Cameron Boozer is simply one of the most versatile offensive hubs to ever play the sport of basketball.

Players Boozer’s size aren’t supposed to be this skilled – between his reliable handle, high-level playmaking vision, sublime shooting touch, and all-around scoring versatility, this 6’9″ 250lb bull gracefully drives through china shops without breaking a plate, consistently creating good looks for his team with quick-processing decision making, on-ball advantage creation, and off-ball play-finishing gravity stretching from downtown to the rim.

Fresh off an All-Time great one-and-done Duke season, Boozer has proven elite traits since his development path from Columbus High School that could add up to a sum-of-its-parts offensive engine at the NBA level:

• Outlier Outlet Passing
• Efficient Scoring Versatility
• Connective Hub Playmaking
• Special Rebounding Instincts
• Knockdown Perimeter Shooting
• Quick Processing Two-Way Feel

Now that March Madness ended in an exciting-before-disappointing run, there’s finally a crack in the Boozer Twins’ perfect armor.

Evaluators can still write a Christmas Carole with the list of accolades that the Boozer twins (Cameron, Cayden) have accomplished on their run to this point, two of the biggest winners to ever play the sport:

4 Florida State Titles
3 Nike EYBL Peach Jam Championships
2 Team USA Gold Medals
1 High School Natty

and the ACC champion regular season + tournament trophies.

After finishing the season, Cameron Boozer adds AP Player of the Year to that resume while becoming the first player in NCAA history to win NABC Freshman of the Year, Big Man of the Year, and Player of the Year.

Cameron Boozer is the clear best bet #1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft class

Boozer is the clear top prospect in an all-time draft class not due to some immeasurable talent or high-flying bounce, but due to his consistent team-first feel and efficient scoring versatility in every basketball situation he finds himself in on the court.

Carlos Boozer calls his son, Cameron Boozer, a “modern-day version” of Tim Duncan, via Marc Spears:

“You look at what Tim Duncan did. I’m not comparing Cameron to Tim Duncan, but he was another guy that wasn’t [athletically] a Kevin Garnett or a Tracy McGrady or a Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal. But you know what he did? He won five championships in that era [against] those players — the Kobes and the Shaqs, because of his IQ, because of his skill set, and because his team would follow him… That is who Cameron is. He’s a modern-day version of that… So. if you want to win, you pick Cameron.” – Carlos Boozer

One popular comp for Boozer has been Kevin Love, and for good reason; while the mobility of these two players and play-styles on the ball are quite different, there are a handful of outlier elite attributes in outlet passing, rebounding, three-point shooting, post-up prowess and an impressively high BPM impact rating that make the stretch-four prospect comparisons easy to make. Love was an even better rebounder in college than Cam, but was slightly less efficient as a scorer and was 4 percentage points worse as a 3pt shooter. One big difference, though, is Boozer’s playmaking talent being on another level (25% AST/14% TOV%) compared to Love’s score-first style (14% AST%/15% TOV%)

Love was a big time prospect in his own right as a next-level scorer, shooter, rebounder, play-finisher and all-time outlet passer. Boozer’s ability to do those things similarly well while combining that scoring gravity with his handle, vision, and two-way feel takes his game to another level, allowing him to make quick decisions, create advantages for teammates and generate good shots for his team consistently, is what takes his potential superstardom to an even higher level of a scoring creator than Love.
One huge skill separating these two prospects here is Boozer’s handle, refined enough to help him self-create so many of these opportunities without needing a teammate to create the advantage first, which is uncommon for a big man. That handle, with the added team-focused playmaking, creates a floor-stretching downhill scoring creator with offensive engine gravity.

Another popular comparison brings up aesthetic similarities to the Magic’s Paolo Banchero and peak Pistons Blake Griffin in things like role malleability, scoring versatility, short-roll and postup playmaking, downhill play-finishing, and free-throw drawing as a powerful dunking 6’9”+ 250lb tank who can operate both ends of a pick-and-roll. As far as the hype machine bringing up names like Tim Duncan and Nikola Jokic, it’s for glimpses of similarities in fundamental footwork, strong screening, team-first connective play, and general understanding of the game as old-school offensive hubs, like Duncan sleepwalking to 20-10-3-3 statlines and Jokic splashing otherworldly tough shots and diming unthinkable passes from nearly any spot on the floor.

None of these are one-to-one comps; just all-time great prospects and players with comparable roles, playstyles, and archetypes who Boozer can build off to impact the game in similar ways to the stars who walked before him, like an artist mastering their craft by studying the classic works of old before mixing up what they learned into something new.

Any franchise painting on an empty canvas should give Boozer the paintbrush and get out of the way.


The Film

Just to highlight Boozer’s position and role malleability, let’s look at some Duke tape to see how an NBA team can utilize him in a variety of Pick-and-Roll situations, without even getting to the one-on-one creation card he can pull out of his sleeve.

Boozer running pick-and-rolls on the ball shows his ability to attack mismatches with drives and find teammates for good looks.

Boozer spaces the floor from deep in Pick-and-Pops, utilizing his shooting gravity to knock down C&S threes and attack closeouts with pump-fakes and driving touch finishes, creating a lethal shooting threat compared to the average screening roll-man.

Boozer’s finesse in the paint from a variety of angles and force at the rim when rolling hard offers a versatile play-finisher compared to the average screening roll-man, not to mention his ability to playmake out of the short-roll.

The Data
(as of 03.19.26)

Averaging 23 PPG – 10 REB – 4 AST / 2 TOV – 1.5 STL, Boozer seems to fill up the box score consistently whether you think he’s having a good game or not. In his time at Duke, he racked up 68 Stocks (BLK + STL) to 57 fouls, a good indicator for defensive instincts forcing turnovers without fouling.

Recorded 2 games with 15 REB, 2 games with 14 REB, 5 games with 13 REB, another 5 games with 12 REB; Boozer knows a thing or two about crashing the glass in case of emergency.

His best scoring outings were as follows: vs. Arkansas scoring 35 PTS on 1.4 PPP, vs. Indiana State with 35 PTS on 1.6 PPP, vs. Wake Forest with 32 PTS on 1.4 PPP, vs. Stanford with 30 PTS on 1.4 PPP, and vs. Florida with 29 PTS on 1.1 PPP.

Seemingly endless stat indicators hint at Boozers’ scoring versatility, shooting touch, rebounding instincts, and two-way feel being positives that will translate to winning at any level.

Synergy Playtypes:

Excellent or very good all-around scorer in most situations:

Excellent, Versatile Scoring Profile:

Boozer quite literally scored 1.0-1.5 PPP in every playtype other than off screens and handoffs, thriving in Post Ups (1.1 PPP), Spot Ups (1.3), Transition (1.4), ISO (1.0), Put Backs (1.4), and Cuts (1.5).

For comparison, AJ Dybantsa scored 0.88 PPP in ISO, in the 58th percentile, and 1.0 on Spot Ups, the 64th percentile, and 0.77 PPP as P&R Roll-Man, 14th percentile. Dybantsa thrived as P&R Ball-Handler, Transition, Post Ups, and Put Backs, but still scored less efficiently than Boozer in all those playtypes, except for his Put Back Rate.

Just to further highlight his scoring versatility, Boozer scored 1.3 PPP as the Roll-Man in P&R on 60 poss, and scored over 1.0 PPP on 63 poss as the P&R Ball-Handler. Breaking that up into pops vs rolls: 31 times he pick-and-popped for 1.3 PPP; 25 times he pick-and-rolled for 1.4 PPP; 4 times he slipped the pick for 1.5 PPP.

Are you picking up on the absurdly efficient scoring in nearly every playtype in nearly every situation on and off the ball?

Other than handoffs, off screen, and less scripted plays that don’t involve his patented putbacks, he’s rated in Top-20 percentile in all 8 other playtypes recorded by Synergy.

Offensive Engine Indicators – Team Shot Creation via Boozer’s Scoring + Playmaking in ISO, Postup, P&R Ball-Handler

Efficient shot creation including passes shows the decision making and execution ability of a primary ball-handler, which could be one of the sports’ few measures reflecting a player’s feel for the game.

Boozer scored 1.0 PPP on Drives for Duke; he preferred to drive left, averaging 1.1 PPP on 67 left-side drives compared to 0.9 PPP on right-side drives.

When including passes as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, Boozer’s shot creation for his team becomes even more efficient at 1.08 PPP on 128 possessions, staying at 1.1 PPP on another 72 possessions where the defense “commits” to him as a P&R ball-handler.

Compared to Dybantsa, AJ created 0.93 PPP on 356 possessions as P&R Ball-Handler including passes, a roughly 0.15 PPP worse than Boozer’s 1.08 PPP.

Cam’s ISO PPP, including passes to teammates, rises slightly above 1.0 in efficiency; Dybantsa’s rises to 0.9 PPP.

Boozer encourages defenses to double him in the post; when including passes on postups, Boozer creates 1.1 PPP on 241 poss (84th percentile); he creates just under 1.0 PPP on 121 postups where defense “commits”, and he creates 1.1 PPP on 91 postups where defense sends a hard “double” (85th).

Dybantsa does well out of the post, creating 1.2 PPP on 128 possessions for his team, a slightly better mark than Boozer on half the volume.

Boozer’s scoring creation indicators are so promising, he could take being a versatile efficient offensive hub to a full blown ‘offensive engine’ level for a franchise if his skillset is maximized for its quick processing efficient shot creation.

All in all, these efficiencies across every play type as both a scorer and team-first shot creator show how malleable Boozer’s game can be at any level, thanks to his efficient shooting versatility and high-feel decision-making.

Here’s one look at Boozer’s processing from Swish Theory’s Ben Pfeifer, who calls Boozer, “the best post skip passing prospect he’s ever scouted”:

Shooting Touch Indicators

42% C&S 3P% on 91 3PA
41% Pull-Up 3P% on 34 3PA
65% eFG% on 296 Shots At The Rim
61% eFG% on 255 Layups
94% eFG% on 35 Dunks
(9/12 on Hooks)

Overall Scoring & Creation

1.18 PPP
67% TS%
62% eFG%
1.7 AST/TO (133 AST)
26% AST% / 12% TOV%
62% 2P% on 338 2PA
42% 3P% on 125 3PA
78% FT% on 244 FTA

All-Time NCAA & ACC Ranks

1st in NCAA in BPM, Offensive BPM, Win Shares, Win Shares Per 40, Def Win Shares, Off Win Shares, and PER
1st in ACC in PTS | 2nd in NCAA in PTS
2nd in ACC in PPG | 9th in NCAA in PPG
1st in ACC in REB | 7th in NCAA in REB
1st in ACC in RPG | 13th in NCAA in RPG
2nd in ACC in Offensive RPG | 19th in NCAA in Offensive RPG
1st in ACC in Defensive RPG | 8th in NCAA in Defensive RPG
8th in ACC in AST
11th in ACC in AST
9th in ACC in STL
13th in ACC in STL / GM
4th in ACC in FG%
18th in ACC in FT%
12th in ACC in 2P%
3rd in ACC in eFG%
3rd in ACC in TS%
9th in ACC in AST%

BPM History

2nd-highest BPM ever (+20), up there with fellow Duke Blue Devil Zion Williamson for the most impactful collegiate season by impact rating.

Boozer joins Zach Edey and Steph Curry (2x) as the only members of the 30 USG% / 15+ BPM Club, via Chip Williams.

Cerebro Ratings & NCAA Data Viz

Cerebro Stat Glossary:
C-RAM (Overall Impact) | PSP (Scoring) | 3PE (3PT Shooting) | FGS (Playmaking) | ATR (Rebounding/Blocks) | DSI (Steals/Fouls)

What stands out most about Boozer compared to his peers in the conversation for the #1 pick is that Boozer combines the sum of his parts to project as a reliable half-court hub for an offense to consistently create good looks every night out for the next decade. Boozer’s ball skills, footwork, and mix of efficient scoring versatility, efficient team shot creation, playmaking execution, and team-first decision-making create a walking advantage creator who bends defenses and generates efficient points at will.

Freshman Boozer rated higher that Dybantsa and Peterson overall and in almost every aspect of the game that Cerebro tracks, other than Peterson’s lights-out 3pt shooting metric.

Boozer’s cumulative career ratings this far in all games recorded by Cerebro are elite as a scorer, rebounder, and defender, while ranking highest in every category except for being one point shy of Peterson’s defense and ranking a close 3rd in 3pt shooting. This highlights Cam’s elite traits and scoring efficiency, making winning plays like rebounding and playmaking, the ability to spread the floor from deep, and a special feel for touch passes and turnover-forcing defense, and shows how incredible his now-elite 3pt shooting development has come from his days at the grassroots level.

Individual perimeter defense and lack of quick first step burst could limit Boozer exploding past anyone or shutting down anyone on the perimeter, like most power forwards he’s more of an ultimate connective hub, but his instincts will help him force steals, his versatility will help him switch 3-5 to some degree, and he is effective in one-on-one offense in other ways by using his footwork, awareness, and skill to score and create advantages.

Efficient Shooting Line, High Usage, Low Turnovers

There is only one freshman since 2008 to hit Boozer’s marks in shooting percentages and shooting volume on twos, threes, and free throws at his usage.

According to barttorvik, Boozer is the only NCAA Freshman in their database with over 30% USG% who shot 61-39-78 on 10 2PA — 3 3PA — 7 FTA. For comparison, Dybantsa shot 57-33-77 on 13 2PA –– 4 3PA –– 9 FTA.

The chart below visualizes NCAA freshmen who meet a handful of stats attempting to show scoring efficiency and high-feel decision making, with the x-axis showing volume of shots at the rim horizontally, and turnover percentage vertically on y-axis.

Boozer has the most shots at the rim of all these prospects as a freshmen, and the 2nd-best turnover percentage while doing it, lagging behind one of the draft class’s other best decision-makers, Stanford Ebuka Okorie.

← Rewind to 2023: Scouting The Montverde Sunshine Classic


#12 Cam Boozer, 6’10” Forward, Columbus

A strong-shouldered forward with feathery shooting touch like his NBA All-Star dad, the 6’9″ Cam Boozer quickly become a household name in draft circles as a Top-3 2026 prospect, with this Montverde-Columbus marquee matchup featuring another potential Top-3 prospect (in 2025), Cooper Flagg, just to name two of many exciting prospects in this contest.

Cam Boozer and Donavan Freeman rate strongly here as both scorers and creators, in a similar range of output this weekend as Cooper Flagg and guards Rob Wright and Darius Acuff.

vs. Montverde
20 PTS
8 REB
5 AST / 8 TO
4 STL + 1 BLK
6/13 FG & 7/10 FT
(30 MIN)

A powerful yet graceful dancing bear 6’9″ forward who rocks rims on rolls through the paint, shows soft touch on the jump shot, looks ahead for outlet passes, and glides through defenses on off-ball cuts, Cam sure plays like a Boozer.

In the Montverde matchup, Boozer came out with more intensity in the second half, focusing on powering through people, showing sound handles on the ball, lookahead vision as a playmaker, and leaving huge impact as a rim-finishing play-finisher, even blocking a Flagg driving layup in help defense before finding his brother Cayden on the break off the turnover.

His outlet passes to jumpstart fast breaks were plentiful, even featuring a highlight coast-to-coast live-dribble behind-the-back dribble corner kick 3pt assist!

Boozer flashed all the developable dribble-pass-shoot ball-skills with strong finishing power and good off ball movement timing. This powerful 6’10” hammer who nails deep range jumpers projects to be an offensive force at the highest levels, excelling in similar areas to his NBA All-Star dad, while showing natural scoring creator tendencies for team-first shot creation.

Cam posted the 6th-highest overall impact rating in the event with 8.9 C-RAM, practically tying Cooper’s overall rating. Boozer was more effective as a scorer with a 79/100 PSP rating in the matchup, slightly more impactful defensively with an 87/100 DSI, while mostly matching Flagg in Floor General Skills and At The Rim effectiveness (75 FGS and 70 ATR)

Cam Boozer and Cooper Flagg sit atop future NBA Draft big boards for a reason; big wing/forward plus-defenders who can be relied on as halfcourt offensive creators, connectors, and play-finishers tend to be impactful winning basketball players.

The Good
Scoring at all three levels on and off the ball
Pick-and-pop, catch-and-shoot, relocation threes
Vertical gravity rim-running and well-timed paint-cutting
Drawing fouls with brute strength, sound footwork, solid handle
Clear vision, passing ability, grab-and-go playmaking chops looking ahead on fast breaks
Filling out the box score on both ends like a Shawn Marion or Aaron Gordon multi-faceted turnover-forcing play-finisher

The Bad
Losing control. Whether it be his own strength, the dribble, body and ball control at times – focused effort on spatial awareness, gaining the proprioception feeling of understanding one’s own body movements in space, could work wonders
First half lacked energy and focus compared to second half, but played opponent even from that point in a tough matchup

In football, a dancing bear tends to be a nickname for powerful defensive ends wh are surprisingly agile; large in their frame, yet quick on their feet.

Boozer is the strong, yet graceful dancing bear that any franchise dreams of building around.

A true modern day do-it-all power forward bending the floor on and off the ball, pummeling his way through defenders throwing elbows and shoulder swings, moving skinny through gaps with fundamental footwork fundamentals, finishing below the rim with an endless array of moves, rebounding everything in sight, forcing steals and processing team-first decisions from high to low.

Cameron Boozer remains the clear #1 2026 NBA Draft Pick for me through years of scouting due to him being one of the most impactful, efficient, effective, versatile shot-creating prospects to ever play the sport.

If anyone can be the tentpole that holds up an entire city in the circus that is the NBA, it’s the guy who always plays, always plays hard, always plays smart, always makes team-first decisions, and always generates good shots for his team.

While the basketball world eats up dunks, middy pull-ups, and fadeaways, one lucky team might just wind up landing one of the biggest winners the sport has ever seen, if only they buy low on the Dancing Bear Market.

The post Cameron Boozer, Duke’s Generational Dancing Bear appeared first on Swish Theory.

Stanford Freshman Guard blends incredible skill, speed, and feel for the game

“I’m just playing to win and just help my team however I can to just get the win.” – Ebuka Okorie on his mindset

When you combine Ebuka Okorie’s quick first-step burst, stop-and-pop pull-up shooting, masterful ball control, effective flare handles, and one-of-a-kind finesse finishing at the rim, a lethal self-creating multi-level scoring threat is born.

Okorie speeds past any defender standing in front of him, threatening to pull up for a jumper at any time from anywhere on the court or get to the rim for a high degree-of-difficulty finish that he makes look routine.

