Ranking the Top Candidates for 2017 High School Basketball Player of the Year

With the school year beginning across the country, it is time to turn our attention to the high school basketball season. 

While basketball won't begin for another few months as football dominates the national landscape, we can still start to imagine which players might be involved in the early Player of the Year race for the upcoming season.

This list is dominated by seniors coming off big summers, but there are also a few juniors listed that might be able to make a push for this award if they continue to pile up huge numbers and win state championships. 

The rankings on this list are based on which players have the best chance to win Player of the Year based on how they performed the previous school year, how they played this spring and summer on the grassroots circuit and also looking at their current high school situations entering the season. 

Some players will play national schedules filled with marquee opponents while others attend more traditional local high schools that will focus on in-state competition. Neither national teams or local teams hold any sort of specific advantage, but the national prep schools tend to have tougher schedules which could help in deciding this. 

Here are 10 players to keep an eye on for these honors, as many others will likely try to stake their claim in this race throughout the 2016-17 season.

Recruiting ratings via 247Sports.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and information were obtained firsthand.

10. Romeo Langford, Shooting Guard

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Height and Weight: 6'5"; 191 pounds

School: New Albany; New Albany, Indiana

Case for Player of the Year: Already building a legendary reputation in his home state of Indiana, Langford had a monster sophomore season in helping New Albany win an Indiana Class 4A title. Langford had 46 points during a Semi-State game last season as he averaged 29.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. It's not as likely that a junior will win this award, but if Langford has the kind of season he had last year then he'll have to be included in any conversation for Player of the Year.

9. Brian Bowen, Small Forward

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Height and Weight: 6'7", 185 pounds

School: La Lumiere School; LaPorte, Indiana

Case for Player of the Year: Playing on perhaps the best high school team of any player on this list, the 5-star wing is going to play a loaded national schedule this season as La Lumiere hopes to make it back to the title game at Dick's Nationals in April. As the leading scorer for La Lumiere, Bowen will be counted on to regularly put up big numbers, but his star-studded team might also prevent him from putting up some of the bigger individual stats he could need for Player of the Year honors. If La Lumiere continues to be a national power and Bowen is leading the charge, he'll definitely find his name on this list throughout the season. 

8. Trae Young, Point Guard

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Height and Weight: 6'2"; 170 pounds

School: Norman North; Norman, Oklahoma

Case for Player of the Year: There wasn't a point guard who put up better numbers than Young this summer as he helped lead MoKan Elite to the championship at Peach Jam while putting on a perimeter shooting clinic. Those huge numbers seemed normal for Young after a junior season in which he averaged 34.2 points, 4.6 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent from three-point range. If Young wants to capture national Player of the Year honors he's going to have to prove himself when he faces elite competition since his schedule won't be as loaded as some others on this list. 

7. Collin Sexton, Point Guard

Height and Weight: 6'2"; 175 pounds

School: Pebblebrook; Mableton, Georgia

Case for Player of the Year: After winning MVP honors at the FIBA U17 World Championships this summer, no player in high school basketball did more to enhance his recruiting stock this summer than Sexton. The hard-nosed guard can score at an elite level as he averaged 29 points per game as a junior and then led the Nike EYBL in scoring at 31.7 points per game this spring. While everyone knows that Sexton can score, it might be his other numbers that make him a serious candidate for Player of the Year. If Sexton can show improvement as a distributor while continuing to rebound from the perimeter, he should have the numbers to be in the mix.  

6. Gary Trent Jr., Shooting Guard

Height and Weight: 6'5"; 190 pounds

School: Prolific Prep; Napa, California

Case for Player of the Year: Transferring from Apple Valley High School in Minnesota to a national program in Prolific Prep should only help Trent's Player of the Year case as Kansas commit and former 5-star prospect Josh Jackson put up monster numbers there last season. Playing the same national schedule, Trent should thrive in his new setting after putting up 26.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game as a junior. Also remarkably efficient during his junior year, Trent shot 52.7 percent from the field, 40.7 percent from 3-point range and 82.5 percent from the free-throw line. If Trent puts up those kinds of numbers against elite competition then he'll be a major factor.

5. Kevin Knox, Small Forward

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Height and Weight: 6'8", 195 pounds

School: Tampa Catholic; Tampa, Florida

Case for Player of the Year: Focusing only on basketball last season after giving up his starting quarterback spot in football, Knox had a huge junior campaign as he averaged 29.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in winning the Florida 4A Player of the Year. After a summer in which he was a key piece for the gold-medal winning USA Basketball U17 World Championship team, Knox could be prepared to make an additional leap as he's the type of play-making wing who could put up monster numbers.

4. Marvin Bagley III, Center

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Height and Weight: 6'10"; 190 pounds

School: Sierra Canyon; Chatsworth, California

Case for Player of the Year: The most interesting case for this season will come from Bagley, as he's finally eligible to play at Sierra Canyon after transferring in and being ruled ineligible as a sophomore. As a freshman at Corona del Sol in Arizona, Bagley averaged 19.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.3 assists per game and he's been a force on the grassroots circuit as well. If Bagley adjusts well to his new school and continues to put up regular double-doubles, then he could be the top junior candidate for Player of the Year honors. 

3. Wendell Carter, Center

Height and Weight: 6'10; 258 pounds

School: Pace Academy, Atlanta, Georgia

Case for Player of the Year: After a junior year that featured a state title and great overall statistics, there will be a lot of hype around the 5-star big man during his senior season. In the Class AA state-title game, Carter poured in 30 points and finished with 20 rebounds as he averaged 25 points, nine rebounds and three assists per game during the season. Coming off of a big summer in which Carter earned a gold medal in the FIBA U17 World Championships, he'll be one of the main players in this race from the very beginning.

2. DeAndre Ayton, Center

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Height and Weight: 7'0"; 235 pounds

School: Hillcrest Academy; Phoenix, Arizona 

Case for Player of the Year: Already the most dominant big man in high school basketball, Ayton finished in fourth place last year for Mr. Basketball USA as he was the only member of the Class of 2017 to reach the top 10. With an ability to score from the post and knock down jumpers, Ayton should put up massive amounts of points and he'll also gobble up rebounds after being one of the EYBL's leaders in boards this spring and summer. If Ayton can protect the rim at a high level and produce a lot of blocked shots, that could separate him from some other candidates on this list.

1. Michael Porter Jr., Small Forward

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Height and Weight: 6'9", 210 pounds

School: Nathan Hale; Seattle, Washington

Case for Player of the Year: The Washington commit is coming off of a huge spring and summer in which he led MoKan Elite to the championship of the Nike EYBL. While winning helps quite a bit in a Player of the Year scenario, Porter also has the individual numbers to back up his case. Porter was the only player in the EYBL to finish top five in points and rebounds this spring and he has a chance to put up huge numbers and a lot of double-doubles this season. The only thing that could hold back Porter is that he's playing for a new school, in a new state for a new head coach. If Porter can handle those immediate issues, he's the front-runner for Player of the Year heading into the 2016-17 season.