Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

hs basketball:

Trio of Gorman basketball players part of exclusive prospect rankings

Ben Carter-Bishop Gorman

Justin M. Bowen

A look at Bishop Gorman big man, Ben Carter, during practice Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.

Bishop Gorman High rising senior basketball player Ben Carter was mentioned all last spring as one of the Las Vegas Valley’s top players.

The forward, as it turns out, is also was one of the nation’s best.

Carter was ranked Monday as the nation’s No. 109 prospect for the class of 2012 by recruiting website Rivals.com in its Rivals 150. Six with ties to Southern Nevada — three each from Gorman and Findlay Prep — were part of the rankings, but none has seen their stock skyrocket like Carter.

The 6-foot-8 Carter went from a reserve during his sophomore year at Gorman to one of the nation’s most sought-after post-player recruits. He averaged 11 points per game and was arguably Gorman’s most consistent player. Rivals releases its rankings about three times each year, with Carter not ranked the last time.

“The rankings aren’t a big deal to me,” said Carter, who has double-digit scholarship offers, including from UNLV, Arizona State, Oregon and USC. “It is just a number. I’m always trying to get better, no matter if I’m No. 1 or No. 1,000 in the country.”

Gorman’s Shabazz Muhammad, a 6-foot-6 guard with scholarship offers from the likes of Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky, is ranked as the No. 2 overall prospect. He was No. 3 last year.

Muhammad is the top college recruit in Las Vegas basketball history, regularly attracting top college coaches to scout his games and practices. He’s a five-star prospect on the Rivals evaluating system of five stars.

Additionally, Gorman’s Rosco Allen is ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 65 overall prospect. It’s a downgrade for Allen, however, who was rated as No. 23 during the spring.

“This shows that our program is definitely where we want it to be,” Gorman coach Grant Rice said. “These kids have gotten a lot of recognition because they have been seen. We have a lot of colleges here, and they have been seen by a lot of people. Some kids don’t get that opportunity, so they are fortunate.”

At Findlay Prep, the high school power with elite players from across the world that is housed in Henderson, five-star prospect Anthony Bennett is ranked No. 22 and Winston Shepard, a four-star recruit, is No. 38. Landon Lucas, a post player who played sparingly last winter, is No. 125.

Some feel the rankings are a good gauge to determine a player’s success at the next level. Others feel it is an inaccurate science and best used only for entertainment.

“The rankings aren’t always accurate,” Rice said. “There are plenty of kids that are ranked too high and other kids who don’t make the rankings because they have never been seen. To get an accurate evaluation of a kid, you have to seem then practice or play at least five or six times.”

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