Since I’ve started scouting potential NBA draft prospects in person, no player’s finishing at the rim has stood out as much as Okorie’s in-person, between his craftiness, creativity, and soft touch finishing. If Kyrie is the mountain top of masterful, crafty handle, creative small guard finishing around the rim, Okorie has started his climb, hoping to etch his own name, plant his own flag as one of the all-time finesse finishers.

In my 2024 Interview with Ebuka, I commended him for his feel for the game, asking him about his influences:

“I really like your decision-making out there, your patience, your jump shot. Are there any players you steal moves from or model your game after?” – RK

Ebuka says he studies two of the best guard finishers to ever play:

“Yeah, I just like watching top guards like Kyrie Irving and Steph Curry, obviously. I also like watching just any All-Star guards.”

There were two other point guards who came to mind when watching Okorie play two years ago for Brewster Academy, sharing aspects of Rajon Rondo’s and Dennis Schroder’s respective games – Schroder’s blend of first step burst, point guard instincts, and heavy shooting diet of pull-up shooting and finishing at the rim; Rondo’s next-level understanding of the game, his defensive instincts to force turnovers with the heads up awareness and then to make team-first passes up the floor pushing pace off them, and that special touch, spin, placement, and timing he’d put on passes to hit his teammates right where they wanted the ball in their shooting pockets to set them up best as play-finishers.

A high-volume pick-and-roll maestro self-creating ISO killer who threatens the pull-up shot, the finesse finish, and the clean dime every time down?

Ebuka Okorie is the most underrated Lottery Pick hiding in plain sight of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Quotes

Learning Basketball, a Swish Theory Podcast:


“Unbelievable handle, exceptional burst, can shoot… high-variance upside bet… absurd scorer.” – Ben Pfeifer, Swish Theory


“He can finish any shot you can think of at the rim.” – Ryan Kaminski, Swish Theory


Stanford HC Kyle Smith on Okorie’s draft status:

“My pitch has been – if you want to be in the place where you are leading a team and getting the most minutes to develop what you want to be as a pro, and essentially, we’re pros now, they’re getting paid. So I think Stanford’s the best option.

But… Look, you’re leading a team, you’re 19. But now, if someone in the NBA says, hey, we’re gonna take you at 12 and you’re our starting point guard, well, that’s something to consider.”

NCAA Moments, Impact & Efficiency

(all data as of 3.11.26)

Okorie walked onto Stanford’s campus as a four-star as the 12th-rated point guard in the country. (On3, 247)

Ebuka’s +10.3 C-RAM ranks in the Top-10 among top 2026 Draft Prospects, via Cerebro Sports.

Okorie’s all-around game at Stanford is rated highly by Cerebro – as a defender (86 DSI, 1.6 STL/gm), floor general (69 FGS, 3.6 AST / 1.8 TOV), 3pt shooter (80 3PE, 2 3PM on 36% 3P%), and scorer. (87 DSI, 23 PPG on 46% FG%)

Combining his high school stats with his freshman college stats for a total of 81 college+high school level games tracked by Cerebro, Okorie shot 53% 2P% on 534 2PA, 35.6% 3P% on 396 3PA, 83.5% FT% on 315 FTA, scoring 58.6% TS% overall.

Ranking 5th in the country in scoring and 2nd among freshmen (23.1 PPG), even ahead of Cameron Boozer, Ebuka Okorie is more than just a crafty point guard; he’s a certified walking bucket. Okorie’s seven 30-point games are tied for the most by any freshman in ACC history (Marvin Bagley) and fourth among any player all-time in the conference’s history. On top of being selected to the All-ACC 1st Team & All-ACC Rookie Team, Okorie’s scoring average is on pace to pass RJ Barrett for the top mark in ACC history by any freshman ever, while being the nation’s co-leader in games with 25+ PTS scored. (14g)

Okorie’s handle is simply electric, with few able to accelerate, stop on a dime, change directions, and throw in dribble combo moves along the way as smoothly as Ebuka makes it look.

The scoring has been incredible, and what’s even more impressive is his rapid development, consistently improving as the season goes on. Starting the season with 4 20pt games, dropping 3 30pt games soon after, then dropping the hammer with a 36 PT – 9 AST statement game vs UNC to put this Stanford team on the national radar.

Cracking the 40pt mark in a blowout over Georgia Tech, Ebuka reached that total with only 3 3PM, showing his scoring abilities within the arc (9/15 2P) and ability to maneuver his body smartly to draw the foul. (13/13 FTA). Squeezing in another 30pt game against Pitt, once again Ebuka showed off his smooth scoring abilities inside the arc (8/13 2P) and at the free throw line (9/9 FT); the game before, against California, the 6’2″ guard pulled down 13 rebounds.

Dropping 33 PTS on 71% eFG% vs NC State, Okorie showed off the double-edged sword of floor-bending gravity as a pull-up three pick-and-roll artist – rising and firing for off the dribble jumpers as he navigates picks and gets to his spots, splashing three dagger off-the-dribble threes, countering off the threat of the shot with the explosive drive by splitting the defenders in a quick Horns set attacking the gap and driving through the paint for an open lay-in.

Okorie’s ability to operate a multitude of pick-and-rolls at a high level, stretching the floor on ball to open driving lanes to attack, draw fouls, or kick is one foundation of how he can be relied on likely quickly at the NBA level to create advantages for himself and teammates in the most popular action in the league.

Ebuka Okorie’s 2025-26 Stanford Cardinal Synergy Efficiency Stats

In every overall basketball situation, Synergy rates Ebuka Okorie as “very good” or “excellent”; Okorie rates especially high overall (1.09 PPP), half court (1.05 PPP), Sidelines Out Of Bounds Sets (1.24 PPP), After Time Out sets (1.2 PPP), against a Press (1.15 PPP). Okorie can give you buckets in practically any situation, however you want to get scored on, whether you guard him man-to-man (1.03 PPP) or with zone. (1.35 PPP). Okorie’s half-court play types are highly efficient, especially in his highest volume play of running pick-and-rolls (1.05 PPP, 90th percentile), along with his third-highest volume play of running ISOs (1.11 PPP, 87th percentile). He also scores a very good rate in transition (1.24 PPP) and on Spot Ups (1.07 PPP).

Ebuka’s offensive repertoire is vast: he can initiate offense with and without ball-screens, score off picks and off the dribble, and threaten the defense off the ball from deep with closeout-attack drives to counter. This all makes him a versatile scoring guard off the bat.

When including passes, Okorie’s volume of pick-and-rolls increases by twice the volume (415 poss) while dipping in overall efficiency, but still efficient overall offense at 0.97 PPP. Okorie is a trap-killer in pick-and-roll, averaging 1.38 PPP in such situations, making defenses pay huge in the 16 times they’ve tried this season, rating 92nd percentile; when the ‘defense commits’, however, that drops to 0.83 PPP. (229 poss).

Including passes on ISOs, Okorie’s efficiency stays equally as impressive at 1.11 PPP, with about thirty extra possessions; so, whether Okorie passed or shot out of ISO, the advantages he created in 1-on-1 led to an extremely efficient look for his team.

What stands out overall is Okorie’s range of good-to-great efficiency in such a variety of playtypes and situations. That much versatile scoring efficiency is one example of good feel decision-making, reading and reacting to defenses to make the best play for your team, and the individual advantage-creation and scoring ability to execute consistently.

Okorie’s Shooting Touch & Athleticism Indicators are all promising to translate to the next level:

50% FG% on 30 Runners (FLOATA)
35% 3P% on 101 Pull-Up 3PA
36% 3P% on 67 C&S 3PA
51% FG% on 221 Layups
100% FG% on 9 Dunks
84% FT% on 214 FTA

Measuring Two-Way Feel and understanding of how to play the game is not fully quantifable.

Two stats that show the results of Okorie’s decisions: 1) as a safe decision-making passer with a 102 AST/50 TO Assist-to-Turnover ratio, and 2) as a sound defender racking up 45 STL + 9 BLK / 38 PF Stocks-per-Foul ratio. Creating advantages and creating scoring opportunities that lead to good looks for yourself and your teammates, and doing so without turning the ball over, shows good decision-making process as a primary on-ball decision-making creator. Forcing turnovers without fouling via well-timed digs, jumping passing lanes, timing up help-side blocks, and deterring drives with active hands are examples of a high-feel defender.

In the highest-rated class in NCAA Freshman BPM history, Ebuka Okorie ranks 9th in BPM among freshmen. Change those barttorvik filters to the entire NCAA in 2026, and Okorie ranks 36th. Change them again to Only Freshman from Any NCAA Season back to 2008, and Okorie rates T-45th with Kon Knueppel, Derrick Rose, DeMarcus Cousins, Zhaire Smith, and Collin Murray-Boyles. For reference on the magnitude of this draft class, the average draft features ~2 players with a >10 BPM, via Jeremias Engelmann; the 2026 draft is on course to feature 6 players with BPMs over +12 BPM, and by my count, roughly 25+ potential draft prospects with over a +9.0 BPM; the depth of talent in this class is utterly insane.

Here is some statistical company for three marks Okorie reached:

As of March 11, 2026, 31 freshman since 2008 have scored at a 54.5% TS% rate, assisted 19.5% of their team’s passes when on the floor, and forced 1.95% of their team’s steals while on the floor, with an over 7.0 BPM rating, visualized below. Only top prospects and star offensive players rank higher than Okorie in overall BPM impact in this group: Cameron Boozer, Cooper Flagg, Kingston Flemings, James Harden, Lonzo Ball, Reed Sheppard, D’Angelo Russell, Trae Young, Ben Simmons. These minimums attempt to show all-around scoring efficiency and decision-making among high-impact two-way college freshmen since 2008, when Bartorvik’s available data begins* (*close 2PA, shots at the rim, are not recorded until 2010).

Ebuka Okorie’s Historical Stats via Barttorvik

To highlight Ebuka Okorie’s incredible advantage creation, efficient team scoring, and sound decision making, the chart below shows how Okorie is record-low in TOV% among high volume creators and has created as many shots at the rim for himself as any big name prospect besides Boozer since 2008.

How is a 6’2″ Guard not only getting past his defender, penetrating the paint, and getting to the rim, but also finishing this efficiently while doing so?

Ebuka Okorie’s Historical Stats via Barttorvik

Another interesting query highlights Okorie’s ability to get to the rim by limiting this list to filter for freshmen who have taken 200+ close shots at the rim, shrinking the group to five-star downhill prospects:

Cameron Boozer, Cooper Flagg, Trae Young, De’Aaron Fox, Ben Simmons…and Ebuka Okorie.

Not only do I see Okorie as a special finisher at the rim based on his crafty layup skills in person, but he’s also next-level elite at creating the advantages necessary to get to the rim. at a high rate as a small guard on insanely high usage, touches, and shot volume while maintaining scoring and shooting efficiency, and posting the lowest turnover percentage of any of the players on any of these lists.

When you combine his quick processing and quick movements with his total control of the ball, his body, and the situation, plus his scoring touch from every level, Okorie flashes real potential as a primary decision-making offensive engine scoring creator – a scoring point guard a team can put the ball in the hands of and rely on to create a good look for the team every time down the floor, because he can score and create efficiently out of nearly any situation and playtype.

Good things happen with the ball in Ebuka Okorie’s hands. Statistically, he has the best turnover rate for a high-volume scorer and passer of any freshman since 2010. Okorie is the only freshman since 2008 to post 20+% AST% with below 13% TOV%, let alone rate 3% better than the next closest assist rate at 2nd (Cam Boozer), via Barttorvik.

Among the 460 freshman since 2008 with 20% Assist and 2% Steal rates, Okorie’s 10.2% TOV% ranks 1st and his +9.5 BPM rank 12th all time. Expanding to every college player since 2008, Okorie ranks 7th in TOV% among the 382 who met these minimums of TS% ≥ 54.5; Assist % ≥ 19.5; Steal % ≥ 1.95; Box +/- ≥ 7.1. Okorie handling his insane on-ball usage and shot volume, maintaining scoring efficiency across the board, and ranking all-time great in the turnover ranks for high-volume creators is an incredible feat showing his primary decision-maker capabilities.

Excerpt from my 2024 Sunshine Classic Scouting Report on Swish Theory

Ebuka Okorie popped out with decision-making, passing chops, and tough shotmaking at the rim and on pull-up jumpers, with decisive feel and defensive instincts leading to routine winning plays.

Ebuka Okorie’s crafty finishing at the rim, decision making feel running the show, splashy pull-up 3pt range, anticipation jumping passing lanes for steals and timing up blocks for turnovers deserves to be highlighted.

Dante Allen, Ebuka Okorie, CJ Ingram stood out the most in the tournament statistically by their overall impact and defense, with the Montverde duo also rating highly in rebounding/rim-protecting measures; all three were the standout prospects in overall impact (C-RAM), each registering over 10+ C-RAM respectively.

Ebuka Okorie rated 2nd in overall impact (over 10+ C-RAM) and very highly on the defensive end, rating 4th of all players. (97 DSI).

Ebuka was just as impressive on the offensive end, rating 2nd as a scorer (88 PSP) and 2nd at passer (79 FGS) at the 2024 Sunshine Classic, via Cerebro Sports.

Okorie slotted in as the 12th best 3pt shooter (72 3PE)

Okorie (and Dante Allen) again stand out on this chart as offensive engines, rating among the best as scorers, playmakers, and 3pt shooters, showing they could be the most reliable scoring creators from the 2024 Sunshine Classic.

#2 Ebuka Okorie (Stanford)
6’2″ Guard 2025

Incredible decision-making feel
Crafty finisher around the rim
Real two-way impact forcing turnovers
Clean Pull-Up and C&S 3pt jumper rhythm shooter
Great vision executing half-court offense, finding open teammates
Willing passer giving up good shots for better shots
Defensive instincts timing up steals and blocks

19 PTS – 3 AST – 1 REB – 2 BLK – 8/11 FG (26 MIN)
vs. LuHi

Crafty finish up-and-under hanging in the air at the rim
Soft touch finger roll high off the glass
Good body control, deceleration
Tough contested finish at the rim with soft touch
Nice block timing
Crafty finishes all around the rim all game long
Up-and-under reverse
Beats buzzer through contact for tough finish at the rim with defender draped all over him and no foul called

15 PTS – 6 AST – 3 REB – 4 STL – 3/7 3P – 5/10 FG (29 MIN)
vs. Orangeville

Good anticipation on Steal
Smooth stroke pull-up triple
Patient decision making, good feel and decision to shoot of the handoff
Unselfish pass from good to shot to great shot in open corner shooter
Smooth C&S 3 off screen, playcall seems to be named “leg”
Nice decision dumpoff pass

2024 Interview with Ebuka Okorie

For one last peek in Okorie’s mindset as a player, person, and teammate, here’s the remainder of our interview:


RK – I really liked the patient decision-making, your ability to read the floor. How would you describe your mindset when you’re in the game?

Ebuka – ”I’m just playing to win and just help my team however I can to just get the win.”


RK – You’re off to Stanford. What led to that decision?

Ebuka – “It’s a really good school in terms of academics and obviously basketball, so I just felt like it was the best fit for me.”


RK – What kind of skills are you trying to develop and add to your game over the coming years?

Ebuka – “I’m just trying to develop all parts of my game. Getting stronger, quicker, just like all parts of my game, just still working hard.”

Q. How would you all describe yourselves as teammates off the floor?

Ebuka – “Yeah, I’d say like we’re just around each other all the time, and our chemistry just keeps going up every single time, every day.”

RK – One last question. Your teammate, Dwayne Aristode, wasn’t able to make this trip; he’s dealing with an injury. How would you describe him as a teammate and a person?

Ebuka – “Yeah, obviously he’s a great player. He’s also a great teammate, like he’ll pick us up like if we’re having a bad practice or something, he’s always here for us.”

What ultimately stands out most about Okorie’s game is not just his outlier super power ability to get to the rim or any spot he wants, its his complete game – his crafty handle, sound anticipation, defensive instincts, dangerously quick first step burst, masterful start-stop body control, efficient scoring versatility, clear playmaking vision, sublime shooting, smooth finishing touch, and earned confidence – combined with one other super power – his impressive decision making on the basketball court, putting all these pieces of the puzzle together.

A team-first decision-maker with the ability to get to any spot and make any shot at any time, with or without the help of a screen, who can beat you with speed and touch to stretch the floor in both directions at once, is one versatile offensive weapon.

A 6’2″ high-volume shot creator with record-high impact, record-high rim attempts, and record-low turnovers who creates advantage at wills and shots consistently for his team, Okorie’s overall scoring versatility, pick-and-roll mastery, mean pull-up jumper, and knack for attacking the rack makes him one of the most efficient shot creators of any draft prospect.

A truly masterful point guard who can force turnovers on defense and do it all on offense; not just dribble, pass, shoot as a base skill-set, but massive potential on the ball with his ability to penetrate the paint and create good looks for his team consistently with ease off his lightning-quick first step burst, total start stop body control, flashy handle ball control, mean pull-up jumper and cerebral feel for the game.

Ebuka Okorie is the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery Pick hiding in plain sight.

The post Ebuka Okorie: A Lottery Pick Hiding in Plain Sight appeared first on Swish Theory.

That’s where Swish Theory’s in-person scouting reports come in.

In-person scouting reveals tons of golden nuggets not seen on film, such as aspects of a player’s mindset:

How does a player react after making a mistake, or when they’re having a bad game or shooting poorly?

How does a player interact with his or her teammates; do they celebrate the good, do they shame the bad, do they uplift others after a mistake, do they keep a level head?

What gives the player joy and fuels their energy – making winning plays to help the team, or getting buckets?

The goal of these scouting reports is to highlight the skills that these players possess that are likeliest to translate to the next level and beyond, while collecting every nugget of intel from any given event into one easily accessible place – combining quotes, notes, film, and data as a resource for basketball evaluators to see what happened, how it happened, and who made it happen in these limited-access gyms.

By attending the event in person, I’m able to meet coaches, scouts, players and folks circling the basketball industry, to hear others’ perspectives on prospects’ games, learn about the athletes as people off the court, and see them as teammates on it. That’s how I ended up talking to AJ Dybantsa’s father, Ace, who humorously provided an update on his son’s preferred landing spots: “He’s full of sh*t because he doesn’t know how it works (chuckles). He’s gonna go wherever the ping pong balls tell him to go.” (Scroll to the bottom for the full interview along with 12 more interviews with players from the event)

Use my 2025 Montverde Invitational (M.A.I.T.) Scouting Report as a resource on these marquee matchup data points to find out which teams played best at the event; which players stand out most; which prospects flashed potential; how the stats factor into evaluation; what happened on the court via scouring notes and stats; how and why things happened on the court through film; and how players describe their own mindsets, development goals, and thoughts on playing with their respective teammates.

