaker. 28. Jordan Van Ommering- 6-4 180 SG, Foothills Christian- Smooth shooter has flawless mechanics, and has gotten better each year with the dribble. 29. Ryan Kelly- 6-7 200 PF, Granite Hills- Brawny and skilled four man can shoot it from deep, crafty scorer from mid-range and the low post. 30. DeVante Shepherd- 6-7 145 F, El Camino- Intriguing face-up four has length for days and can shoot off the catch. T-30 DJ Jackson, 6-5 180 PF, Coronado- Pound-for-pound the best rebounder in the class, does an excellent job using positioning, length and grit to impact game on both sides of the glass. 31. Michael Singletary- 6-0 140 PG, Lincoln- Cat quick lefty point guard is one of the more explosive players in his class. Improved shooter, heady PG. 32. Derek Sit- 6-0 170 PG, Poway- Quick scoring point guard can knockdown shots from the midrange and hit the deep three. Improved passing IQ. 33. Aaron Williams, 6-4 170 W, San Ysidro- Very young senior wing is a solid athlete and can score it off the dribble and knock down the midrange J. 34. Joseph Davis, 6-3 180 SG, Kearny- Big-bodied wing has a sweet and smooth stroke from deep. Improving ball skills. 35. Cliff Kidd- 6-2 180 G, Mater Dei Catholic- Crafty lefty scoring guard can fill it up from all three levels. Improved playmaker for others. 36. Owen Aschieris, 6-0 155 PG, Santa Fe Christian- One of the few “true PGs” in the class, Aschieris is a pure passer and a crafty scorer off the dribble. 37. Alex Dumas, Lincoln, 6-0 160 PG, Lincoln- More of a scoring guard than true point, Dumas is a reliable three-level scorer and fierce competitor. 38. Je’Von Figaro- 6-2 165 G, Cathedral Catholic- Hyper athletic combo guard is a physical defensive presence. Likely headed to D1 for football. 39. Christian Moore- 6-3 180 G, Cathedral Catholic- Bouncy combo guard is a solid perimeter defender and a streaky scorer off the dribble. 40. Darian Norwood- 6-2 170 W, Mt Miguel- Super-athletic and long utility player has an elite motor and is an excellent defender on the wing. 41. Zach Green- 6-3 180 W, Cathedral Catholic- Very explosive athlete who gets after it on the defensive end and makes highlight plays in transition. 42. Marcus Perry- 5-11 170 G, La Jolla Country Day- Thick scoring guard has as smooth of a shot off the catch as anyone in the class. Crafty off the dribble. 43. Stephen Sedlock, 6-6 170 F, Tri-City Christian- Face-up four is a pure shooter off the catch, flat-footed yet crafty scorer off the dribble. 44. Marquell Cool- 5-11 160 PG, West Hills- Undersized sniper from deep has a weapon in his three-point shot, and is a solid athlete. 45. Devin Diaz- 6-3 160, Orange Glen- Diaz has a chance to rocket up the list if he recovers well from an ACL tear suffered as a junior. Crafty scoring guard is a solid shooter. 46. Brandon Edwards, 6-4 180 F, San Ysidro- Lefty swingman is a productive scorer off the dribble, rebounder and defender. 47. Xavier Allison, 5-10 170 PG, Sage Creek- True PG has improved as a scorer, but his leadership, court vision and intangibles are his strongest attributes. 48. Ryan Michaels- 6-2 170 SG, Canyon Crest- Sharpshooter is in range from the school parking lot, plus he’s getting better putting the ball on the deck. 49. JT Cox- 6-4 185 W, St. Augustine- Crafty wing forward is solid midrange scorer and rebounds it well for his size.

50. Charles Dudley- 6-6 210 PF/C, Santa Fe Christian- Big bodied post player plays hard and has excellent footwork on the block. NBA bloodline T-50. Gabriel Macias- 6-5 190 PF, Orange Glen- Injuries have slowed Macias, but he still remains a crafty scorer and underrated post defender.