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The Bossi Awards: Hoophall Classic

Michael Porter
Michael Porter (Courtesy of Les Schwab Invitational)

RIVALS RANKINGS: 2017 | 2018 | 2019

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – After watching all of the action at the Hoophall Classic at Springfield College, national basketball analyst Eric Bossi hands out his awards from the loaded weekend of action.

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CREAM OF THE CROP

MORE HOOPHALL: Which No. 1 player wore that crown best?

This award is easy to give to 2017's No. 1 player, Michael Porter Jr., who had 36 points, five rebounds and four assists. The jumbo-sized small forward toyed with an Oak Hill squad featuring several players ranked four-stars or better from the classes of 2017 and 2018. Porter is a potentially special player at the highest level and figures to make a gigantic impact at Washington.

Honorable mention: Finishing with 21 points and nine rebounds in Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon's win, 2018's No. 1 player Marvin Bagley III was right on Porter's heels. He's down to Arizona, Arizona State, Duke, Kentucky, Oregon and UCLA.

FLOOR GENERAL

Quade Green
Quade Green (Nike/Jon Lopez @NikeEYB)

Of all the awards, this one may have been the most difficult because so many high-level guys played so well. At the end of the day, Kentucky-bound five-star senior Quade Green gets the vote because of how far he elevated his play from the last time I saw him in December. He finished with 29 points, 10 assists and five rebounds, and led his team to an impressive win.

Honorable mention: Trevon Duval is the best point guard in America and was terrific as usual at the HoopHall (he'll get his own award further down). Tremont Waters isn't the biggest guy, but the Georgetown-bound floor general is fearless and can score from deep. Five-star sophomore Cole Anthony was good for 29 points and five assists and has huge upside while top 40 junior Jahvon Quinerly is as steady as they come.

JACK OF ALL TRADES

John Petty
John Petty (Bob Blanchard/Basketball Hall of Fame)

Since the awards are being given out on performance at the event, it's hard not to give it to Alabama-bound John Petty. The No. 28 player in the class of 2017 had a triple-double of 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a win. His development into a steady jump shooter and competitor has been huge.

Honorable mention: Long term, this award would probably have gone to Cameron Reddish; he's firmly established himself as a top five player in the junior class. He's nearly 6-foot-8, can play point for stretches and has turned into an inside/out scorer. Hard not to appreciate what five-star junior center Nazreon Reid did. He had the motor running and had a triple double of his own.

SCRATCHING THE SURFACE

Moses Brown
Moses Brown (Nike/Jon Lopez @NikeEYB)

Last week, Moses Brown rose all the way to No. 6 in the class of 2018 and it appears as if he's going to back it up. He was severely limited by foul trouble in his game but at 7-feet with soft touch and good athleticism, his ceiling is ridiculous. Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, Louisville, St. John's and many others are chasing.

Honorable mention: Michigan State-bound Jaren Jackson is already a top 10 player in 2017, but much of it has been based on potential. His production is getting there now too and he's got some young Chris Bosh in his game. He won't turn 18 until September of his freshman year in East Lansing.

MOST IMPRESSIVE ATHLETE

Trevon Duval
Trevon Duval (USA Basketball)

Sure, Trevon Duval is an impressive leaper and the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG point guard has a ridiculous first step. However, what really makes the top point guard in the senior class special is how quickly and effectively he can change directions in tight spaces (often multiple times) while playing through contact. He's down to Arizona, Baylor, Duke, Kansas and Seton Hall.

Honorable mention: Given that he's nearly 7-foot, has a 7-foot-9 wingspan and has the agility of a guard, Mohamed Bamba is a total freak. Unfortunately foul trouble limited his matchup with 2017's No. 2 player, DeAndre Ayton. Bamba is down to Duke, Kentucky, Michigan and Texas.