Featuring high-level high school hoopers, committed college players, and a handful of potential pros, some of whom project to be first-round picks.

The Teams

Montverde Academy
CIA Bella Vista
Utah Prep
AZ Compass Prep
Sagemont Prep
Calvary Christian Academy
Riviera Prep
Windermere Prep

The Standout Players

1st-Team All-Tourney from @BeyondTheRK

Dante Allen
Matt Able
AJ Dybantsa
Shon Abaev
Davis Fogle

2nd-Team All-Tourney from @BeyondTheRK

Miles Sadler
Hudson Greer
Kevin Thomas
Patrick Liburd
JJ Mandaquit

3rd-Team All-Tourney from @BeyondTheRK


CJ Ingram
Anthony Knowles
Brandon Bass Jr.
Trent Sisley
Anthony Felesi

5 More Prospects to have on your radar from @BeyondTheRK

Paul Osaruyi
Kalek House
Rokiem Green
Collin Paul
Sam Hallas

Tournament MVP
Dante Allen – Montverde Academy

Official 2025 MAIT All Tournament Team
Shon Abaev – Calvary Christian
Matthew Able – Sagemont Prep
AJ Dybansta – Utah Prep
CJ Ingram – Montverde Academy
Jaion Pitt – CIA Bella Vista
Miles Sadler – CIA Bella Vista

The Stats – Cerebro Sports Data Visualizations

*Note – Cerebro only has 2gp recorded for Cia Bella Vista & Windermere, with only 1gp for Riviera, so Riviera players were not included in the following data viz due to lack of available data. Click here to see how Cerebro Sports defines its stats*

Two-Way Impact – Measuring Overall Impact vs. Defense & At The Rim

Dante Allen stands out as the best two-way player in the 2025 Montverde Invitational by being the only player to rate Top-3 in Defense & Overall impact, via Cerebro.

Matthew Able (11.1 C-RAM, 88 DSI), AJ Dybantsa (11.1 C-RAM, 78 DSI), and Patrick Liburd (10.0 C-RAM, 72 DSI)) stand out next for elite overall impact on par with Dante’s, yet lower defensive impact.

Hudson Greer, Patrick Liburd, Sam Hallas, Davis Fogle, Kevin Thomas stand out next for their defense (92-103 DSI), and very high overall impact (8.2-9.7 C-RAM)

A cluster of Shon Abaev, Kalek House, CJ Ingram, Anthony Felesi are grouped together in a high-right positive quadrant of great defense (84-89 DSI) and great impact (7.7-8.4 C-RAM)

Utah Prep teammates JJ Mandaquit and Xavion Stanton jump out next (77-83 DSI & 7-7.9 C-RAM) for their high two-way impact

Rokiem Green (100 DSI) and Hakeem Weems (91 DSI) made their mark on the defensive end, yet both fell below 6.5 C-RAM in overall impact.

Noah Francois, KJ Francis, Jeremiah Green, Anthony Knowles, Miles Sadler, Trent Sisley, Jaion Pitt, Kaden House, Isaiah Gillard, Paul Osaruyi, Samuel Shoptaw, Cayden Daughtry, Collin Paul, King Gibson, Jaden Vance, Ausitin Goode, Malachi Martis round out the group of names that rated average in defense and overall impact, via Cerebro.

Scoring Creators – Potential Offensive Engines, Scorers, & 3pt Connectors

Matthew Able and AJ Dybantsa pop off the page for their top-2 scoring, usage, and 3pt shooting abilities, while both rating above average as playmakers, making them each ideal candidates to become potential scoring creators, offensive engines, or 3pt connectors.

Dante Allen jumps out next for his scoring and playmaking, rating 4th as a scorer and 2nd as a passer in the entire event.

Patrick Liburd (3rd in PSP), JJ Mandaquit (1st in FGS), Hudson Greer, Anthony Knowles, and Miles Sadler each rate next best in these categories as the best scorers and passers from this tournament.

Davis Fogle, Kevin Thomas, Shon Abaev, Kalek House, Anthony Felesi, CJ Ingram, Cayden Daughtry, Jeremiah Green, and Brandon Bass Jr. are next up in these categories, each rating great in one or both areas (57-76 FGS & 52-71 PSP)

Trent Sisley, Rokiem Green, Samuel Shoptaw, KJ Francis, Jaden Vance, Isaiah Gillard, Malachi Martis, Dhani Miller, King Gibson, Jaion Pitt, Kaden House, Austin Goode are the remaining names that rated average or better in scoring and playmaking.

The best 3pt shooters add perimeter shooting gravitational pull to their scoring gravity, dragging defenses out of the paint. These players will be even more effective at creating advantages because their jump shot opens up the rest of their game.

Matt Able (117 3PE) and Patrick Liburd (113 3PE) shot the lights out of the gym.

Dante Allen (98 3PE), Brandon Bass Jr. (97 3PE), AJ Dybantsa/Kalek House (95 3PE) showed they can splash jumpers with the best of them.

Rokiem Green (92 3PE), Hudson Greer (91 3PE), Jeremiah Green (87 3PE), Anthony Knowles (86 3PE) rounded out the Top-10 best 3pt shooters from the 2025 MAIT.

Next Best 3PE Rankings:
11. Samuel Shoptaw (82 3PE)
12. Aliou Dioum (79 3PE)
13. Cayden Daughtry (76 3PE)
14. Jaden Vance (75 3PE)
T-15. Shon Abaev/Kevin Thomas/KJ Francis/Noah Francois

*note, only THREE players rated 65+ in every category: AJ Dybantsa, Dante Allen, Hudson Greer

2025 MAIT Scouting Notebook

1st Team All-Tourney from @BeyondTheRK

Dante Allen
Matt Able
AJ Dybantsa
Shon Abaev
Davis Fogle

#30 Dante Allen
6’4″ Guard (2025)
Montverde Academy

Dante Allen won MVP of the 2025 Montverde Invitational for good reason, leading his Montverde team to win the tourney.

Dante’s downhill force of nature is hard to slow down, let alone contain; he penetrates the paint with ease, finishes at the rim with touch, and constantly looks to kickout to open shooters before acutely relocating beyond the perimeter.

Allen’s playmaking vision, team-first decision-making, and passing chops help him rack up assists and potential assists to teammates, always looking for the best play for his team; Dante posted a wild 13 AST / 1 TO ratio (!) on the weekend.

What stands out most about Allen’s game, though, is Dante’s Inferno – his frenetic defensive energy. Allen swarms the opposing guard at point of attack, switches onto the next wing with ease, and is strong, fast, and mobile enough to switch positions on the perimeter, even hold his own on the block in postup-D and in help-D swatting shots protecting the rim.

Dante on the mentality he brings to the game: (scroll to bottom of this page for full interview)

My first goal always is definitely win and try to impact that in multiple ways.

For me, it starts on defense, like definitely make an impact there, because that definitely earns a lot of trust from my coaches as someone who needs to be out there.

Now, offense, being able to facilitate for others, something I think I’ve been able to do better. And if that time comes, be able to get a couple points for myself also.

And even if the offense struggles sometimes, if I can make my presence known on defense, then it makes it tougher for coaches to sub me out. So I think that’s definitely something I try to emphasize if I want to be able to make an impact throughout the whole game for my team.

The Fuentes Brothers (Riviera Prep) describing Dante Allen as a former teammate and player:

Mason Fuentes – I mean his motor was second to none. Obviously, we won a state championship out of it, two actually. The chemistry was good. Us three on the court were probably the hardest defensive team out there. No one plays harder than all of us. So, I mean, it worked.

Myles Fuentes – For sure, pretty much what he said. You know he’s a great person on the court and off the court. And you know playing with him he’s even better. He does pretty much almost everything on the court. When he draws two, since he’s such a noticed player on the court, when he draws two and hits you, he makes the game easy for everyone. So it was great playing with him, and sadly he came here, but you know.

Allen shot a lights-out 9/18 3P on the weekend, along with hitting 3/4 FT and 5/10 2P.

Dante ranked Top-4 in every category tracked by Cerebro Sports other than At The Rim, where ranked 11th:

2nd in Passing (80 FGS)
3rd in Overall Impact (+10.9 C-RAM)
3rd on Defense (102 DSI)
3rd in 3pt Shooting (98 3PE)
4th in Scoring (76 PSP)
T-11th in At The Rim (65 ATR), on relatively low usage (25th, 19.7 USG%)

Allen will close out hard, swivel the hips to get back in position, and close out again. He’ll contest a shot, run through a screen and dive for the loose ball.

Dante Allen is the type of player everyone wants to play with and no one wants to play against: toughness personified, like a running back blasting through the a-gap spamming HB Dive because the defense simply can’t stop it.

Nonstop hustle, efficient scorer, lights out 3pt shooter on and off the ball, Dante Allen practically threw a perfect game vs Windermere: 18 PTS on 5/5 3P with a 6 AST / 0 TO ratio and 3 STL

Opens the game with back-to-back steals and a lob pass to Trent Sisley.

Drills back-to-back catch-and-shoot threes in the first, a third in the second.

A dominant 6 PTS, 2 3PM, 3 STL, and 1 Alley-Oop Lob in the first quarter for Dante.

Against Calvary Christian the following night, Dante helped his team will a late comeback victory with 12 PTS, 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, and a 5 AST / 1 TO ratio.

Allen continued to make good team-first decisions, hustle hard and wreak havoc defensively.

Calvary’s backcourt of Shon Abaev and Cayden Daughtry shot a combined 9/32 FG, thanks in part to the pesky point-of-attack defense from Allen and CJ Ingram on the perimeter.

In the tournament title game victory over CIA Bella Vista, Dante Allen showed visible frustration with his performance at times, yet never hung his head and continued to impact the game. holding his own with 10 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST.

Dante drilled a pull-up triple and a catch-and-shoot triple early in the game. Allen also turns turnovers into points quickly, looking to accelerate the pace anytime his team forces a turnover, this time scoring layups off blocked shots from Hakeem Weems and Hudson Greer.

Development Areas:

There aren’t many guards in the sport who play as consistently hard as Dante Allen does every single possession, full stop.

If there’s an area for improvement for Dante, who already brings an impressive all-around skill-set, its simply to slow down at times and let the game dictate his next decision.

Allen can be so explosive, strong, forceful when sprinting north-south with the ball in his hands, that it can lead to offensive fouls, unforced turnovers, and tough shots.

Finding that last deceleration step, fine-tuning the rim-finishing skills, and continuing to develop the read-and-react feel to take what the defense gives him will help Allen take the next leap, and those decision-making reps should help this development over time.

Dante on his Development at Montverde and future skill development:

With Montverde, I’ve been able to develop a lot, but I think the one thing that they’ve been really good about is noticing the strengths that I came with before and making sure that those are things that I kind of maintain, not trying to work on things and like stray away from the things I was good at before.

So definitely like improving like shooting, being a better ball handler, a better guard per se. But also like getting to the basket, pushing the pace, like those things, not getting away from those things or making sure that those are a key part of my game that I still keep around.

…I would just say my patience and just kind of having a better feel for the game, especially when it’s more fast paced.

Being able to just kind of slow things down, being able to read the defense, being able to read my teammates, and just overall be able to make better plays for myself or others in any kind of situation that I may have not been able to before.

#3 Matt Able
6’5″ Guard (2025)
Sagemont Prep

Matt Able goes Gamebreaker mode anytime he wants; Able makes tough shotmaking look straight out of a video game.

Able is the real deal out on the hardwood with the rock in his hands. Smooth shooting touch, tight handle, tough shot making skills allow him to get to just about any spot to make just about any shot he wants; a definition of a walking bucket.

Matt Able popped off the Cerebro Sports chart, making a case as the most impactful player in the entire tournament.

Able ranked T-1st with Dybantsa in Overall Impact (+11.1 C-RAM), 1st in Scoring (106 PSP), 1st in 3PE (117 3PE on 16/28 3P), T-6th At The Rim (70 ATR), 11th on Defense (88 DSI) with a tournament-leading 8 STL(!), and T-16th in Passing. (64 FGS)


In an epic head-to-head matchup with AJ Dybantsa, Matt Able was throwing down sick slams and splashing insane threes, finishing with a staggering line of 39 PTS on 60% TS% with 7 3PM, 6 REB, and 4 STL.

Against Riviera, Able continued to shine – 19 PTS on 7/13 FG and 4/6 3P, 6 REB, 2 STL, and a 4 AST / 1 TO Ratio.

Matt drills the pull-up three, shows off a clean shooting stroke against Riviera, hitting deep catch and shoot threes.

Versus AZ Compass, Able continued to put on a show, leading all scorers with 27 PTS on tough shots, pull-up and catch-and-shoot 3s (5/7 3P in total), drawing fouls (4/5 FT), and scoring below the arc (4/10 2P), snagging 7 REB, 2 STL, and a 1 AST / 2 TO ratio.

Noted winning plays:

Semi-transition into the high pick-and-roll, draws the switch, slick crossover in multiple bumps-and-finish up and under contact through 2 defenders, somehow sneaking in the lay-in past the 6’10” Miikka’s outstretched arm for the AND1.

Insane fadeaway swish shotmaking backing down out of the midrange

Crazy pull-up jump shot.

Keeps an eye open for teammates making the right plays.

Pressure defense off turnover forces timeout.

Draws fouls attacking the rack.

Throws down the highlight hammer.

Bump-and-finish through Fogle contact for finger roll, a pull-up three, another deep pull-up fadeaway three, a drive downhill (miss FGA) into drawing ofoul on the putback for the AND1

Development Areas:

This was as close to a perfect weekend as one could ask for Matt Able; discussing weaknesses here would mostly be nitpicking, but there’s always ways for any player to improve their game

Matt’s 8 Steals led the tournament by a wide margin, but his 10 personal fouls mitigated some of those payoffs. While Able was able to create 8 Assists, he racked up 6 Turnovers as well. His 2P% was low compared to his staggering 3P%, just making 12/30 2P, yet also converting 13/16 FTA from the line.

Able continuing to grow as a scoring creator on the ball will help him refine his decision-making feel, to further his growth as a one-man offensive engine for any team as the game slows down for him. Working on not gambling for steals, finding the right mix of anticipation, hands, and timing to force turnovers without fouling, would make him an even more impactful defender.

Matt Able on if he prides his game on the crazy tough shotmaking shooting touch:

I think that’s the most developed part of my game, for sure, I think I’m an elite shooter. I pride myself on being able to shoot, but I would also say defensively and I think I’m trying to start rebounding a lot more. That was a weakness I had, and I’m starting to change that, you know just become a way better rebounder.

Matt Able on his development goals:

I would definitely say rebounding is something that I’ve been working on, I’ve gotten better, but it still needs to get more improved.

And then I’d also say probably just playmaking in terms of pick-and-roll reads, sometimes I get a little sped up and rushed in the pick-and-roll, so just being calm and making the right read in the pick-and-roll is a big thing for me as well.

Matt Able on if any players inspire his game, or that he might ‘steal’ a move from by watching them play

I wouldn’t say there’s a specific player that inspires me. I have some favorites, like I love watching Donovan Mitchell play, I love watching Anthony Edwards play, those are two of my favorite players just to watch, so I wouldn’t say I inspire my game after them, but I definitely watch and take certain things from their game.

Kevin Thomas describing Matt Able as a teammate:

Oh he’s a great teammate. He’s really funny. He keeps us motivated every time on and off the court.

When asked if any opponents impressed them this weekened, 3 AZ Compass Players (Kaden House, Jaden Vance, Nicholas Randall) answered Matt Able, Shon Abaev, and Brandon Bass

AZ Compass players – The guy we just played against, Matt Able. Yeah he was smooth. Just had about 27. Yeah I tip my hat off to him. He’s nice though. Shon Abaev, he’s nice too. Brandon Bass, he’s nice. Just nice going against top players in the country.

#3 AJ Dybantsa
6’9″ Forward (2025)
Utah Prep

Day 1 Walking Top-10 Sportscenter Highlight Dunk & Tough Shot Making Machine

AJ Dybantsa shows clear star potential on both ends of the floor – as a scorer, defender, rebounder, 3pt shooter, foul-drawer, and even as a playmaking creator for others, when he wants to.

Incredibly dynamic athlete, great body control, decelerating and exploding on a dime, good footwork winding through traffic

Tall tough shotmaker, clean C&S 3pt jumper, rim finishing skills, soft touch FLOATA

Generally good vision playmaker who sometimes forces tough shots over double teams

AJ spent these three days deflecting everything in sight.

On the highest Usage Percentage in the tournament (38.3% USG%), Dybantsa rated highly in nearly every category.

T-1st in Overall Impact (+11.1 C-RAM)
1st in At The Rim (80 ATR) hitting 22/41 total 2PA
2nd in Scoring (103 PSP) hitting 13/16 FTA with 61% TS% on the highest usage of any player
T-5th in 3PE (95 3PE) shooting 10/23 3PA
14th in Passing (66 FGS) with a 10 AST / 14 TO ratio
20th in Defense (78 DSI) with a 8 STOCKS / 9 Fouls ratio (5 STL + 3 BLK)

In a tight 3pt win over Sagemont, AJ Dybantsa dropped a crazy efficient 35 PTS on 80% TS%(!) with a shooting line of 13/21 FG – 7/8 3P – 2/2 FT while racking up 15 DREB, 3 STL, 1 BLK, and a 5 AST/8 TO ratio on high usage in 32 MIN.

AJ was making good reads and jump passes to open teammates on cuts, transition, and out of postups, while splashing tough jumpers flying around on the fast break

Drawing fouls with ease throughout the game. In the 4th quarter, AJ showed off the clean 3pt shooting stroke hitting nothing but net on tough jumpers, making more nice reads to help his team win in clutch time.

On Day 2 against CIA Bella Vista, Dybantsa continued his dominant all-around performance at the Montverde Invitational, dropping 33 PTS on 60% TS% and 7/8 FT with 12 REB , 2 BLK, 1 STl, and a 4 AST / 3 TO ratio.

Dybantsa’s athleticism makes him look downright dominant at times, exploding to the rim for soft touch finishes, grabbing rebounds out of thin air, appearing out of nowhere with active hands deflections, pace-pushing a never-ending downhill attack.

