40 high school boys basketball players poised to break out in 2023-24
The 2022-23 high school basketball season was a memorable one, but it's time to turn the page.
With plenty of star power returning and an ever-growing list of high-profile transfers, the 2023-24 season promises to be just as exciting.
Link Academy (Missouri) will look to repeat as national champions, and it will do so with a revamped roster headlined by Lake Highlands (Texas) transfer Tre Johnson, the nation's No. 1 player in the class of 2024.
The usual suspects — Montverde Academy, Prolific Prep, AZ Compass Prep and more — will be chasing down the Lions with five- and four-star prospects of their own, some of the most established stars in the game.
Now, we look ahead. Who will break out next season on a national level, whether it means stepping into a lead role and taking their production to new heights or earning the respect they might already deserve?
After the 2022-23 season wrapped up, we highlighted more than 40 players around the country who we expect are poised for breakout seasons next year at each position. Then we put it up for vote and gave readers the chance to pick their favorites.
Here are the fans' predictions for the nation's top breakout players at each position in the 2023-24 season:
PG: Ben Hammond, St. Paul VI (Virginia)
With all the four-star and five-star prospects on GEICO Nationals-bound St. Paul VI, Hammond has flown sunder the radar despite being highly talented in his own right. The 5-foot-11 junior is a true floor general and a crafty scorer. He recently added Fordham, George Mason and College of Charleston to a growing list of college offers.
FULL LIST OF BREAKOUT POINT GUARDS TO WATCH
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SG: Legend Smiley, Garfield (Washington)
Photo by Vince Miller
Garfield just captured a Class 3A state championship, and it wasn’t UConn signee Jaylin Stewart who led the Bulldogs in scoring in the title game. Smiley, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, poured in 30 points to lead Garfield to victory in the win over O’Dea, and looks like he could be one of the next national standouts to come out of the Seattle area.
FULL LIST OF BREAKOUT SHOOTING GUARDS TO WATCH
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SF: Winters Grady, Tualatin (Oregon)
Photo by Leon Neuschwander
The 6-foot-7 sophomore who scored more than 1,000 points in two years with Lake Oswego is moving to nearby Tualatin, the defending 6A state champion, after averaging 27.6 points per game last year. Currently unranked by major recruiting services except for On3, which views him as the top player in Oregon and a top 75 player in the country for the class of 2025, Grady is poised to become a nationally-known name as a junior.
FULL LIST OF BREAKOUT SMALL FORWARDS TO WATCH
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PF: Alejandro Aviles, Dream City Christian (Arizona)
Aviles led Dream City to an upset of then-No.1 Prolific Prep (California) in January, posting 24 points, seven boards and two blocks. With the departures of seniors David Tubek, Christian Hammond, Amont’e Allen-Johnson and Arne Osojnik, it will likely be the 6-foot-9 sophomore Aviles leading the charge for the Eagles in 2023-24, and he showed this season he’s more than capable of doing so.
FULL LIST OF BREAKOUT POWER FORWARDS TO WATCH
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C: Doryan Onwuchekwa, Oak Cliff Faith Family (Texas)
Photo by Tom Dendy
An elite rim protector who also has the ability to knock down threes, Onwuchekwa earned All-District honors this season while helping Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy repeat as state champions. With team leaders Jadyn Toppin and Peyton Gusters graduating, the 6-foot-11 junior will be charged with taking on a bigger role next as the Eagles make a run at a third straight state championship.
