Harold Yu tops list of 7-footers playing high school basketball

Elite prospects Evan Mobley, Chet Holmgren and Walker Kessler headline list of 7-footers in high school basketball.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Jordan Divens
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Feb 14, 2020, 10:45am
Chet Holmgren highlights
Minnehaha Academy junior among 7-footers in high school basketball.

While the NBA trends toward small ball, 7-footers continue to be a source of fascination at the high school level.

The NBA features 31 players listed at 7-foot or taller with Joel Embiid, Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic and Kristaps Porzingis leading the way in terms of impact.

The MaxPreps database included 54 players listed at 7-0 of taller playing high school basketball in the United States. Data entry errors and obvious embellishments were weeded out. We also didn't nitpick the 6-foot-10.5 and 6-11 players listed at 7-0.

Nine of those 54 are pegged as Top 100 prospects by 247Sports, while six are noted as Top 35 players in their classification.

So who could emerge as the next Embiid or Jokic?
Graphic by Ryan Escobar
Chet Holmgren of Minnehaha Academy (Minneapolis, Minn.) might be the most intriguing 7-foot prospect. Regarded as the No. 2 junior, Holmgren may be the best shot blocker in the prep game, averaging around five blocks per game this season. He's also shown the ability to shoot from deep and battle in the paint for rebounds despite being listed at 180 pounds.

Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.) is the No. 2-ranked player in the senior class. The skilled USC signee possesses elite vision and shot blocking abilities out of the post with the ability to step out and shoot from range.

North Carolina signee Walker Kessler of Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.) and Duke signee Mark Williams of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), both McDonald's All-Americans, also have a chance to make their mark at the next levels.

Hunter Dickinson of DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) has shown the ability to dominate against the top-ranked big man in his class battling Mobley this season at the Spalding Hoophall Classic.

Harold Yu, Zach Edey and Jasper Reinalda stand out as the tallest players in high school hoops, each listed at a towering 7-foot-3.

Yu starts for No. 20 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), providing a much-needed paint presence for the two-time defending CIF Open Division champions. He's carved out an important role among a roster of stars and has range to the 3-point line making him an intriguing prospect as he finishes up his junior season.

Edey plays for No. 23 IMG Academy, where he comes off the bench in a limited role. He's signed to play at Purdue next season and is listed as a 3-star prospect by 247sports.

Reinalda has put together a strong senior season for Corvallis (Ore.), but has yet to make a college decision.

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