THE GLOVE

Josh Green
Josh Green (Nike/Jon Lopez @NikeEYB)

Going to do some projecting here, but 2019's No. 29 player Josh Green looks like he is going to be an elite defender on the college level. The 6-foot-5 wing is tough, athletic and has great reactions. Arizona and UNLV are among those chasing him early.

Honorable mention: He's not the biggest point guard, but 2018 Rivals150 floor general Jordan Walker showed he can really move his feet for The Patrick School. Watch out for a possible move to the class of 2017 from him. Walker's five-star teammate, Kentucky-bound 7-footer Nick Richards, projects as a high-level post defender.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

Emmitt Williams
Emmitt Williams (Bob Blanchard, Basketball Hall of Fame)

Currently ranked No. 33 in the class of 2018, 6-foot-7 power forward Emmitt Williams seems like the kind of guy who would have taken down Russell Crowe early in Gladiator. He has unlimited energy, is explosive and plays until (and often after) the whistle. Williams is building a case for a move to five-star status.

Honorable mention: The closest thing to the old Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes in hightops, point guard Remy Martin is a little wild at times but there's no denying his energy. Though he's probably only 160 pounds, he's also incredibly tough and has the guts to make big plays late in games. Arizona State is going to love his energy.

BULL MARKET

Emmanuel Akot
Emmanuel Akot (Nike/Jon Lopez @NikeEYB)

Ranked No. 29 in the class of 2018, 6-foot-7 small forward Emmanuel Akot isn't exactly an unknown. However, after seeing him in person again he looks like a guy who will move to five-star status and could compete for top 10 status in 2018. He can create off the dribble, scores at the rim, shoots it and rebounds. He's down to Arizona, Louisville, Oregon and Utah.

Honorable mention: Class of 2019 combo forward Dana Tate is one who should see his stock take off. He scores inside and out to mid-range, has toughness and a great motor.

ALL OR NOTHING

Shareef O'Neal
Shareef O'Neal (Nike/Jon Lopez @NikeEYB)

For the most part it's been a pretty good winter for five-star junior Shareef O'Neal. However, with his father Shaquille O'Neal on hand to watch the younger O'Neal went 0-10 from the field. He's long, athletic and has a pretty shot but can settle for jumpers at times and floats in and out of games.

Honorable mention: He usually ends up with big numbers and made the McDonald's All-American team, but four-star shooting guard Charles O'Bannon does seem to float in and out of games. If Andy Enfield can get him to play with intensity from tipoff to the final whistle at USC he's the type of guy who could one day lead the Pac-12 in scoring.

LUNCH PAIL

R.J. Barrett
R.J. Barrett (Bob Blanchard, Basketball Hall of Fame)

The No. 1 player in the class of 2019, there's nothing Hollywood about Montverde (Fla.) Academy's star wing R.J. Barrett. The native of Canada operates in the post, he hits mid-range jumpers and is all over the glass. All because that's exactly what his team needs from him. A power wing who is totally committed to winning, he'll play wherever needed.

Honorable mention: The final Rivals150 for 2017 is still more than three months from being decided, but Greensboro (N.C.) Day combo forward J.P. Moorman put himself into the conversation. The Temple-bound Moorman showed toughness, shooting touch and a nice all-around game.

BEST HAIR-AND-GAME COMBO

Wendell Carter
Wendell Carter (Bob Blanchard, Basketball Hall of Fame)

It's hard not to give a guy with blue hair an award. Top-five senior – and Duke commit – Wendell Carter had 28 points and 18 rebounds, and made an impressive 18-of-22 free throws in an overtime loss. The only thing that was negative were 11 of his 14 field goal attempts coming from beyond the three-point line. Odds are he won't take that many threes during his entire freshman season in Durham.

Honorable mention: It would have been easy to take unsigned five-star wing Brian Bowen here. He has a flowing/floppy bleached-blonde mohawk thing going on and he has game. He had a double-double for La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere and should pick among Arizona, Creighton, Michigan State, N.C. State and Texas in the next month or so.

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