It’s good to be the best and in the Class of 2017, there is no one better than Deandre Ayton. With offers from nearly every Division 1 school, Ayton faces tremendous pressure keeping up with the hefty expectations of being the top recruit in the 2017 class. “ I’m on a mission and at the end of the day, I’m not really worried about any type of politics or whatever. I’m just keeping my head straight and keep moving.”

Standing at 7’0”, 235 lbs, Ayton has all the tools of an elite center, but it wasn’t until just a few years ago that he even picked up a basketball for the first time. Coming from the Bahamas, there is no denying that Ayton has had quite the journey to the top. 

Born in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, Ayton grew up as a soccer player. “I played soccer all my life until I started playing basketball.” Explained the high school Junior.

Ayton’s soccer experience has absolutely had an impact on him on the basketball court. “ It helped with my footwork and I’m very coordinated.”

However, at the age of 12, Ayton went on the journey of a lifetime, moving from the Bahamas to San Diego, California to play basketball at Balboa Prep and in a short matter of time, it was clear that basketball was his calling.

During his sophomore year of high school at Balboa Prep, Ayton fascinated scouts with all the tools of future NBA superstar and soon picked up offers from Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke. In January, Ayton said that those three schools were the frontrunners in his recruitment.

After a solid sophomore season at Balboa Prep, Ayton shocked the nation by abruptly leaving for Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix, Arizona. While many players have to take time to adapt to a new team, Ayton picked up right where he left off, most notably in a game back in January, against Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, KS), where Ayton had 52 points, 33 rebounds, and 10 blocks. Even with his success, Ayton still seeks improvement, saying, “I want to work on my trash talking.”

Aside from his trash talking ability, there are very few areas in Ayton’s game where you can find flaws. With the size of a center and the agility of a guard, Ayton has been able to display his power against other elite recruits, especially this summer after joining his AAU team, Cal Supreme.

After previously playing AAU for Supreme Court, Ayton decided this summer that it was time for a change, opting to join Cal Supreme. Joining fellow 5-star Center, Brandon McCoy, among other top recruits, Cal Supreme has been one of the most exciting teams in the EYBL circuit. Despite their unspectacular 7-4 start, Ayton, among others on the team, have shown glimpses of greatness throughout the first few sessions of the EYBL circuit. After missing last AAU season due to injury, Ayton is glad to be back on the court with a new team. “ I didn’t even really get into it last season,” explained Ayton. “I was still recovering from my injury and I just wanted to make a major comeback, but that didn’t work.”

Now, fully recovered from a knee injury last year, Ayton is reinforcing the belief that he is the nation’s top high school basketball player. With the AAU season just beginning to heat up, Deandre Ayton should be evaluated as the most promising prospect in the Class of 2017. Although he’s just getting started, Deandre Ayton is clearly, "The Best of the Best".