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Ayton reclaims No. 1 status in 2017

There’s a new No. 1 player in the 2017 Rivals150, but seven-footer DeAndre Ayton from Phoenix (Ariz.) Hillcrest Academy is no stranger to the top of the ranking.

RELATED: Complete updated 2017 rankings | By the numbers

After losing his hold on the top spot and dropping to No. 4 after a poor summer, the native of the Bahamas has played his way back into the top spot.

While there were never any doubts about Ayton’s size and physical gifts, a combination of being less than 100 percent healthy and giving less than 100 percent effort resulted in a rankings slip.

During his junior season, though, Ayton -- who lists Duke, Kansas and Kentucky as his top three -- looked motivated and in the best shape of his young career as he dominated on both ends of the floor. He blocked shots, ran the floor, dominated the glass and showed a new element to his game in a jump shot that he can legitimately shoot out to three-point range.

“I looked to see what I could work on and how other teams' defense moves and stuff,” Ayton told Rivals.com during the season. “I worked on pump faking, using slash moves to go to the basket and I really worked on my three ball because a lot of bigs disrespect the other bigs on the shot. “


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DeAndre Ayton
DeAndre Ayton ()

Behind Ayton, the top five remains the same but the order has been reshuffled a bit.

Moving up to No. 2 from No. 3 overall is Michael Porter of Columbia (Mo.) Father Tolton. A jumbo-sized wing pushing 6-foot-9, Porter got the nod at No. 2 because he is the most polished and consistent of the group tightly packed behind Ayton. He shoots with range, he rebounds at a high volume and he’s learned to make his teammates better. Porter's father is an assistant coach for the Missouri women's team and his younger brother is committed to Washington. Porter took an unofficial visit to Kansas in January and they are among his list of 11 programs.

At No. 3, seven-footer Mohamed Bamba of the Westtown (Pa.) School makes a move up from No. 5. A slender big man with impossibly long arms, Bamba is a game-changer on the defensive end who can really run the floor. His offense is coming along rapidly and he’s the most improved of the elite prospects at the top. Bamba has been linked to Kentucky, Duke, Syracuse, Villanova, St. John's, Connecticut, North Carolina and Louisville.

The former No. 1, 6-foot-10 Wendell Carter of Atlanta (Ga.) Pace Academy, is a reliable low post player. He’s got strength to match his size, controls the paint, gets great position and has soft touch. Carter’s game isn’t flashy, but he is certainly effective. Carter has his eye on Duke, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and North Carolina.

Rounding out the top five is the best point guard in the junior class, Trevon Duval. A 6-foot-2 floor general at Dallas (Texas) API, Duval is an explosive athlete with a great first step. Similar in many ways to Derrick Rose at the same age, Duval’s game is all about getting into the paint and using his elite change of direction in tight quarters to make things happen. Keep an eye on John Calipari and Kentucky in the Duval sweepstakes.

Checking in at No. 6 is Duval’s high school teammate Billy Preston. A 6-foot-9 combo forward, Preston is a skilled scorer who is wide open in his recruiting right now.

One of two players new to the national top 10 6-foot-8 small forward Kevin Knox of Tampa (Fla.) Catholic, moves all the way up to No. 7 from No. 16. He’s a fine athlete who has a developing jumper and a great motor. Knox recently visited North Carolina and Duke on the same weekend. His father played football at Florida State.

At No. 8, 6-foot-6 Troy Brown of Las Vegas (Nev.) Centennial is a high-level defender and a versatile perimeter player who can play point guard, shooting guard or small forward. Brown's sister plays at Kansas, and he also has been linked to Arizona, Cal, UCLA, Utah, UNLV and Stanford.

Right behind him at No. 9, 6-foot-11 Brandon McCoy of San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic is a big man who changes ends rapidly and provides low-post scoring punch. McCoy recently visited USC and Michigan State, Kansas, Arizona and others are involved in his recruitment.

Completing the top 10 is Hamidou Diallo of Putnam (Conn.) Science Academy. At 6-foot-4, Diallo is a skywalking athlete and the most explosive wing scorer in the country. Diallo has seen UConn several times this year, visited Syracuse recently and is also involved with St. John's while Kentucky is another who has been in to see him play.

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