In the close 3rd place loss to Calvary Christian, Dybantsa was contained to 19 PTS on 19 FGA and a 1 AST / 3 TO ratio, yet he recorded 6 FTA, 5 REB, 1 STL.

Dybantsa’s dynamic body control and smooth finishing touch is on display in a methodical midrange action, breaking the zone with the shot the defense and Dybantas both want him to take.

Transition, semi-transition, and off-ball head of steam hesitations provided opportunities for the sick up-and-under reverse, downhill drive putback, and runner, and a strong flying offensive rebound putback through contact and traffic late in the game.

AJ looked for teammates for (potential) assists on drive-and-kicks, dunker spot bounce passes, hitting cutters, lookaheads in transition, despite not many teammates’ shots going in.

Drills a catch-and-shoot corner three early, follows it up with two deflections and one becoming a loose ball steal.

Closes with a perfectly-timed deflection that led to a steal late in the game that gave his team a chance to come back, though he missed the followng three-point attempt right after.

Development Areas:

AJ can get to any spot on the floor he wants with his incredible start-stop athleticism and solid enough handle to keep the dribble alive, with a tall shot release allowing him to get his shot over multiple defenders, but on many occassions he will predetermine to shoot his go-to contested turnaround fadeaway even when he’s not remotely open.

Decision-making can improve with more primary reps, and its hard to blame him when he can get his shot off over anyone, and he sees it go through the net enough where one could argue just about any shot is a good shot for him. Still, there’s a time and place where good shot creation can become the advantage that leads to a great shot for the team.

Allowing emotions to overtake your mentality in a game can hurt your team and teammates; finding leadership qualities that lift teammates up to downplay the bad plays help everyone keep a level head through the ups and downs of a basketball game.

AJ refining his handle, halcourt playmaking, and team-first decisionmaking could go long way to help him develop from “potential star” to “potential superstar”

#1 Shon Abaev
6’8″ Guard/Forward (2025)
Calvary Christian

Shon Abaev keeps his head on a swivel as a tall point guard who wants to either find the open man or hit a tough shot.

The handle, the creative passing, the tough shot-swishing – this adds up to effective flare that Shon can use to manipulate the defense while leaving the audience in awe.

Shon Abaev on his game mentality:

You know, just trying to win every game.

Everybody in the country know I can score, so I don’t try to force my spots anymore, I let it come to me. I do what my team needs me to do to win the game.

So at the end of the day, if my team wins, we all happy. So, that’s all I want.

Shon Abaev ranked T-9th in Scoring (71 PSP) on the 4th-highest usage of any player along with rating 10th on Defense (89 DSI), T-11th in Passing (67 FGS), T-11th in Overall Impact (+8.1 C-RAM), T-15th in 3PE (6/21 3P), and 20th At The Rim (61 ATR).

Against AZ Compass, Abaev posted 17 PTS – 3 STL – 5 REB – 5 AST / 2 TO ratio.

A look-ahead pass transition, a pull-up elbow middy, a contested C&S corner 3, a breakaway slam dunk off the team’s forced turnover, an alley-oop lob, Shon Abaev is a walking skill ball highlight, playing with the joy and creativity of a LaMelo Ball.

Insane shotmaker from any spot on the floor, a swish is theor(y)etically possible from anywhere.

Incredible vision and playmaking chops create situations where the reciever doesn’t even see the pass coming.

Hustles for loose balls; Draws fouls forcing contact with hands and hips on drives.

In a 3rd place win over Dybantsa’s (19 PTS) Utah Prep, Shon Abaev dropped a monster 32 PTS on 60% TS% (9/17 2P – 3/7 3P – 5/6 FT) with 4 REB, 3 STL, 2 BLK, and a 1 AST / 3 TO ratio, a dominant two-way scoring and turnover-forcing performance.

Shon defended Dybantsa in some matchups, and AJ returned the favor in others. Abaev forced a turnover in a trap alongside KJ Francis, anticipated a steal by jumping a passing lane, made a deflection against AJ, and picked up a loose ball steal.

Abaev always stays ready for highlight jams and finesses finishes at the rim.

Shon kept his head up for (potential) assists to the open rim-roller, cutter, shooter; plays that teammates will finish on the next level.

After one mistake from a teammate who appeared frustrated afterward, Shon consoled him and lifted him up with positivity and hype, reminding him its just one play; a positive note for Abaev’s chemistry and communication with his teammates.

Abaev showed off the total scoring versatility shot profile package from beyond the arc, in the deep midrange, the short floater game, drawing fouls and the finishing package at the rim:

the contested stepback pull-up triple(s)
the off-screen blob double-stutter rip catch-and-shoot corner three
the explosive breakaway slam
the crafty driving jump stop contested midrange FLOATA
the closeout-attacking pump-and-driving double-clutch runner and reverse
the double drag dribble-around-the-ring lay-in
the crossover bump-and-finish
the winding downhill finger rolls

How about the turnaround pull-up buzzer-beating 3pt dagger to go up 7 with 2 MIN to play – Shon is Showtime!

In another winning sequence, Shon contests Dybantsa’s shot, blocks Stanton, then draws the foul.

Development Areas:

Shon can fall in love with the tough shots at times. While he’s fully capable of splashing just about any shot he sees, there’s always a give and take of giving up good shots for great shots for the team. Abaev’s feathery jump shot and pristine vision are on display consistently; a true tall point playmaker who can hit shots from anywhere on the court.

Finetuning that decisionmaking feel of when to attack with the shot versus when to set up teammates will go a long way to his consistency as a scoring creator offensive engine. Developing his finishing touch at the rim will increase efficiency and further draw defenses into the paint to open up opportunity for kickouts.

Shon Abaev on his Development since the 2024 Top-100 Camp:

Just polishing my game. Just trying to play with less dribbles. Just being able to play with more pace and stuff like that. Just keep working on my shot. That’s what I do best.

#11 Davis Fogle
6’7″ Guard/Forward (2025)
AZ Compass Prep

Deflections, blocks, steals, boards, dimes, team-first decisions, efficient scoring – Fogle brings a complete approach to the game that translates to his team winning.

Despite playing the 4-man for AZ Compass, Fogle say he views himself a “2, and I can play the 1. I feel like I’m a combo guard that can score and then also get his teammates involved.”

Inspired by the playstyle of Devin Booker, the work ethic and will to win of Kobe Bryant, and the feel for the game of Steph Curry, Fogle does a lot of little things that add up to winning possessions throughout a basketball game.

Davis Fogle on his Development since the 2024 NBPA Top-100 Camp:

Since then just really been working on my strength. Then also kinda just like playing off two feet in the paint, and just being able to impact the game from everywhere, not just scoring the ball, but being able to make everyone around me better.

And on the defensive side, just be able to guard multiple positions, and then rebound both offensively and defensively, along with like still keeping my aggressiveness on the offense end.

Davis Fogle ranked 7th in Overall Impact (8.9 C-RAM), T-4th in Passing (75 FGS), T-6th in Defense (94 DSI), T-16th At The Rim (63 ATR), T-17th in Scoring, showing how one can impact the game in a multitude of ways even when the jump shot isn’t falling.

Vital in the win over Sagemont Prep, Davis Fogle led @AZCompass_Prep with 18 PTS – 5 AST (0 TO) – 6 REB – 2 BLK – 1 STL shooting 9/13 FG by attacking the rack downhill, pulling up for the elbow jumper, looking to set up open teammates.

Fogle took over with the middy pull-up at the elbow, the paint-and-spray kickout 3pt assist, the coast-to-coast dunk, the hard work grinding inside in traffic for a postup bucket, the soft touch with the FLOATA in the paint, the tough take to the rack; Davis did a little bit of everything to help his team secure the win.

Against Calvary, strong take baseline drawing fouls through bump-and-finish contact in the post.

Uses height and length effectively to contest bigger opponents down low, grab rebounds in traffic.

Tall guard with handle to push the pace, find open man in transition, connective passer.

Against Windermere, Fogle scored a solid 10 PTS on 4/7 FG with 6 REB, 2 STL, and 2 AST with 0 TO.

Fogle slashed through the lane for a strong downhill attack, showing how to use his size, length, and footwork to get to the rim and finish effectively.

Fogle just knows where to be to make plays, sees where the rebound is going before it bounces, soft touch on putbacks and finishes at the rim in the paint, effective player on both ends with high two-way feel.

2nd Team All-Tourney from @BeyondTheRK

Miles Sadler
Hudson Greer
Kevin Thomas
Patrick Liburd
JJ Mandaquit

#1 Miles Sadler
6’1″ Guard (2026)
Cia Bella Vista

A natural tough shotmaker who was born to score the rock, Miles Sadler puts the ball on a string whether he’s breaking out his impeccable handle or incredible shooting touch.

Sadler gets to the rim with quick burst and finishes in Kyrie-esque fashion, flipping the shot up onto the backboard with just the right amount of english to drop through the net. Miles jumpshot is pure, rising and firing in one motion, with such touch the net doesn’t even move.

Miles consistently shows off the feathery touch, tight handle, and fluid body control taking and making any shot he wants: pull-up threes, clean catch-and-shoot looks, and driving finishes from crafty reverses, smooth spin moves to the rim, and shifty downhill finger rolls.

Sadler penetrates paint at will and looks for well-timed dumpoff passes to teammates lurking in the dunker spot, bigs rolling, and cutters cutting.

Miles ranked 7th in Passing (73 FGS), T-11th in Scoring (69 PSP), 23rd in Overall Impact (+6.8 C-RAM)

Despite the jump shot looking aesthetically clean, Sadler did nearly all of his damage below the arc, missing most of his 3s. Miles shot 1/10 3PA on the weekend but scored at will on 2s, hitting 12/18 2PA and making 4/7 FTA.

Still, its Sadler’s quick first step, incredible finishing at the rim, and savvy ball skills that stand out as special skills.

Against Riviera, Sadler proved to be a crafty driver and finisher converting up and under finger rolls, tough spinning shots, breakaway layups off turnovers, while staying patient for drive and dumpoff passes to baseline cutters.

Miles’ driving body control and finesse finishing was impressive, with endless finger roll at the rim

A smart decision maker, Sadler flashed his high feel on an unselfish give-and-go fast break opportunity.

In a win over Utah Prep, Miles Sadler was electric.

Sadler showed how he can take over a game with his scoring, leading his team in scoring and to a win over Dybantsa’s Utah Prep. (Tied with Rokiem Green’s 15 PTS)

Sadler dropped 15 PTS on 6/10 2P, drawing 6 FTA, pulling down 6 REB, and racking up a 5 AST / 3 TO ratio.

In the close 1st place loss to Montverde, Miles Sadler still found a way to light up the court, dropping 16 PTS on 7/14 FG with 3 REB, 1 STL, and a 4 AST / 5 TO ratio.

Sadler was effective on both ends, using active hands and anticipation to force multiple deflections, with one sequence where he pickpockets the steal at point-of-attack and converts the layup off the turnover for a good ol’ 4pt swing.

Looking for teammates, tosses the alley oop lob, makes a nice dumpoff pass to the cutter, pushes the pace and finds Neto in transition. Sadler would have tallied twice as many dimes if his teammates hit their good shots, instead just “potential” assists, which still shows off his vision, decisionmaking, and playmaking prowess.

#10 Hudson Greer
6’6″ Guard/Forward (2025)
Montverde Academy

Hudson’s shooting is a special skill, swishing everything in open catch-and-shoots this weekend.

Knockdown 3pt shooter with high feel, soft touch, tons of ball skill, good team-first decisionmaker

Dante Allen on Hudson Greer as a teammate on and off the court:

Hudson? Hudson’s a great person. Goofy, but just overall a good person.

Somebody who’s always positive, like rarely will you ever see him with a frown on his face, just somebody who you just always want around you.

Then that’s something that definitely translates, somebody who you really enjoy being with off the court to somebody who you really enjoy being on the court.

So Hudson’s like definitely up there with the guys who you just like always want around you, especially just the kind of way he carries himself.

Sneaky smart defender racked up 4 blocks, 2nd most of any player in the tourney, and even more deflections.

Greer was one of three players to rank 65+ in every Cerebro Sports tracked category (AJ Dybantsa, Dante Allen)

5th in Overall Impact (+9.7 C-RAM)
6th in Passing (74 FGS)
8th in Defense (92 DSI, with 5 Stocks to just 2 Fouls all weekend)
8th in 3PT Shooting (91 3PE, hitting 42% 3P% on 19 total 3PA)
9th in At The Rim (68 ATR)
T-11th in Scoring (69 PSP)

Drilled 2 3PM vs Calvary with 2 AST / 0 TO and 1 BLK, converts a driving finger roll and throws down a big-time dunk.

Vs. Windermere, Greer added 12 PTS on 5/10 FG with 2 3PM , 3 REB, 1 BLK, 1 STL, and a 4 AST / 0 TO ratio.

Arguably Hudson Greer’s best performance of the weekend arrived in the finale to the tune of 16 PTS on 4/7 3PM and 2/4 2P with 8 REB, 2 BLK, and a 2 AST / 0 TO ratio.

Running the floor hard, Greer got up for a highlight alley oop jam; he made a mean block early in the game leading to a 4pt swing after Dante’s driving layup, and forced another deflection to open the second half.

Hudson keeps his head on a swivel, looking to make connective passes to open teammates – a shuttle to a cutter, a swing to a shooter

Don’t sleep on Greer’s defensive instincts – Hudson uses active hands, anticipation, timing to rack up deflections, block shots in help defense, force steals jumping passing lanes. Good two-way feel and touch to round out his all-around ball skills.

Hudson came up huge in the clutch initiating the final scoring sequence of the game where he nearly loses the ball to Sadler’s pressure defense, before launching a hail mary pass to anyone near his team’s basket from the opposite baseline that led to the highlight of the night – a CJ Ingram to Hakeem Weems game-clinching tournament-winning alley-oop.

#4 Kevin Thomas
6’8″ Guard/Forward (2026)
Sagemont Prep

A high-flying defensive playmaker uber athlete, Kevin Thomas makes impact winning plays that help his team win while making highlight slams look routine.

Kevin Thomas took home the “Monster Dunk Jam Trophy” award, which I hope the tournament made up on the spot just to acknowledge this absolutely insane breakaway through-the-legs in-game dunk. Who tries this? Kevin Thomas, that’s who.

Kevin Thomas on his in-game highlight jams:

Yeah, when I have a chance to, I do it a lot. So coach give me the green light because he know I’m consistent with it.

Matt Able on Kevin Thomas as a teammate:

Oh, man, he’s funny, that’s my guy right there. He’s hilarious, really good dude.

I think we have really good chemistry, as a team and me and him, I think we gel pretty well. I think he has a lot more potential that he can untap, because he’s only a junior, so I think the sky’s the limit for him, he’s gonna be great.

Kevin Thomas revealed a 3&D floor with dynamic all-around potential as a toughshotmaking uber athlete.

Thomas rated as 5th in Defense (98 DSI), 10th in Overall Impact (+8.2 C-RAM), T-12th in Passing (67 FGS), 14th in Scoring (63 PSP), T-15th in 3PE (74 3PE), and 26th At The Rim (57 ATR) on relatively low usage.

Versus Utah Prep, Thomas impressed with how he uses his size, big wingspan, and strength to overwhelm opponents on the defensive end, while bringing an explosive vertical and powerful downhill threat to the rim who can hit tough 3pt jumpers too.

Kevin Thomas drilled tough off screen relocation C&S 3s, C&S 3s, pull-up 3s, and threw down monster highlight dunks throughout the weekend.

Against Riviera, Kevin Thomas continue to dominate on both ends of the floor – 13 PTS on 6/13 FG, 4 REB, 4 STL, 2 BLK, and a 7 AST / 0 TO Ratio.

In addition to his Sportscenter Top-10 duh-nuh-nuh, duh-nuh-nuh gamebreaker slam dunk, Thomas also showed good body control and flashed clean finishing touch at the rim on a eurostep drive and an under-control up-and-under finish.

Against AZ Compass, Kevin dropped 15 PTS on 6/10 FG and 3/5 3P with 2 REB, 2 STL, and a 1 AST / 2 TO ratio.

Thomas posted an incredible two-way sequence moving on defense, deterring passes and jumpers, grabbing the board and pushing the pace, dropping defenders with hesis and a smooth finish

Everywhere defensively, using motor, length, instincts, Kevin Thomas’s pressure is constantly felt by the opposing team.

Thomas made a highlight block from behind that led to a C&S transition three for Liburd.

Kevin Thomas on what he prides his game on and his development goals:

I get a lot of open shots because my teammates set me up for it and I’m starting to attack way more and my defense is getting way better throughout the season.

Definitely improving on my craft and my perimeter defense and my aggressiveness getting to the paint.

#5 Patrick Liburd
6’6″ Guard/Forward 2025)
Sagemont Prep

Patrick Liburd came to play this weekend, helping his team finish 3rd overall, showing consistent scoring ability, team-first shot creator potential, impressive 3pt shooting, and did so on relatively low usage.

According to Cerebro Sports, Liburd had one of the best all-around performances of any player, leading all players with 18 Free Throw Attempts (18 FTA) while rating Top-5 in Overall Impact (+10 C-RAM), Scoring (90 PSP), and 3pt Shooting (113 3PE), while also ranking 9th in Passing (71 FGS), T-18th At The Rim (62 ATR), and T-25th on Defense. (72 DSI)

Liburd did all this while producing on insane efficiency: 72.5% TS% on 30 FGA, 53.3% 3P% on 16 3PA, 78% FT% on 18 FTA.

Downhill force who uses his power and graceful mobility to penetrate the paint, attack the rack, and kick to shooters.

Draws fouls, quick first step, sound ball control, huge strength advantage with the handle help Liburd get into the paint with ease to attack the rack over and over, drawing bump and finish contact.

Drills catch-and-shoot 3pt jump shots throughout the tournament.

Against Utah Prep, Liburd helped his team fight a close battle with 16 PTS on 65 TS% with 4 3PM, 2 STL, and a 4 AST / 2 TO ratio.

Liburd dominated Riviera with 26 PTS on 8/13 FG – 6/7 3P – 4/4 FT, 4 REB, 2 BLK, and a 6 AST / 2 TO ratio, showing off the catch-and-shoot 3pt jump shot form.

Against AZ Compass, Liburd drew free throws with no abandon (8/11 FT), scoring 13 PTS with 4 REB and a 1 AST / 1 TO ratio.

