High School

SBLive's Top 20 sophomores to watch in Mississippi high school boys basketball

With the 2021-22 Mississippi high school basketball season underway, SBLive is taking a look at the best players in the state, class by class.

Tyler Cleveland, SBLive

SBLive's Top 20 sophomores to watch in Mississippi high school boys basketball
SBLive's Top 20 sophomores to watch in Mississippi high school boys basketball /

With the 2021-22 Mississippi high school basketball season underway, SBLive is taking a look at the best players in the state, class by class.

Here’s a look at 20 sophomores (Class of 2024) to keep an eye on in Mississippi high school boys basketball this season.

(Travion Guy feature photo by Keith Warren)

SBLIVE'S TOP 20 SOPHOMORES IN MS BOYS BASKETBALL

Trey Alexander, Clinton Christian

The 6-foot, 180-pound guard burst onto the scene last year as a freshman, averaging nearly 20 points a game in his first year as a starter.

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Tayler Berryhill, Cleveland Central

The 5-foot-9 guard is the younger brother of Tyler Berryhill, the former West Tallahatchie standout who now plays for Tougaloo College. The younger Berryhill started making a name for himself last season when he helped the Wolves to a 16-4 record.

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Kameron Brown, Vicksburg

The 6-foot-2 Brown plays guard for Vicksburg, and impressed scouts at the Mahmoud Abdul Rauf Skills Academy in March, then again at the Southern Sports Platform Tidal Wave Camp last month. He helped Vicksburg to a 15-8 record and the second round of the Class 5A Playoffs last season.

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Brewer Carruth, Parklane Academy

Carruth is 6-foot-3 and strong for a sophomore. He impressed scouts at the Southern Sports Platform Tidal Wave event at MRA last month with his perimeter and mid-range shooting and his ability to finish at the rim after contact.

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Thomas Craft, Bayou Academy

The 6-foot-7, 200-pound Craft almost looks out of place playing in MAIS 5A. He’s huge for a sophomore and helped Bayou to a 21-6 record as a freshman last season.

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Travion Guy, Starkville

Guy, a talented 5-foot-11 point guard for the Yellow Jackets, is ready for an expanded role in his second year of high school. He helped Starkville to a 19-3 record last year as a freshman.

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Sam Hailey, MRA

MRA’s 5-foot-10 guard Hailey is a scoring machine. He scored 16 points in the season-opening win over Clinton Christian and 18 more in a win over Kirk Academy in the past week. Cleary, he’s ready for the bigger role his sophomore season will bring this season.

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Bryce Hooker, Biloxi

A two-sport athlete, Biloxi’s 5-foot-11 guard just switched over from football to basketball and is already having an impact on the court. He impressed scouts at the Southern Sports Platform Tidal Wave showcase last month.

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Grant Hutton, Itawamba AHS

Hutton is a solid all-around player with great size at 6-foot-6. He scores like a guard and plays defense like a forward. He helped Itawamba to a 21-5 record last season and should take on a bigger role as a sophomore this year.

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Matthew Krass, St. Patrick

The younger brother of St. Patrick star Nick Krass is going to be a stud himself. He’s already 6-foot-3 and averaged 4.1 points as a freshman to help the Fighting Irish to 24 wins last season.

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Greer Manning, West Union

If you haven’t heard the name Greer Manning before, you better get used to it. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound guard is a stellar athlete who also plays baseball. He helped the Eagles to 12 wins and a playoff berth last season, and dropped 32 points earlier this year in a 75-62 win over Hickory Flat.

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Pacey Matthews, South Pontotoc

South Pontotoc’s splendid guard is already 6-foot-3 and making waves. He scored 20 points to go with seven rebounds in the season-opener, then dropped 26 points and 11 boards in a win over Bruce last week.

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Dorian McMillian, Pascagoula

The 6-foot-3 sophomore guard is as explosive as they come. He averaged 11.4 points a game last season and helped Pascagoula to a 17-4 record, including a 6-0 mark in region 8-5A.

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E.J. Paymon, Raymond

Paymon may end up being the most sought after recruit in the 2024 class after transferring home to Raymond from First Love Christian Academy in Washington, Pa. during the offseason. The 6-foot-9 forward is athletic at 225 pounds and has a 7-foot-4 wingspan.

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Ryan Roth, St. Patrick

Roth was a role-player who saw limited action for St. Patrick as a freshman, but still averaged 3.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. He’s grown to 6-foot-2 this season and appears ready to take on a larger role for the Fighting Irish.

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Jayden Tatum, Columbus

Tatum is still 6-foot-3 and still growing, but is already strong enough to play forward at Columbus. He contributed last year, helping Columbus to 11 wins, and got some much-needed exposure at the Southern Sports Platform Tidal Wave showcase event last month.

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Jakobi Thompson, Provine

At 6-foot-2, he’s the taller of Provine’s splendid sophomore guard duo and gives the Rams a potent 1-2 punch they should have for the next couple of years.

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Jaylyn Tyler, Olive Branch

Olive Branch is a team on the cusp of being very, very good and their 6-foot, 150-pound guard is one of the reasons. He already holds Juco offers heading into this sophomore season, and should only get better from here.

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Javian Watkins, Provine

There aren’t many guys who are just 5-foot-8 on our list, but Watkins definitely deserves a spot. Provine’s point guard is a good defender and distributor, but can also score buckets in bunches.

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Jaydan Williams, Rossville Christian

The 6-foot-5 swing man out of Holly Springs is a constant scoring threat, but can also man up under the bucket on defense. He helped the Wolves to a 16-3 record last season.

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Honorable mention:

Dominic Stewart, Grace Baptist
Nathan White, Brandon
Whit Altmyer, Heritage Academy

Published
Tyler Cleveland, SBLive
TYLER CLEVELAND, SBLIVE

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