With the spring officially coming to an end and the summer ahead of us, it is time to refresh our Alabama rankings. Several new names find themselves in the conversation, while a familiar name stays at the top. 

LANGFORD PROVES ELITE STATUS

Avid basketball fans around the state have noticed the talent level of Madison Academy’s Joshua Langford for a while now. Moreover, he proved his elite status in April during the first live evaluation period.  The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 22.3 points in Dallas on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit, showing that he is a five-star talent nationally.

Kentucky offered Langford a scholarship shortly after his weekend during an in-home visit. With UK, Michigan State, Michigan, and other premiere programs in the country, he is a can’t-miss prospect for the 2016 class. 

BIRMINGHAM STORM DUO STARTS THEIR STORIES

The Birmingham Storm quickly became one of our favorite teams to watch at Suwanee Sports Academy this spring – and college coaches would agree, too. Woodlawn’s Javien Williams and Central Park Christian’s CJ Jones (pictured above) made the squad an attractive team to see each event.

Williams, who starred and had a coming out party at the Alabama Elite Preview in March, finds himself at No. 2 in the rankings. He exploded onto the AAU circuit on the first night of the initial evaluation period in April. Since then, college coaches and media have continued to keep tabs on him.

The 6-foot-4 athlete has emerged as one of the best scorers in the state and in the Southeast. He consistently averaged 20 points at SSA this spring. His athleticism and slithery slashing ability make him a nightmare for opposing teams.

UPDATED 2016 ALABAMA RANKINGS

With a number of different schools involved, Williams has made his case as a fringe high-major prospect.

While Williams has been the focal point for the Storm, wing man CJ Jones has made some noise during the spring, too. His shooting and mid-range game have put him on the radar with a variety of college programs. He slides up to No. 5 in the latest rankings. 

South Alabama natives Kevin Morris (3) and Reginald Todd (4) round out the top 5 of the post-spring rankings.

KENNEDY & PATTON MAKE THEIR DEBUT

Southeast Elite has plenty of under-the-radar prospects, but none made their case more this spring than Tuscaloosa-Northridge power forward Sha’Markus Kennedy and Carroll-Ozark guard Deric Patton. They made their cases loudly – literally. 

Kennedy, a 6-foot-7 pogo stick, plays above the rim and is an intriguing prospect. He is a great shot-blocker and offensive rebounder. His big spring, including a nice performance at Bob Gibbons, lands him at No. 10.

One of the most entertaining prospects that we saw this spring was Patton. Despite only being 6-foot-1, the freak athlete is a highlight reel waiting to happen. With a 40-inch vertical and a grudge against the rim, he could win a few slam dunk contests in the future.

HOW THE RANKINGS ARE FORMULATED

The philosophy of our HoopSeen.com rankings is all about projections at the college level. How will these high school players fare at the next level? How does their game translate to the next level? What kind of lasting impact will they have at their future destinations?

Understand this - rankings (no matter where you find them) are totally subjective. There is never a right answer. They are opinions formed over years of evaluations at different settings. We look for a combination of several things - Production, potential, winning pedigree, size, how a player's game translates to the college level, work ethic, and a host of other filters.