#23 JJ Mandaquit
6’1″ Guard (2025)
Utah Prep

High feel point guard with great vision to execute offense, lives in midrange with a masterful floater, brings pesky defense at point of attack, looks to push and control the pace.

Mandaquit put together a strong all-around outing all weekend, thriving as the lead playmaking point guard for Utah Prep.

Among all players who played at least 2 of the 3 games, JJ rated 1st in passing (85 FGS), T-13th At The Rim (64), 14th in Overall Impact (+7.9 C-RAM), 16th in Scoring (61 PSP), T-21st on Defense (77 DSI), on relatively low usage.

JJ showed off his midrange pace-pushing scoring creator potential in the matchup against Sagemont, scoring 15 PTS on 7/10 2P with an 11 AST / 4 TO ratio plus 6 REB, 1 STL, and 1 BLK.

Against CIA Bella Vista, Mandaquit kept the pace pushing and ship steady in a close loss, scoring 14 PTS on 6/15 FG with 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, and a 5 AST / 3 TO ratio.

Mandaquit showed off the soft floater touch, the masterful handle and ball control he uses to create space, the heads up vision to look for open shooters for (potential) assists, the two-way feel to jump passing lanes and dig in on drivers with active hands to force turnovers for steals.

In the close 3rd place game loss to Calvary Christian, JJ scored 6 PTS on 3/8 FG with 7 REB, 1 STl, and a 5 AST / 3 TO ratio.

Mandaquit swished his signature floater, converted another contested putback floater, made one of the highlight plays of the game with the alley-oop lob pass to big man Xavion Staton, and made a heads up play saving the loose ball off the opponent.

JJ consistently puts pressure on the defense in the paint, stays pushing the pace and moving the ball, connecting teammates, hitting open shooters.

In this matchup, he finds a drive-and-kick corner 3pt assist and makes multiple skip passes to the corner over traffic.

JJ Mandaquit on what he prides himself on when on the court, his shooting touch, mid range floater game, and controlling the pace:

Yeah, I mean, the same things that you just said – just pushing the pace, being able to control it – but even more than that, just the little things on the other side of the court. Just working on trying to pick up people, just really push myself on the defensive end, be more involved off the ball, and just working on those little things.

3rd-Team All-Tourney from @BeyondTheRK

CJ Ingram
Anthony Knowles
Brandon Bass Jr.
Trent Sisley
Anthony Felesi

#11 CJ Ingram
6’6″ Guard (2025)
Montverde Academy

CJ Ingram’s standout skill is his downhill explosiveness; the mix of his quick first step burst, rising verticality, and strong play-finishing creates a downhill-force that’s extremely effective when running the floor in transition or moving off the ball for cuts.

Despite not seeing any 3balls drop through the net this weekend, Ingram still rated 8th in Scoring (72 PSP) and T-11th in Overall Impact (+8.1 C-RAM) with the 8th-highest usage of any player (27% USG%).

Dante Allen on CJ Ingram’s game:

CJ a guy getting downhill, he’s going to attract a lot of attention, so if he’s not getting down there scoring, then he’s someone who can also get a lot of guys open.

Which areas did CJ thrive?

Ingram ranked T-6th At The Rim (70 ATR), 14th on Defense (85 DSI), and 2nd in Free Throw Attempts (17 FTA), despite playing on the wing, which reveals his north-south effectiveness, especially off force turnovers. Ingram also rated 27th in Passing (57 FGS), an area to improve.

CJ Ingram’s presence was felt throughout just 20 MIN against Windermere: recording 8 PTS on 3/5 FG, 5 REB, 2 BLK, 2 STL, with a 2 AST / 6 TO ratio.

CJ made a ton of winning plays in this one, impressing with body control, playmaking chops, and defensive impact:

Blow by burst of speed for the drive-and-kick to King Gibson for the C&S triple

Explosive block from behind, good timing, anticipation, instincts

Decelerating tough finish through contact

Throws down alley-oop slam

Slick wraparound pass great vision to find Sisley for a dunk

Forcing turnovers, grabbing steals, diving for loose balls

CJ later helped will a comeback win over Calvary Christian, with Montverde trailing all game until an 18-8 fourth quarter behind Ingram (16 PTS), Trent Sisley (13 PTS), and Dante Allen (12 PTS)

Ingram totaled 16 PTS on 7/10 FG with 7 REB, 2 STL and a 3 AST / 1 TO ratio vs Calvary Christian.

Ingram played hard on both ends in the title game win over CIA Bella Vista, scoring 13 PTS on 5/9 FGA and 3/6 FTA with 6 REB, 2 STL, and a 1 AST / 3 TO ratio.

CJ made one of the biggest plays of the tournament, hauling in a hail mary pass from Greer before the other team could recover the loose ball, immediately turning around and finding Hakeem Weems for the tournament-securing alley-oop lob.

Kicking to open shooters, CJ had at least 3 potential assists to open 3pt shooters that could’ve resulted in 9 PTS if his teammates’ shots went down; these are still good decisions, revealing his feel for the game.

Development Areas:

CJ Ingram is an incredible athlete, a football player who shows a clear athletic edge over his peers.

Ingram has clearly improved as the season goes on, especially in his confidence with the ball in his hands, and that quick development curve is a positive indicator for his rise to continue.

Refining the handle, rim finishing touch, and decision-making consistency could go a long way to help CJ build out his offensive repertoire; when defenses know they can’t stop you from getting downhill, use that to your advantage to create the three most efficient shots in basketball – rim shots, free throws, and corner threes.

#12 Anthony Knowles
6’0″ Guard (2025)
Sagemont Prep

Anthony Knowles offers one of the most complete skill-sets of any player at this event.

Knowles brings tough shot making to the table with bump and finish AND1s, smooth floater touch, and elbow middy pull-ups, on top of good vision looking for the open man and keeping an eye up the floor for the outlet and transition dumpoff three when pushing the pace.

Anthony ranked 10th in 3PE (86 3PE, hitting 46% 3P% of his 13 3P), 5th in Passing (75 FGS with 14 AST / 6 TO ratio), 6th in Scoring (73 PSP scoring 13 PPG on 68.4% TS%), T-11th Overall Impact (+8.1 C-RAM), and T-23rd in At The Rim (58 ATR)

Versus Utah Prep, Anthony scored 10 PTS on 3/5 FG and 3/4 FT, grabbing 3 REB and dishing out a 6 AST / 2 TO ratio.

Knowles lit up the box score against Riviera – 22 PTS on 7/10 FG – 4/6 3P – 4/4 FT, 3 REB, 1 STL, and a 4 AST / 1 TO ratio.

Against AZ Compass, Knowles added 7 PTS with 2 REB and a 4 AST / 3 TO ratio, hittig the middy pull-up, drilling a catch-and-shoot corner three, making a winning play deflection.

Well-timed rip for the deflection and steal, good defensive instincts and two-way feel.

#1 Brandon Bass Jr.
6’5″ Guard (2026)
Windermere Prep

One of the few bright spots for Windermere this tournament, Brandon Bass Jr. showed off his clean 3pt shooting stroke with a tight handle, mean pull-up game, and feathery smoother jumper.

Bass was the most one-way player in the field, by the numbers: Brandon ranked 4th in 3pt Shooting (97 3PE on 7/16 3P), T-9th in Scoring (71 PSP), T-16th in Passing (64 FGS), T-18th in Overall Impact (+7 C-RAM), with the 5th-highest usage percentage (36% USG%), average at the rim (57 ATR), despite rating as the lowest impact defender (0 DSI)

Scoring 16 PTS on 4/10 3P with 5 REB and a 3 AST / 3 TO ratio against Montverde, Bass showed off that handle on a beautiful stepback pull-up three in the 2nd, another late pull-up three in the 4th, and a clean catch-and-shoot look from deep in the 1st.

Turnovers arrive sometimes when missing open teammates, or trying to weave through too much traffic.

Against Riviera Prep, Bass once again showed off his scoring prowess, dropping 28 PTS on 19 shots and drawing fouls with ease (7/14 2P, 2/5 3P, 8/10 FT), grabbing 7 REB, forcing 3 STl, and posting a 4 AST / 4 TO ratio.

Against AZ Compass, Bass dropped 19 PTS on 6/16 FG – 3/6 3P – 4/4 FT with 6 REB and a 3 AST / 2 TO ratio.

Bass showed shifty drive body control and soft touch on a finger roll, and impressed with crazy tough pull-up 3s off the dribble creating space for himself on back-to-back possessions early in the game.

When Brandon’s feeling it, the pull-up three comes out like clockwork, and they often go in. Bass keeps a heads up for open shooters, finding Shoptaw a few times for off screen and off-ball three pointers. Brandon draws fouls by never giving up on possessions, attacking at will with dribble moves to create space or draw contact.

Development Areas:

Playing harder on defense, simply put. One can be the best offensive player on the court, but if you can’t get a stop, it’s going to be difficult to outscore your opponent every night out. Maybe that wins a battle on occasion, but it will never win the war.

Effort goes a long way on the defensive end; you don’t need talent to play hard and bring energy.

Decision-making feel and improving his finishing skills at the rim would help further build out Bass’ bucket-getting skill-set.

#12 Trent Sisley
6’8″ Forward (2025)
Montverde Academy

Trent Sisley impacts the game in an all-around way: forcing turnovers, making good safe team-first decisions with the ball, attacking the rack as an energetic play-finisher who can dribble, pass, and shoot.

Potential two-way versatility lies in this skill-set, which when combined with quick processing, effective length, and dribble-pass-shoot ball skills, together translates to valuable winning impact at every level.

Dante Allen on Trent Sisley’s game:

on Trent, maybe like an undersized big who can step out and shoot the three really well.

You know he’s there somewhere looking for his shot too.

Sisley ranked 5th in Scoring (75 PSP) on relatively low usage, T-11th At The Rim (65 ATR), 17th in Overall Impact (+7.6 C-RAM), T-21st in 3PT Shooting (64 3PE), 33rd in Passing (46 FGS).

Sisley’s 75% TS% was 2nd-highest scoring efficiency of any player with 2+ games played, behind just Sam Hallas (86.2% TS%)

Helped his team force a late comeback win over Calvary with 13 PTS, 4 REB, 1 BLK, 1 STL, and a 5 AST / 1 TO ratio.

Solid handle, goes coast-to-coast for a drive in transition, throws down big slams as a strong play-finisher at the rim.

Sound defensive effort, constant movement, good hips/hands/footwork in on-one-one.

Shows soft touch in post-ups, putbacks, and finishes near the rim.

Find someone who brings the fire that Trent Sisley does on a basketball court for your roster and your team’s energy levels will never be better. Sisley’s motor, intensity, energy is contagious, his teammates play harder just by playing alongside him.

This first clip below revealing his competitive fire must be how Trent won the official Sportsmanship Award of the tournament…

Development Areas:

Defense, Playmaking, 3PT Shooting. Sisley brings great energy and shows good ball instincts; becoming a more consistent defender would go a long way to him proving legit high-level two-way impact to help his team win. Getting more reps as a connective passer and catch-and-shoot 3pt threat could help him round out his offensive arsenal.

#1 Anthony Felesi
6’5″ Forward (2026)
Utah Prep

Anthony Felesi adds an all-around skill-set with intensity and downhill burst athleticism to any equation.

Anthony Felesi on his current skill development goals:

I think mostly my outside game, really extending my range, trying to get that three pointer down.

Felesi ranked 3rd in At The Rim (73 ATR), 16th in Overall Impact (+7.7 C-RAM), T-15th in Defense (84 DSI), T-17th in Scoring (59 PSP), and T-20th in Passing (61 FGS).

Improving as a 3pt shooter to be a threat from deep is the next skill to develop for Felesi’s nearly complete all-around skillset.

What stands out most about Felesi is his frenetic energy, vertical athleticism defensive instincts, and north-south explosiveness.

FelesiAgainst Sagemont, Felesi poured in 15 PTS shooting 5/10 FG – 1/5 3P – 4/4 FT with 5 REB, 1 BLK, 1 STl, and a 4 AST / 2 TO ratio.

Felesi impressed in many areas, from finishing in transition, making connector passes, to hitting deep jumpers.

The soft touch finish for the AND1 at the rim.

Heads up drive and dumpoff vision to Dybantsa for the transition slam.

Felesi drilled an off screen 3pt splash jumper, smartly cut to the rim for a bump and finish AND1, and flashed good defensive instincts on a deflection.

Felesi’s tenacity was on full display against Calvary Christian, attacking the rack, paint, and glass relentlessly for 14 PTS, 13 REB, 11 FTA, 2 BLK, 1 STl, and a 2 AST / 0 TO ratio.

The mean chasedown block off his own free throw attempt summed up the night; make a mistake, clean it right up.

Anthony was a one man wrecking crew, attacking the rack nonstop, protecting his own basket moving around like a wavy inflatable arm man, forcing his will on the opponent, racking up boards in traffic, putbacks through contact, lurking in the shadows for the next hustle play.

When he could get downhill, he will, whether it be running the break or slicing and dicing the defense on cuts through the paint.

5 Interesting Prospects to put on your radar

Paul Osaruyi
Kalek House
Rokiem Green
Collin Paul
Sam Hallas

#25 Paul Osaruyi
6’10” Forward/Center (2027)
Cia Bella Vista

Really impressive big man prospect, especially as a mobile rim-protecting rim-roller.

Powerful, explosive, skilled big who finishes strong in the paint and soft at the rim

Dunker spot playfinisher, post-up threat, midrange floater, rebounding rimroller

Throwing down lobs, rim-rolls, power slams with ease; a point guard’s dream lob threat.

Osaruyi runs the floor hard as a strong playfinisher cleaning up mistakes on the glass and hammering home slams for his team.

Paul is an active, mobile, tall, long, versatile defender who moves his feet, hips, and hands whether he’s switching out on the perimeter or protecting the rim.

Osaruyi ranked T-4th in At The Rim (71 ATR), 36th on Defense (T-62 DSI), and 27th in Overall Impact. (+5.7 C-RAM)

Paol Osaruyi shows off the athleticism, size advantage, postup footwork and hook shot skills vs Riviera Prep

A little wild at times until he refines his ball skills, on plays had a good drive, but a bad pass that became an unforced turnover.

Strong rebound in traffic to finish the defensive possession and force the stop in the clutch up 4 PTS with 30 seconds to play versus Utah Prep, finishing with 9 PTS, 6 REB, 1 BLK overall in 17 MIN.

In a close loss to Montverde in the tourney title, Paul Osaruyri added 4 PTS with 8 REB and 1 BLK in 13 minutes, yet Paul popped out every time he stepped on the court.

Osaruyri looked the part, impressing with explosive athleticism, monster alley-oop jams, a poster power slam over Sisley, and a big block in help defense.

Here’s Paul throwing down a big one-handed alley-oop jam on the fast break:

#5 Kalek House
6’3″ Guard (2026)
AZ Compass Prep

Legit 3&D Guard, knockdown 3pt shooter, smart impactful defender

The House House knows a thing or two about three-pointers; Kalek and his twin brother Kaden are sons of Boston Celtics legend, Eddie House.

Kalek hit his threes all weekend with his smooth jump shot, and forced turnovers to boot, flashing 3&D upside and tenacity, yet House also flashed a well-rounded skill-set with few holes in his game, revealing a potential connector who can slide into just about any lineup.

Kalek ranked 9th in Overall Impact (+8.4 C-RAM), T-5th with AJ Dybantsa at 3PE (95 3PE shooting 44% 3P% on 23 3PA), T-11th in Scoring (69 PSP) on relatively low usage, T-12th in Defense (87 DSI recording 5 STL + 1 BLK with 6 Fouls) T-13th in At The Rim (64 ATR), T-20th in Passing (61 FGS)

Kalek showed off his clean shooting stroke from deep in every matchup, including 3 3PM against Windermere, 4 3PM against Calvary, and 3 3PM against Sagemont.

What stands out most for Kalek is not just his 3pt jumper, but his nose for the ball; House always seems to be in the right place at the right time, contesting shots, active hands forcingdeflections, moving his hips, coming up with 2 STL vs Windermere.

Kalek House on his current skill development:

Just my shot and like my handle, I need to get my handle right. I’ma be valid, I’ll be smooth.

Kalek House on any former or current players who inspire his game or steal a move from:

Jrue Holiday, he’s a good defender, he plays the point guard. I’m playing point guard next year more, like he just facilitates really well, he can shoot the ball. I just want to be like him.

Jaden Vance describing Kalek House as a teammate:

He’s a great teammate, you know what I’m saying? Always joking around. Always boosting up his teammates.

Nicholas Randall describing Kalek House as a teammate:

He’s never in his feelings. Never gets mad.

#0 Rokiem Green
6’2″ Guard (2026)
Cia Bella Vista

Legit D&3 Guard, quick-trigger catch-and-shoot 3pt jump shooter, instinctual anticipatory defender.

Green showed incredible understanding of the game, where to be, how to deflect as many balls as possible. Beyond just nailing his three pointers, Rokiem showed a willingness to attack the rack to score for his team – adding on-ball reps could help him improve his offensive decision-making feel and playmaking skills, where the goal should be to develop into a 3pt Connector who can use his shooting gravity to bend the defense and help create open shots for his team.

Rokiem ranked 7th in 3pt Shooting ( 92 3PE shooting 5/11 3P), 4th in Defense (100 DSI with 3 blocks in 3 games and a myriad of deflections as a 6’2″ guard), 15th in Scoring (62 PSP), and 27th in Overall Impact (+6.4 C-RAM)

Splashing at least 3 C&S 3PA and 1 Pull-Up 3PA in transition vs Riviera Prep, Rokiem clearly has the Green light from deep.

Another possession, he made a winning play by timing up a dig to rip away the ball from the driver for a steal.

In a huge win over Utah Prep, Green dropped 15 PTS in 13 MIN on 4/6 3P, even showing the awareness to rip through defenders contesting arms in front of him to draw a foul on a pull-up middy, a veteran move.

Green showed off his 3pt shooting versatility with an off-the-dribble stepback and multiple catch-and-shoot jumpers from deep.

Against Montverde in the title game, Rokiem’s presence was most felt on the defensive end, where he made a deflection and racked up 3 STL, while on the other end Green added 7 PTS on 3/11 FGA with 1 REB and 1 AST.

Over and over again, Rokiem Green’s defense pops out in person and on tape due to his defensive instincts leading to anticipatory deflections, steals, and loose ball recoveries, including 3 STL in the title game vs MVA (7 PTS). Green often turns those turnovers into points by flying to the basket when the moment strikes.

