NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — In my less-than-expert opinion, Cayden Daughtry might be the greatest high school basketball player ever.
OK, fine, maybe not ever. But also … maybe? Or perhaps this is a better, less hyperbolic but appropriately effusive way to put it: If I had to pick one non-NBA player to watch every single minute of his career for the next two years, it would be Cayden Daughtry. Because his game is a thrill ride of speed and quickness, change of pace and direction, slick handles and smooth jumpers, guts and gusto, precision and panache.
He is just fun as hell to watch, is what I’m saying. Witnessing his historic heater at Nike’s Peach Jam last week was the giddiest I’ve been watching a high school kid hoop in years. This is where you might be inclined to interject: Then rank him No. 1 in the 2027 class, you cowards!
Well, it’s not that simple. First, I’m not in charge of — or even involved in — our rankings here at 247Sports. And I shouldn’t be. I’m also OK with the likelihood that Daughtry might not ever top our rankings, despite the fact that I’m actively rigging the election for president of the Cayden Daughtry Fan Club.
See, there’s an important distinction to be made here. I am not Adam Finkelstein. I am not Eric Bossi. I am not Travis Branham. I am not Brandon Jenkins. I am not Dushawn London. Which is to say, unlike those three keen-eyed scouting veterans and extremely thorough colleagues of mine, I’m not watching, evaluating and comparing the best high school basketball players all year long. And I’m not considering their long-term potential, which ultimately means NBA outlook, the way those guys are.
So in the absence of any qualifications to rank players and without the context of having seen everyone in America, I’m not going to attempt to provide any definitive words on who is the best this or that in the class. What I can do, though, is just tell you who I had the most fun watching last week at Peach Jam.
Let’s call it the Fun Stuff Index, and let’s begin with Daughtry, because his game is pure adrenaline.