#5 Collin Paul
6’7″ Forward (2025)
Calvary Christian

Collin Paul is a strong driver, capable C&S 3pt range shooter, sound defender, backdown postup tough shot maker, with a solid handle that allows him to glide through the paint with no one wanting to step in his way.

Paul rated T-13th At The Rim (64 ATR), T-20th in Scoring (58 PSP), 31st on Defense (68 DSI), T-32nd Overall Impact (+5.9 C-RAM).

Paul scored 8 PTS versus AZ Compass on 4/9 FG with 4 REB, 1 STl, and a 2 AST / 2 TO ratio. On this play against a good defender in Fogle, Paul hesis his way into the paint with good body control to avoid the charge for a finger roll.

Paul was able to score efficiently, get downhill with strength, draw fouls against Montverde, scoring 15 PTS on 4/9 FG and 7/8 FT with 3 REB and 1 TO.

Against Utah Prep in the 3rd Place Win, Collin Paul posted 12 PTS on 5/11 FG with 11 REB, 1 BLK, 1 STL, and 2 TO.

Paul showed off his strong downhill force quick burst explosiveness, his frenetic shot-contesting defensive effort, and his relentless mindset by powering through the lane for loud putbacks, glass-crashing boards, and smooth driveby finishes.

Collin flashed soft touch tough shot making on the finger roll and fadeaway, solid handle and handoff timing, heads up vision looking for open shooters after creating the advantage, creating the overall ability to penetrate the paint, draw fouls, and create good shots for his team from the north south physicality he uses.

Paul’s sound defense on Dybantsa forces tough passes and contested shots.

#4 Sam Hallas
6’7″ Forward (2026)
Calvary Christian

Sam Hallas was arguably the most impactful defender at the 2025 Montverde Invitational, ranking 2nd in DSI (103 DSI) behind Ezra Gelin.

Hallas ranked T-4th in in Blocks (1.3 BLK/gm) and T-4th in Steals (2 STL/gm)

Against Montverde alone, Hallas racked up 5 Stocks (3 STL + 2 BLK) to 4 personal fouls; Sam scored 4 PTS on 2/2 FG.

A strong play finisher who plays through contact, Hallas was by far the most efficient scorer among qualified players in this tournament, scoring 86% TS% overall and making 91% of his 33 FGA, ranking him as the T-6th best Scorer (73 PSP)

Between his impactful defense and efficient scoring, it’s no wonder Hallas ranked 6th in Overall Two-Way Impact (+9.4 C-RAM).

Big dunk off the baseline cut, two power slams, well timed baseline cut for reverse layup, Sam Hallas brought his play-finishing game to the AZ Compass matchup, scooring 17 PTS on 8/9 FG with 6 REB, 2 BLK, 2 STL, and 1 TO.

Scouting The Best of The Rest

Riviera Prep

#0 Myles Fuentes
6’0″ Guard (2027)
Riviera Prep

Myles showed tenacity and willpower to score, confident shooter, pushes the pace, finesse finishing in traffic, and provides intense full court pressure on defense.

Legit two-way impact between his quick burst first step penetrating the paint and his clean footwork and energy creating a swarming defender.

Myles Fuentes on his approach to the game and development goals:

The thing I’m focusing on most is more consistent shooting. But I always take pride in my defense, always. So that’s the first thing I always take pride in. Just working hard and keeping my shot as consistent as possible.

Mason Fuentes describing his brother as a teammate:

I mean, on the court, we’ve been playing with each other our whole life. So our chemistry is second to none. Like we have little signals on the court, like when to back door, when to ghost the screen. So it’s just, the chemistry’s on a thousand.

And that off the court stuff, everything we do is together, we’re one year apart. If I’m going here, he’s going there. If I’m working out, he’s working out with me. So it’s just that Brotherly love.

Myles added 14 PTS on 5/5 FT with 10 REB, 1 STL, and a 4 AST / 3 TO ratio in a loss on the final day to Windermere.

Against CIA Bella Vista, Myles shows good defensive instincts, anticipation, timing for deflections and steals.

Myles stretches the floor with catch-and-shoot 3pt shooting and uses that gravity to attack the rack while looking for the open man for (potential) assists.

Showing impressive live ball handles, ball control, and body control to maneuver to the rim, Myles is a strong driver who flashes soft floater touch and tough bump-and-finish finger roll skills over contests.

#2 Mason Fuentes
6’2″ Guard (2026)
Riviera Prep

Mason’s finishing at the rim, midrange, beyond the arc was impressive.

Mason Fuentes on his approach to the game and development goals:

I’m a competitor, man. Mainly, I just want to win. I don’t care how I do it, or what’s done in it.

Like if we win and I have 2 points, 20 assists, I’m happy, I’m excited with the team, I’m a pass-first point guard. That’s my job to get everyone involved, and then eventually, my time’s gonna come to get mine, so I just win at all costs.

Myles describing his brother as a teammate:

Pretty much what (Mason) said, he always knows when to find me, when to throw a lob of me. Like the little signals he said, he knows when I need a back door, when I need to get a bucket, or if I have a mismatch, he’ll hit me. It’s just like that brother chemistry.

In the 7th place game against Windermere, Mason tallied 16 PTS on 3/5 3P and 5/6 FT with 5 REB, 2 STL and a staggering 11 AST / 6 TO ratio.

Against CIA Bella Vista, Mason Fuentes proved to be a crafty finisher at the rim who gets to his spots using impressive body control, fundamental driving footwork, heads up vision to find cutters, while showing defensive instincts to time up deflections.

Mason made a great block from behind to force a turnover before hitting the lookahead pass in transition, he had a nifty driving finish, and made a headsup plays finding Alonzo Mets for a C&S corner three out of a baselines out of bounds set.

#15 Jaion Pitt
6’7″ Forward (2025)
Cia Bella Vista

Pitt acted as an imposing shot-swatting rim-detterent and powerful dunker spot playfinisher for CIA Bella Vista the entire tournament.

Drawing fouls and AND1s in the paint, throwing down powerful jams, showing sound rim protection defensive instincts timing up multiple blocks (4 or 5, by my count) at the rim, in transition, in help defense during a 30pt smackdown against Riveria Prep where Jaion led all scorers with 14 PTS.

Flashes heads up connector vision shown on a rip through driving dumpoff pass to Paul Osaruyri for the power slam.

One possession, Jaion forced a stop with good contain defense forcing the baseline trap, a winning defensive play even if that doesn’t show up in the box score.

Against Utah Prep, Pitt got to the free throw line at will (13 PTS on 6/7 FT), making his presence known in the paint with methodical footwork and sound body control to manuever through traffic and draw contact on the shot attempt.

In a close loss to Montverde in the title game, Jaion Pitt dished out 3 AST to 1 TO with just 5 PTS and 5 REB, yet Pitt’s presence was felt through out, especially on defense forcing deflections and as a connector kicking out to open teammates.

Pitt racked up even more potential assists where teammates missed a good look.

Jaion’s defensive activity must be highlights, as his effort, awareness, instincts on that end lead to many stops, deflections, and forced turnovers.

#32 Xavion Staton
6’9″ Center (2025)
Utah Prep

Big man with great defensive instincts, active rebounding effort, natural rim-protector, strong play-finisher.

Staton rated 2nd in At The Rim (80 ATR), T-20th in Overall Impact (+7 C-RAM), and 23rd in Defense. (83 DSI)

Crashes glass in traffic for putbacks, to draw fouls, and kickout to shooters

Protects rim blocking shots in the paint, contesting in post and help defense

Arguably Staton’s most impactful game came in a close 3rd place loss to Calvary Christian, where Xavion put up 8 PTS on 4/6 FG with 2 REB, 3 BLK, 1 STL, and 1 TO.

Staton’s rim-detterence was felt every possession out there, blocking everything in sight, contesting everyone, before running the floor hard for loud finishes at the rim.

Staton threw down one a highlight alley-oop from JJ Mandaquit, and stayed ready in the dunker spot for shuttle passes and quick feeds for good looks at the rim.

#10 Kaden House
6’3″ Guard (2026)
AZ Compass Prep

Strong driver to the cup, impressive body control, acceleration and deceleration, spinning footwork, heads up vision for dumpoff passes, tough shot making skills.

Showed tight handle, good playmaking skills, soft finishing at the rim, can take a hit for a bump-and-finish, able to maneuver through defenses with crab dribbles and spin footwork.

Throws in 16 PTS on a perfect 8/8 FT , 2 reb, 3 AST / 3 TO ratio and 1 STl vs Windermere with continuous downhill attacks, one breakaway explosive POWER slam, an alley-oop lob pass, drawing fouls penetrating the paint at will. Sound footwork and smooth finishing at the rim.

#4 Aginaldo Neto
6’1″ Guard (2025)
Cia Bella Vista

Showed sound defensive instincts, racking up deflections and steals throughout the weekend, being in the right place at the right time often for turnovers, rebounds, cuts.

Neto rated as the 10th-best defender in the event. (94 DSI)

In a close loss during the title game vs Montverde, Neto scored an efficient 8 PTS on 4/8 FG with 3 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 0 TO, and multiple deflections.

Shows quick burst penetrating the paint pushing the pace and soft touch finishing at the rim, able to flip the direction of the court on a dime and arrive to the rim at will.

Given Neto’s ability to attack the rack, it’s a little surprising the team didn’t go back to that option more often; no one on MVA was stopping Neto from getting to the rim. Aginaldo flashed good passing touch on a dime to the rolling Pitt in side P&R.

#3 Cayden Daughtry
6’0″ Guard (2027)
Calvary Christian

High feel point guard who makes winning plays for his team, despite being just 16 years old playing at a higher level.

Cayden ranked 10th in Passing (72 FGS), 17th in 3PE (76 3PE), T-32nd in Overall Impact (+5.9 C-RAM), 39th in Defense. (69 DSI)

Shot the lights out from deep against Montverde, scoring 18 PTS on 4/8 3P, despite just shooting 2/9 2P, Daughtry helped give his team a lead through three quarters with 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, and a 2 AST / 2 TO ratio.

12 PTS on 79% TS% with an 8 AST / 4 TO ratio, 4 REB, 2 BLK from Cayden Daughtry helped his team defeat AZ Compass by 9 points.

Uses quick first step burst to hunt for open teammates on drives, dumpoffs, kickouts, swings, skips.

Against Utah Prep, Cayden struggled with the overwhelming size of the opponent, but found a way to make his mark.

Daughty stayed moving off ball as hard as anyone on cuts and fast breaks, and was able to get to his spots with a tough middy pull-up fade, a dunker spot floater, along with hectic defense forcing stops, deflections, and steals, even taking a charge.

#5 Austin Goode
6’6″ Guard/Forward (2025)
Cia Bella Vista

Tough Shot Maker

Throws down the hammer with 16 seconds to play in the title game vs Montverde to cut the lead to 2 PTS, and drills a clean catch-and-shoot corner three earlier in the game.

Nice postup footwork and fundamental hook shot, midrange stutter rip fadeaway off an OREB, counters the handoff from Aginaldo Neto using quick burst into decelerating drive finger roll for 8 PTS on 4/6 FG in a win over Utah Prep.

#11 Jackson Rasmussen
6’7″ Forward (2025)
Utah Prep

Good defender, strong play finisher, connective passer

Despite a few turnovers, Jackson filled his dunker spot playfinisher role cleanly, scoring 9 PTS on 4/6 FG and 1/2 FT versus Sagemont.

Good positioning postup, putback boxout secured, AND1 and solid contests on defense against tough shot makers.

Against Calvary Christian, Jackson added 7 PTS, 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, and a 3 AST / 2 TO ratio.

Over and over, Rasmussen showed connective big to big passing down low, finding his frontcourt mate at Center Xavion Staton under the rim with shuttle passes, swing passes, wraparound passes, after first drawing the defense’s attention.

Jackson stepped into a midrange jumper, ran the floor hard to finish plays off the team’s creators, and kept his hands active to contest, block, and steal.

#1 Miikka Muurinen
6’11” Forward (2026)
AZ Compass Prep

Miikka Muurinen brings imposing size and length to help put a lid on the rim, when he wants to.

Mikka struggled with physicality at times in this tournament, though, getting outworked on the glass, in the post, losing the big man battle to smaller opponents.

Made a midrange jumper, threw down a powerful jam, fought for the putback in traffic, using his height and length to effectively stay straight up for stops on the defensive end against Windermere.

Against Sagemont, the flashes for Miikka impressed – a loud putback slam, a swat heard ‘round the world, blocking a 3pt shot, a nice closeout-attacking drive and hook dump off pass to the cutter.

#2 Jeremiah Green
6’3″ Guard (2025)
AZ Compass Prep

Jeremiah Green proved to be an excellent connective hub running point for AZ Compass, constantly looking to set up teammates for the open shot first, scoring when needed second, and hitting open 3pt catch-and-shoot jumpers that came his way.

Using that 3pt gravity, he’d pumpfake and attack the closeout for the drive and kick, showing good all-around connector tendencies throughout the game against Sagemont, putting up 13 PTS on 3/4 3P with 5 REB 1 STL an a wild 9 AST / 0 TO ratio.

Against Calvary Christian, Green made a few highlight plays: drilling a pull-up three, answer Shon’s big dunk with a big dunk of his own, looking for outlet hit-ahead passes to push the pace.

#13 Jaden Vance
6’6″ Guard/Forward (2025)
AZ Compass Prep

Jaden Vance showed smooth scoring touch and tough pull-up jumper, good defensive insincts with a mean helpside block, sound off-ball movement instincts for a baseline cut and jam.

Against Windermere, Vance got up for the highlight alley oop slam and drew a foul with relentless drives to the rack.

Vance scored efficiently from all over the court against Sagemont, posting 16 PTS on 6/11 FG and 3/4 3P with 4 REB, 1 BLK, and a 3 AST / 1 TO ratio.

Jaden Vance on what he prides his game on:

I mean my defense, you know what I’m saying, always consistent you feel me? My whole life consistent. You feel me?

Jaden Vance on his current skill development:

I mean, it’s all mental in the game. I mean, you got to stay locked in with your mental, so you can stay on your stuff. You can’t always get off track and get in your head.

Jaden Vance on any players who may have inspired his game or who he’s taken a move from:

I like to watch Shai, JDub, you know what I’m saying? We have similar play-styles. So, I always study his game a lot.

#23 Noah George
6’4″ Guard (2025)
Cia Bella Vista

Tough shot maker, off-ball mover, bump-and-finish driver

Drills contested, midrange fadeaway, hits C&S three, cuts through lane against Riviera Prep.

Drew a foul on Allen, keeps the ball moving looking for teammates against MVA.

#2 KJ Francis
6’4″ Guard (2026)
Calvary Christian

Patient driving transition, good footwork and finishing.

Pesky defense.

In the 3rd place win over Utah Prep, KJ Francis chipped in 10 PTS on 4/7 FG with 8 REB, 1 STL, and a 1 AST / 1 TO ratio.

Francis pulled up for two midrange jumpers, stayed ready for the OREB putback, and played hard defense, even trapping Dybantsa for a forced turnover alongside Shon Abaev.

#24 Nicholas Randall
6’10” Forward/Center (2025)
AZ Compass Prep

Nicholas Randall was playing physical down low when his team needed a burst of energy and physicality, moving his feet on perimeter defense, playing strong off the bench in a pinch.

Randall piled in a quick 8 PTS on 4/5 FG in 11 MIN against Sagemont.

Randall continued to bring physicality when given the opportunity against Windermere, fighting through contact for a tough finish on the putback in the paint.

Nicholas Randall on what he prides his game on:

What do I pride my game on? Just being a great teammate. I take a lot of pride in defense though. I’ve learned to get me where I want to go in life, I just gotta play a lot, I gotta play hard defense, be a leader, be coachable. But just staying in in the gym working on my game every day.

Nicholas Randall on his current skill development

Me right now I’m just trying to tune a little bit of everything so I can just stay good at everything for real because I think that’s what I’m gonna need at the next level.

Nicholas Randall on any players that inspired his game:

I like to watch Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Ingram, Jayson Tatum, people like that.

#23 Ezra Gelin
6’2″ Guard (2028)
Sagemont Prep

#1-rated defender in the tournament (111 DSI) and a connective passer.

Jumps a pass for a steal against Riviera Prep, another example of anticipation, timing, and defensive instincts.

Another nice steal timing jump passing lane defensive instincts against Utah Prep.

#30 Noah Francois
5’11” Guard (2027)
Sagemont Prep

One the better D&3 players in the tournament, rating 73 3PE and 81 DSI.

Nice drive and kick decision making feel shown on a kickout to Liburd for the C&S 3pt assist against Utah Prep.

#10 Peter Okechukwu
6’8″ Forward/Center (2025)
Riviera Prep

Peter Okechukwu brought the energy and racked up the hustle stats – fights in traffic for a tough putback, makes winning play forcing jump ball, grabs 6 boards in 15 min off the bench and gets a shooter’s bounce on a midrange catch-and-shoot jumper foor good measure against CIA Bella Vista.

#23 Laron Mack Jr.
6’7″ Guard/Forward (2028)
Riviera Prep

Laron Mack Jr. took over the scoring load against Windermere, putting up 24 PTS on 13 shots (8/9 2P – 2/4 3P – 2/2 FT) with 8 REB, 1 BLK, and 3 TO

#2 Dhani Miller
6’3″ Guard (2026)
Montverde Academy

Dhani Miller offers an all-around skillset as a guard who can splash threes, make connector passes, and bring two-way feel to the game as a decsion-maker and defensive disruptor

Miller added 7 PTS with 7 REB, 2 3PM, 2 REB, 2 STL, and a 3 AST / 0 TO ratio in the opener against Windermere.

Dhani draw fouls by playing strong in the pain, showed off the 3pt shooting touch by splashing a C&S three, and stays attacking downhill in transition and off turnovers.

#3 King Gibson
6’5″ Guard (2027)
Montverde Academy

Clean shooter off the catch and the pull

Point guard instincts looking for open teammates, finds Greer with the alley-oop lob pass.

Hustles hard, diving on the floor for a loose ball, racking up deflections, even blocking Miles Sadler on the would-be game-tying shot at the buzzer.

#13 Hakeem Weems
6’10” Forward/Center (2025)
Montverde Academy

Tall, wiry frame

Soft touch finish in the paint

Plays strong protecting the rim

Active on the glass fighting for rebounds in traffic.

Weems threw down the highlight hammer alley-oop dagger with under 10 seconds to play to secure the 4pt lead over CIA Bella Vista in the 2025 MAIT title game.

#21 Kayden Allen
6’6″ Guard (2026)
Montverde Academy

Tough shotmaker with a go-to middy pull-up

Smooth shooting stroke, high release point on jump shot

Connective passer, swings to open man

Kayden Allen on his shooting touch and natural fadeaway shot release:

I do work on it, but I would say that’s a God-given gift, for sure. I’ve always had it, but I still continue to work on it and try to perfect it. And just my mechanics, holding my follow through and stuff.

Kayden Allen on his Development goals:

I’ll probably say my handles, for sure, I want to get a tighter handle, become more of a combo guard, just in case I need to be the one at moments.

And I’d say probably on-ball defense, like really looking at they waist, being in spots, and being able to move lateral.

Kayden Allen on any former players who inspired his game:

I’d probably say DBook because of his fluidity. Like, just getting to certain spots and if you’re ISOing within a certain amount of dribbles. So I’ll probably say DBook.

Dante Allen on Kayden’s game:

Kayden, just overall on offense, just all around a really, really talented player.

And a guy who, if he’s coming off the bench or starting, he’s always coming in looking to leave an impact.

#3 Aliou Dioum
6’11” Forward/Center (2026)
Cia Bella Vista

Great length, wiry athlete, quick feet

Defends on ball well, contests shots, uses length effectively.

Raw offensively, probably needs more game reps to gain confidence to play stronger with the ball in his hands.

Defends Dybansta well at times, here not falling for any tricks, staying straight up on the contest on the drive.

#6 Lucas Toukam
6’8″ Forward (2026)
Cia Bella Vista

Great defensive instincts to force turnovers

Mean chasedown block sprint back from way behind

One of the biggest plays of the 3rd place game against Utah Prep was 6’7″ Forward #0 Draydne McDaniel (Calvary Christian) flying in for a third chance offensive rebound putback with under 2min to play to extend the lead back to six.

Windermere Prep

#12 Isaiah Gillard (6’2″ Guard, 2026) is comfortable getting to his spots and hitting shots in the midrange, keeping his hands active for deflections.

#11 Malachi Martis (6’6″ Guard/Forward, 2025) chipped in 11 PTS on 5/9 FG vs MVA, and 10 PTS on 5/11 FG and 2 deflections vs Riviera.

#23 Samuel Shoptaw (6’2″ Guard, 2025) is not afraid to light it up, drops 3 3PM vs AZ Compass, 1 3PM vs Riviera.

Interviews & Quotes

Below are my full interviews with 13 players and 1 player’s father from the 2025 Montverde Invitational:

Dante Allen, Shon Abaev, Matt Able, Kevin Thomas, Davis Fogle, Myles Fuentes, Mason Fuentes, JJ Mandaquit, Anthony Felesi, Kayden Allen, Kalek House, Jaden Vance, Nicholas Randall, and AJ Dybantsa’s dad, Ace.

My interview with Dante Allen of Montverde Academy

RK – How’s your development going now that you’re playing at Montverde?

Dante Allen – With Montverde, I’ve been able to develop a lot, but I think the one thing that they’ve been really good about is noticing the strengths that I came with before and making sure that those are things that I maintain, not trying to work on things and stray away from the things I was good at before.

So definitely improving shooting, being a better ball handler, a better guard per se. But also like getting to the basket, pushing the pace, like those things, not getting away from those things or making sure that those are a key part of my game that I still keep around.

RK – Are there any different skills that you hope to continue developing, say over the next year or so as the college process comes around?

Dante Allen – Yeah, I would just say my patience and just kind of having a better feel for the game, especially when it’s more fast paced.

Being able to just kind of slow things down, being able to read the defense, being able to read my teammates, and just overall be able to make better plays for myself or others in any kind of situation that I may have not been able to before.

RK – I interviewed the Riviera brothers, your former teammates at Riviera Prep, about their games, experience with Puerto Rico national team, and playing with you. what was it like playing together, how would you describe them off the court as well?

Dante Allen – Playing with them is a luxury that a lot of people don’t have.

You got Mason, who’s a high-level playmaker, who’s also a good scorer, so you know he can get his, but also you know he can create for a lot of people, which is a lot of help for a lot of guys to get some easier ones. You don’t have to do a lot with the ball to be able to play off him.

Miles is another really high skilled guy, very tough on the defensive end, who can guard, you know, can pick anybody up on the ball. On offensive end, a really talented scorer. You know what I mean? Every team’s got to be on the look out for, definitely somebody who you have to send your best or at the very least your second best defender out for.

Both two guys, they’re both tough, too. Like, both not guys who can just be punked, both guys who are tough, who want to win, and overall, two guys as I said before, I’m very lucky to play with. Definitely guys we wouldn’t be able to win two state championships, played a lot of big games, win a lot of big games without.

And then off the court, just two guys you just love being around. They don’t take themselves too seriously, funny, and overall just two guys who like, I just always enjoyed being around. It was really good catching up with them too at the MAIT, you talk about some sports, but just to be able to catch up as friends a little bit, too.

RK – Speaking of the 2025 Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament, you won the MVP of the whole thing. And you mentioned back at the 2024 NBPA Top-100 camp that what excited you most about the transfer was just the chance to play against the best high school competition there is to offer. What are you most proud of from this season winning that MVP? And do you feel like you’ve gotten to prove what you can do against the best that are on this level?

Dante Allen – Yeah, I think it has definitely, so far this season has has its ups, had a couple of downs, but I think so far, yeah.

I mean, every game is obviously something big, another few games being able to play at home. Being able to play in those last two games, like two close competitive, tough, grind out wins and be highly recognized for it feels great. There’s a good accomplishment to kind of have going forward. getting into another tough part of the season.

Overall on the season, look at the standings, definitely above 80, 90% of the top-15 teams in the country we played against. Win or loss, been in a close game with those teams, and I think in a lot of them I’ve been able to show the things I’m good at and also some of the things that I’ve improved on as well.

RK – Yeah, a whole lot of competition there. In terms of the games, it’s always your defensive instincts that stand out to me; no matter what context you’re playing in, whether it was with Riviera or at Top-100 Camp or now with Montverde, that always jumps out. I think you had like three steals in the first five minutes, and almost a fourth, in the first game of the tournament against Windermere Prep. Just lighting them up with a whole lot of catch-and-shoot threes. I think you’ve shown a lot of development in your on-ball game as well like pick and roll development. How do you feel about your pick and roll development initiating everything as opposed to what you bring off the ball as a play-finisher and a shooter?

Dante Allen – One thing definitely from Riviera that I was able to grow at was in the pick-and-roll, something we did a lot. I think coming here (Montverde) definitely shows me how to play against different kinds of defenses, being able to score a little bit better, being able to like to read the defense, how they’re playing, being able to see what my teammates are doing also.

It’s definitely been something that I’ve been comfortable with for a little bit, definitely a strength. But I think when you go to Montverde, you’re playing against bigger teams, better teams, teams that are more well prepared for it. It’s definitely something that I had to get better against.

Overall, the steals, if it can lead to open transition, lead to easier buckets, that’s always something that I’m trying to do. And also, you can gain some good momentum, to just get the stop on defense and then be able to get an easy bucket on the other end for our team.

RK – Yeah, no doubt, those 4pt swings are big momentum shifts, those are big plays that can define a game, and you definitely make plenty of them. So how would you describe your mindset, your approach preparing for the game, or your mentality that you bring to the game?

Dante Allen – My first goal always is definitely win and try to impact that in multiple ways.

For me, it starts on defense, like definitely make an impact there, because that definitely earns a lot of trust from my coaches as someone who needs to be out there.

Now, offense, being able to facilitate for others, something I think I’ve been able to do better. And if that time comes, be able to get a couple points for myself also. And even if the offense struggles sometimes, if I can make my presence known on defense, then it makes it tougher for coaches to sub me out. So I think that’s definitely something I try to emphasize if I want to be able to make an impact throughout the whole game for my team.

RK – On your team, I won’t ask you to describe every teammate, but tell me about Kayden Allen, CJ Ingram, Trent Sisley, some high impact guys for your team. How would you describe them off the court just as people and teammates?

Dante Allen – Yeah, teammates, definitely growing up with some of them. CJ got here later, but I think we’ve been able to establish a really good off the court bond, you know, like staying up at school, being around each other a lot, being able to kind of develop a bond, and I think that actually has helped a lot on the court, I think we trust each other a lot more, nobody’s holding a grudge or anything against anybody else. So everybody enjoys being with everybody off the court.

And then when that gets to on the court, you kind of learn what they’re best at:

Trent like, maybe an undersized big who can step out and shoot the three really well. You know he’s there somewhere looking for his shot too.

CJ a guy getting downhill, he’s going to attract a lot of attention, so if he’s not getting down there scoring, then he’s someone who can also get a lot of guys open.

then Kayden, just overall on offense, just all around a really, really talented player. And a guy who, if he’s coming off the bench or starting, he’s always coming in looking to leave an impact.

So it’s like kind of things you’re able to pick up a little bit and be able to understand guys better because we’ve definitely gotten closer as the time and as the season has gone on.

RK – All interesting talents. Trent Sisley makes a lot of winning plays. On the Cerebro Sports data viz I made of the Montverde events, you and Sisley rank very highly in basically every category, Kayden highly on some as well. What about Hudson Greer, what’s he like as a teammate off the court?

Dante Allen – Hudson? Hudson’s a great person. Goofy, but just overall a good person. Somebody who’s always positive, like rarely will you ever see him with a frown on his face, just somebody who you just always want around you. Then that’s something that definitely translates, somebody who you really enjoy being with off the court to somebody who you really enjoy being on the court. So Hudson’s like definitely up there with the guys who you just like always want around you, especially just the kind of way he carries himself.

RK – Is there anything that really interests you outside of basketball? Whether it’s just hanging out with friends or you’re doing stuff with family or hobbies or even a subject in school that you like to focus on?

Dante Allen – Yeah, off the court, you know, us being at school, us teammates definitely like hanging out with each other as much as we can. Hop on the Xbox and PS5 sometimes you know when there’s not much to do.

And also, up at school (Montverde), we got a lot of other good sports teams up there. So sometimes being able to just get out the room, go and support like some other friends from school in other sports is also something that a lot of us really enjoy doing when where up there.

RK – Yeah, always good to support. What games are you all playing? Some 2K?

Dante Allen – Yeah, some (NBA) 2K sometimes, college football, maybe a little bit of Fortnite, Call of Duty, stuff like that. Everybody has the stuff they’re good at, everybody has the stuff they need to work at too. It’s good, there’s always something to do, even if some people on the outside may not feel like it sometimes.

My interview with Shon Abaev of Calvary Christian Academy

RK – So I caught your game at 2024 NBPA Top-100 Camp last year. Congrats on the big dub there, your team was loaded. Super cool to see you do your thing, really impressed by your point forward skills, with that size and that skill, just creating offense, the smooth pull-up jumper. What have you been working on since then?

Shon Abaev – Just polishing my game. Just trying to play with less dribbles. Just being able to play with more pace and stuff like that. Just keep working on my shot. That’s what I do best.

RK – So congrats as well on the Cincinnati decision. What went into that final decision through the recruitment process?

Shon Abaev – I just felt like it was the best fit for me to achieve my goal, which is go to the NBA after one year.

RK – And I got one other congrats for you, McDonald’s All-American! Big time. You’re projected top 25, top 30 on all these rankings. How does it feel to kind of get that recognition for all the work you put in?

Shon Abaev – You know, it was a blessing. It’s a dream come true to be on McDonald’s All-American. It’s a goal I had since I was a little kid. When I found out that I had achieved it, it made me happy, it made me feel like all my work that I put in is showing. I’m not doing it for nothing. I’m doing it for my family. All the sacrifice they put for me is paying off. So, happy for it.

RK – Absolutely, happy for you as well. So, how would you describe your game, your mentality? What approach do you bring to the game?

Shon Abaev – You know, just trying to win every game. Everybody in the country know I can score, so I don’t try to force my spots anymore, I let it come to me. I do what my team needs me to do to win the game. So at the end of the day, if my team wins, we all happy. So, that’s all I want. And at the end of the day, my team is undefeated, our Calvary team’s undefeated, so I’m trying to keep it like that for the rest of the year. Go undefeated for the whole year and win the state championship and hopefully win Geico’s as well.

RK – Off the court, any sort of hobbies you like to do for fun? What interests you off the court?

Shon Abaev – Just being around my family, hanging with my friends. Not too crazy. I don’t like to do certain things, because I don’t try to get distracted from my main goal. So, you know, just have fun with my friends, have fun with my family. My siblings, my little sister, my older brother. So just doing stuff like that. Not too crazy.

My interview with Matt Able of Sagemont Prep

RK – How you doing today Matt?

Matt Able – I’m good. Tough loss, but you know, it was a pretty good game.

RK – No doubt! You’re showing incredible shooting touch to me, and I’m sure everyone that watches you play, I think you just dropped 27 points. You were hitting some crazy pull-up threes, some turnaround fadeaways, just incredible shooting touch, is that what you pride yourself on with your game?

Matt Able – I think that’s the most developed part of my game, for sure, I think I’m an elite shooter. I pride myself on being able to shoot, but I would also say defensively and I think I’m trying to start rebounding a lot more. That was a weakness I had, and I’m starting to change that, you know just become a way better rebounder.

RK – And on that point, are there any skills that you’re hoping to really focus on in practice and develop over the next year, what those might be?

Matt Able – Yeah, I would definitely say rebounding is something that I’ve been working on, I’ve gotten better, but it still needs to get more improved.

And then I’d also say probably just playmaking in terms of pick-and-roll reads, sometimes I get a little sped up and rushed in the pick-and-roll, so just being calm and making the right read in the pick-and-roll is a big thing for me as well.

RK – Are there any players, current or former, that might inspire your game a little bit, or that you might steal a move from here and there?

Matt Able – I wouldn’t say there’s a specific player that inspires me. I have some favorites, like I love watching Donovan Mitchell play, I love watching Anthony Edwards play, those are two of my favorite players just to watch, so I wouldn’t say I inspire my game after them, but I definitely watch and take certain things from their game.

RK – Absolutely. What’s Kevin Thomas like off the court as a teammate?

Matt Able – Oh, man, he’s funny, that’s my guy right there. He’s hilarious, really good dude. I think we have really good chemistry, as a team and me and him, I think we gel pretty well. I think he has a lot more potential that he can untap, because he’s only a junior, so I think the sky’s the limit for him, he’s gonna be great.

RK – Are there any off the court interests or hobbies that you like to do with your free time?

Matt Able – Yeah, I would probably say I play a lot of video games. I’m on NCAA a lot, that’s my main game; I play some Fortnite here and there

My interview with Kevin Thomas of Sagemont Prep

RK – How you doing today Kevin?

Kevin Thomas – I’m doing good. How are you?

RK – Doing well. Good games out there. You played hard. That dunk yesterday though, that through-the-legs dunk you just hammer home, what that feel like throwing that down? You do that often in a game?

Kevin Thomas – Yeah, when I have a chance to, I do it a lot. So coach give me the green light because he know I’m consistent with it.

RK – So what do you pride yourself on? How do you see your game and your style of play out there?

Kevin Thomas – I get a lot of open shots because my teammates set me up for it and I’m starting to attack way more and my defense is getting way better throughout the season.

RK – What have you been focused on with your development? What skills are you looking to continue to improve going forward?

Kevin Thomas – Definitely improving on my craft and my perimeter defense and my aggressiveness getting to the paint.

RK – Your teammates with Matt Able as well, what’s he like off the court as a teammate?

Kevin Thomas – Oh he’s a great teammate. He’s really funny. He keeps us motivated every time on and off the court.

RK – You going through any recruitment talks yet, you’re thinking anywhere, what’s going to play into those factors ultimately?

Kevin Thomas – Well the few colleges I’ve been keeping in touch with lately has been BYU, Tennessee, and SMU.

RK – What interests you off the court? What kind of hobbies or interests might you have that you like to do with your free time?

Kevin Thomas – I like to hang out with my friends. I like to eat, just chill.

My interview with Davis Fogle of AZ Compass Prep

RK – Great game out there today. I caught your game at 2024 NBPA Top-100 Camp, me and a lot of scouts and media out there were really impressed by your hustle and your effort, you were one of the standout players. So I wanted to give you a shout for that. How was that experience like and what have you kind of been working on developing skill wise since then?

Davis Fogle – Yeah well, I appreciate that, thank you. Yeah I mean, kind of since then just really been working on my strength. Then also kinda just like playing off two feet in the paint, and just being able to impact the game from everywhere, not just scoring the ball, but being able to make everyone around me better.

And on the defensive side, just be able to guard multiple positions, and then rebound both offensively and defensively, along with like still keeping my aggressiveness on the offense end.

RK – Absolutely. What kind of position do you consider yourself? What do you consider the strengths in your game, whether it’s more of a point forward or how do you see your game?

Davis Fogle – Yeah I mean, with my high school team right now, we kind of go a little small, so I’m kind of playing like the three/four, but in reality I’m like a two, and I can play the one. I feel like I’m a combo guard. I think my passing is pretty underrated. But yeah, I think I’m definitely a combo guard that can score and then also get his teammates involved.

RK – Yeah, at the camp especially I remember you getting downhill, showing some crafty moves, and then being able to dump off and find the open man moving, so that definitely stands out. So you’re off to Gonzaga next, what went into that decision?

Davis Fogle – When they recruited me, obviously you hear about Gonzaga, especially me being from the state, like it’s a very good program, very good coach, Coach Few.

I mean I was obviously interested in a lot of other schools, and then when I just went on my visit, when I saw the guys and the culture they had with their whole program, the community in Spokane, and then also just the plan they had for me, I mean they really laid it out. They’ve shown guys like me at my position, how they’ve developed over the years, then they’ve shown me that those guys have made it to the league and they’ve been successful. So I just thought it was the perfect fit and I decided that’s where I want to go.

RK – Are there any players that you are inspired by, or maybe you model your game after; it could be even one player, one skill from a guy, former players, legends, or current guys in the league today?

Davis Fogle – Yeah I mean obviously I love Kobe, just his work ethic and his will to win and then right now, I like Devin Booker a lot. Then also obviously there’s some guys that don’t play my position, but like Curry, I love Curry, just his feel for the game, and also a young guy I like is Jalen Green too, feel like he’s pretty underrated.

RK – Off the court, what might interest you off the court, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

Davis Fogle – Yeah, just hanging out with friends. Last summer, me and my friends we played a lot of pickleball, so I got pretty good at that with one of my close friends.

My interview with the Fuentes brothers, Myles and Mason, of Riviera Prep

RK – How y’all doing today? Great game out there. So what was the experience like with the Puerto Rican national team and kind of getting some development reps there?

Myles Fuentes – Doing great. Doing well. I mean, it was a big difference from regular high school basketball or any travel basketball we’ve ever played because we’re playing against different countries, and like the style of basketball is way more physical, you don’t get as much calls, and also playing with the FIBA ball is much different. But it was a great opportunity to play for our country and represent them.

Mason Fuentes – Yeah, first and foremost, not many people get this opportunity, so we don’t take it for granted. Like he said, playing against these different countries, it’s a different type of basketball. So to have both sides, the American basketball and then now you’re overseas playing with a FIBA ball. So it’s just good to know both ways how to play.

RK – Yeah, different style of play, different rules, the ball itself. That’s a lot of factors, but I’m sure that helped your development in general. So, how would you guys describe each other as teammates on the court and then obviously just as brothers off the court?

Mason Fuentes – I mean, on the court, we’ve been playing with each other our whole life. So our chemistry is second to none. Like we have little signals on the court, like when to back door, when to ghost the screen. So it’s just, the chemistry’s on a thousand.

Myles Fuentes – Pretty much what he said, he always knows when to find me, when to throw a lob of me. Like the little signals he said, he knows when I need a back door, when I need to get a bucket, or if I have a mismatch, he’ll hit me. It’s just like that brother chemistry.

Mason Fuentes – And that off the court stuff, everything we do is together, we’re one year apart. If I’m going here, he’s going there. If I’m working out, he’s working out with me. So it’s just that Brotherly love.

RK – Yeah, kinda sounds like me and my brother back in the day, We called it The Kaminski Show, we were running handoffs before we even knew what a DHO was, that brother telepathy, just when to cut and all that. I’m sure it’s fun getting to play with each other. Saw you guys talking to Dante (Allen) a second ago, what was it like playing with him? What’s he like as a teammate off the court?

Mason Fuentes – I mean his motor was second to none. Obviously, we won a state championship out of it, two actually. The chemistry was good. Us three on the court were probably the hardest defensive team out there. No one plays harder than all of us. So, I mean, it worked.

Myles Fuentes – For sure, pretty much what he said. You know he’s a great person on the court and off the court. And you know playing with him he’s even better. He does pretty much almost everything on the court. When he draws two, since he’s such a noticed player on the court, when he draws two and hits you, he makes the game easy for everyone. So it was great playing with him, and sadly he came here, but you know.

RK – So how would you describe your own approach to the game and what kind of development skills are you focusing on to really fine tune your game?

Myles Fuentes – The thing I’m focusing on most is more consistent shooting. But I always take pride in my defense, always. So that’s the first thing I always take pride in. Just working hard and keeping my shot as consistent as possible.

Mason Fuentes – I’m a competitor, man. Mainly, I just want to win. I don’t care how I do it, or what’s done in it. Like if we win and I have 2 points, 20 assists, I’m happy, I’m excited with the team, I’m a pass-first point guard. That’s my job to get everyone involved, and then eventually, my time’s gonna come to get mine, so I just win at all costs.

My interview with Anthony Felesi and JJ Mandaquit of Utah Prep

RK – Great game yesterday. Wanted to ask you guys about your development a little bit. So, Anthony, what kind of skills are you working on these days to continue developing your game?

Anthony Felesi – I think mostly my outside game, really extending my range, trying to get that three pointer down.

RK – Yeah, I enjoy watching your touch near the rim, the shooting touch, and you as well (JJ) with the floater game, the mid range game, pushing the pace, really seem to control pushing that pace, what do you take pride on when you’re out there playing JJ?

JJ Mandaquit – Yeah, I mean, the same things that you just said – just pushing the pace, being able to control it – but even more than that, just the little things on the other side of the court. Just working on trying to pick up people, just really push myself on the defensive end, be more involved off the ball, and just working on those little things.

RK – Off the court, how would you describe each other as teammates and people, what’s it like playing together?

Anthony Felesi – I think it’s amazing, I think our bond is really good, all of us are brothers, so I think it’s a really strong bond together.

JJ Mandaquit – Yeah it’s a lot of fun, I mean, we do everything together. We spend almost too much time together with all this travel and everything, but it’s fun, you know these memories are going to last forever.

RK – You have any hobbies or interests outside of basketball when you’re off the court?

Anthony Felesi – I like to play pool. I’m not really good, but I like to play it.

JJ Mandaquit – I like playing cards. I’ve been playing a lot of a card game called ‘Trumps’ recently.

My interview with Kayden Allen of Montverde Academy

RK – How you doing today, Kayden? You excited for the game tonight?

Kayden Allen – I’m doing good. Yeah, I’m excited. I feel like it’s going to be a good crowd and a good environment since we’re playing close quarters here.

RK – I caught your game at the Sunshine Classic about a month ago, really love your game – the pull-ups, the mid-range touch, incredible shooting touch and that little fade you got on like every shot is too smooth with it. Is that something that comes natural to you or you work on that a lot?

Kayden Allen – I do work on it, but I would say that’s a God-given gift, for sure. I’ve always had it, but I still continue to work on it and try to perfect it. And just my mechanics, holding my follow through and stuff.

RK – And beyond your shot, what else have you been working on these days? What are your developmental goals with your skills at this point?

Kayden Allen – I’ll probably say my handles, for sure, I want to get a tighter handle, become more of a combo guard, just in case I need to be the one at moments. And I’d say probably on-ball defense, like really looking at they waist, being in spots, and being able to move lateral.

RK – Are there any players that you look up to that might have inspired parts of your game? Could be a former or current pros or legends? Anybody that you try to steal a move from here and there?

Kayden Allen – I’d probably say DBook because of his fluidity. Like, just getting to certain spots and if you’re ISOing within a certain amount of dribbles. So I’ll probably say DBook.

RK – So how’s the recruitment process going for you? Who have you been talking to and what’s going to go into that decision?

Kayden Allen – I’ve been talking to a good amount of coaches. I haven’t came down to a certain list yet. But like, one’s most in touch are like Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Georgia… Auburn, Georgia Tech. So I haven’t cut it down yet. I’m going to focus on that this summer.

RK – Off the court, do you have any interest or hobbies like playing video games with friends or spending time with family, anything really that catches your interest?

Kayden Allen – Yeah, I like listening to music a lot. Just spending time with my friends competing on (NBA) 2K.

RK – What’s your team or your player go-to on (NBA) 2K?

Kayden Allen – DBook, or Shai

My interview with Kalek House, Jaden Vance, Nicholas Randall of AZ Compass Prep

RK – So, tough first game, but you guys bounced back with back-to-back wins, you took it to them. Did any other players impress you this weekend?

The Group – The guy we just played against, Matt Able. Yeah he was smooth. Just had about 27. Yeah I tip my hat off to him. He’s nice though. Shon Abaev, he’s nice too. Brandon Bass, he’s nice. Just nice going against top players in the country.

RK – So, Kalek, what’s it like being Eddie House’s son, first of all?
Kalek House – It’s regular. Yeah he’s regular.

RK – So what kind of skills are you working on, hoping to continue your development?
Kalek House – Just my shot and like my handle, I need to get my handle right. I’ma be valid, I’ll be smooth.

RK – So what do you guys like to do off the court? Any hobbies or interests like that?
Kalek House – We just be chilling, team bonding, stuff like that, to get closer.

RK – What’s Jaden Vance like as a teammate?
Kalek House – Good, good teammate. He’s been improving recently, you know came in mid-season, so he’s been adapting well.

RK – Are there any former or current players that kind of inspire your game or you try to model your game after, steal a few moves from?
Kalek House – Jrue Holliday, he’s a good defender, he plays the point guard. I’m playing point guard next year more, like he just facilitates really well, he can shoot the ball. I just want to be like him.

RK – What do you pride your game on, Jaden?
Jaden Vance – I mean my defense, you know what I’m saying, always consistent you feel me? My whole life consistent. You feel me?

RK – What kind of skills are you working on these days to continue your development?
Jaden Vance – I mean, it’s all mental in the game. I mean, you got to stay locked in with your mental, so you can stay on your stuff. You can’t always get off track and get in your head.

RK – What’s Kalek House like off the court, as a teammate and as a person?
Jaden Vance – He’s a great teammate, you know what I’m saying? Always joking around. Always boosting up his teammates.

RK – Are there any former or current players that kind of inspire your game or you try to model your game after, steal a few moves from?

Jaden Vance – I mean I like to watch Shai, JDub, you know what I’m saying? We have similar play-styles. So, I always study his game a lot. So, it’s cool.

RK – What do you pride your game on, Nicholas?

Nicholas Randall – What do I pride my game on? Just being a great teammate. I take a lot of pride in defense though. I’ve learned to get me where I want to go in life, I just gotta play a lot, I gotta play hard defense, be a leader, be coachable. But just staying in in the gym working on my game every day.

RK – Any skills in particular you’re working on to really help you improve your development?

Nicholas Randall – Me right now I’m just trying to tune a little bit of everything so I can just stay good at everything for real because I think that’s what I’m gonna need at the next level.

RK – What’s Kalek like off the court, as a teammate and as a person?
Nicholas Randall – He’s never in his feelings. Never gets mad.

RK – Are there any former or current players that kind of inspire your game or you try to model your game after, steal a few moves from?
Nicholas Randall – I like to watch Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Ingram, Jayson Tatum, people like that.

Interviewing AJ Dybantsa’s father, Ace.

RK – So I caught on one of your interviews that you might have interest in maybe the Spurs or the Suns or the Magic as some teams that could interest you and your family and your son to play for. So what draws you to Orlando?

Ace Dybantsa – That’s AJ’s opinion — he’s full of sh*t because he doesn’t know how it works (chuckles). He’s gonna go wherever the ping pong balls tell him to go.

RK – So growing up, did you have any specific developmental goals for your son as a basketball player, or was it more just about letting him loose, letting him have fun, and learn as he plays?

Ace Dybantsa – My goal was for all my kids, be great in sports, get a scholarship so Daddy don’t have to pay for school. That was my goal.

RK – How would you describe your son off the court as a teammate, as a person?

Ace Dybantsa – Very humble kid, just a regular teenager, 18 yesterday. You know kids, everyday kid, likes to play with his friends. Other than that, I mean, he’s a pretty boring kid because all he does is watch basketball, play basketball, and books.

RK – On the court, what kind of mentality and development goals does he have as a basketball player? What’s he working on these days in practice and what specific skills, if you’re aware of any specific skills, that he’s working on the most?

Ace Dybantsa – Grab more rebounds, he’ll be alright!

RK – Lastly, what led to the BYU decision? That’s a really great program. They’re getting better every year, got big prospects. What drew you and your family to BYU?

Ace Dybantsa – Coaches, KY (Kevin Young), made a difference.

The post 2025 Montverde Invitational Scouting Report appeared first on Swish Theory.

The draft is one of three paths to building a team, and arguably the most important for teams in smaller markets deemed less attractive to free agents and disgruntled stars who may demand trades, but only if they hand-pick their next team. This is due to the team-controlled 7-years and the value of finding impact players on rookie deals during this upcoming salary crunch around the league.

My Scouting Process is simple: Film, Data, Communication.

Watch as much tape as you can on as many prospects as you can, go to as many games in person that you can, evaluate as much relevant data on these prospects’ basketball player development journey from youth to pro as you can, look for the winning traits that translate to winning basketball at every level, like defensive instincts for forcing turnovers, quick processing decision-making feel on and off the ball, offensive rebounding, dribble, pass, shoot feel for the game, developable ball skills relative to height/position like shooting, handle, passing, and the scoring versatility, creator upside, compared to play-finishing skill-set each player possesses, which helps outline all the potential roles that player could fill.

Some skills like handle, 3pt shooting versatility, defensive versatility can help players reach higher impact than expected, as they each create advantages that make it easier to do other things; the handle creates opportunities to score and pass, the 3pt shot drags defenses out of the paint with gravity, and the defensive malleability allows one to understand and execute different defensive schemes in different roles guarding different positions, sometimes all in one possession.

Quick effective team-first decision-making may be the most important skill of all separating players at this level of athletic greatness; the mind may be the most powerful muscle separating the average rotation player and the winning players.

General big boards help build a consensus view of how this class is built via a list of the best players available. Every team, however, has their own big board filled out differently. While this consensus list is helpful to target value at different slots in the draft, a more useful tool could be filling out a big board based on a specific team, where team-centric needs, roles, situations are addressed more directly.

From there, learning from other scouts, hearing their points of view on their findings, understanding others’ perspectives through their lens, helps any evaluator cover up blind spots and round out the scouting perspective, to help see the glass half full on prospects who you may have undervalued at first.

The 2025 NBA Swish Theory Draft Guide is a helpful place to start for understanding how great draft minds view this class via ranking the Top-59 on a general big board, with filters available to target the talent and player archetypes your team needs most.

As far as my Draft Process, here are my goals for ranking any big board:

First, I’m looking for potential Superstars, guys who can be legitimate franchise cornerstones for a decade anchoring the team to 50 wins without any help.

Second, I’m targeting Offensive Engines and Defensive Cornerstones; offensive players whose mere existence creates a reliable option to run team offense as a scorer and distributor on a night-to-night basis and defensive players with outlier DPOY potential. Scoring creators who consistently create good offense for their team through reliable decision making and star-stopping defenders who are so elite, smart, versatile that they actually slow down opposing stars.

Third, I’m hunting for All-Star/All-Defense level talent, scorers and stoppers who project to potentially become Top-30 offensive players or Top-10 defensive players in the league one day, who will likely be High End Starters on championship teams.

Fourth, I’m searching for High End Starters, players who have a realistic path to impact the game at a higher rate than the average rotation player, who have likely floors as fringe 5th starters, 6th man, role players on winning teams. These are likely “good basketball” players who can bring two-way (scoring and defensive) versatility.

Fifth, I’m interested in finding Role Players whose floor is fighting for rotation spots, those who have elite skills in one role on both ends like rim-rolling and rim-protecting, or those who can hold their own on both ends of the floor with dribble-pass-shoot and switchable defensive skills, like defensive connectors who can hit the open three and make the smart pass.

Lastly, I’m looking into Potential Pros, players who have NBA length, athleticism, body strength, or outlier skill advantages like quick first step burst, playmaking vision, decision making feel, 3pt shooting, to take a swing late on unique talents.

Orlando needed shooting.

Arguably, the team needed pull-up 3pt shooting most, someone who can draw two out to the perimeter to create space for others, and ideally also possesses reliable point guard duties; either from a guard, a wing, a center, someone who can run the show when Paolo and Franz aren’t taking the lead. Someone who can set those two big wing stars and depth of play-finishers up for off-ball opportunities, cuts, rim-rolls, closeout-attacks, instead of asking them to create from scratch every time down.

Enter Desmond Bane.

Orlando addressed its biggest need (pull-up shooting), its secondary needs (C&S shooting, connective playmaking, halfcourt initiating), AND didn’t have to sacrifice the team identity (defense) to do it. The Magic somehow landed the ultimate complementary third star to its young core without taking a step back in the short term to do so.

So, what else does this Magic roster need to continually search for perfect floor balance lineups and variety of depth options?

As Chet Holmgren and Myles Turner battle it out in the NBA Finals, another apparent team need could be a reliable two-way starting center, ideally a unicorn 3&D tough shot making big man, who don’t exactly grow on trees.

Take Porzingis as an example, sliding right in next to Boston’s big wing stars, cleanly transitioning from an All-Star post-up extraordinaire with the Wizards to a glorified 3&D role with postup mismatch opportunities on a much more crowded Boston team.

Launching an offensive attack with that level of overqualified talent in a role where less is needed allows the player to maximize their winning impact; maintain energy for both ends of the floor; prepare, know, and thrive in their predetermined role.

Otherwise, endlessly hunting defensive connectors seems to be this Magic team’s priority, searching for two-way versatility, quick processing team-first decision makers, players with few holes who can dribble-pass-shoot and switch on defense.

Now that Orlando has addressed its primary shooting/scorer/playmaking concern, the question remains: what finishing touches does this roster need to start contending?

PG: Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, Cory Joseph
SG: Desmond Bane, Gary Harris, Jett Howard
SF: Franz Wagner, Tristan Da Silva, Caleb Houstan
PF: Paolo Banchero, Jonathan Isaac
C: Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze, Mo Wagner

2025 NBA Draft Prospects – Offensive Scoring Creator vs Play-Finishers/Connectors


When reviewing the Cerebro Sports data on 2025 NBA Draft Prospects (only including NCAA), an interesting result pops up when playing around with the numbers.

If I wanted to find two-way versatility, I could look for players who can fill roles as a defensive playmaker/offensive connector/3pt shooter/playfinisher, aka someone who brings plus defense, makes team-first passes, hits open 3pt shots, rebounds, scores 2s effeciently, and helps force turnovers with steals and blocks without fouling, then I can use that idea to filter through Cerebro’s data.

Setting 4 filters to average or above (At the Rim, Defensive Impact, 3pt Effectiveness, Floor General Skills), we can find players who rate average or better compared to the draft class in these categories.

The Results? only 4 players are average or better at defense, 3pt shooting, passing, and the rest of those attributes baked into Cerebro’s formulas
:
Cooper Flagg, VJ Edgecombe, Danny Wolf, and Max Shulga

These next two data viz show the Best Offensive Engine Scoring Creator 2025 NBA Draft prospects via Cerebro Sports NCAA Data:

Pure Scoring Prowess (PSP), Floor General Skills (FGS), and 3PT Effectiveness (3PE)

2025 NBA Draft – Cerebro Scoring Creators Scatter

and the same data by position:
better passing = bigger square // better scoring = darker color

Top Prospects in Floor General Skills (FGS):

1) Ryan Nembhard 96
2) Kam Jones 82
3) Javon Small 79
4_ Egor Demin 78
5) Mark Sears 76
T-6) Kobe Sanders / Kasparas Jakucionis 74
8) Walter Clayton Jr. 73
T-9) Nique Clifford / Cooper Flagg / Max Shulga 72
T-12) Jeremiah Fears / Dylan Harper 71
14) Danny Wolf 69
T-15) VJ Edgecombe / Johni Broome / Sion James 67


Top Prospects in Pure Scoring Prowess (PSP):

1) Ryan Kalkbrenner 93
2) Eric Dixon 88
3) Vladislav Goldin 84
4) Nique Clifford 83
T-5) Maxime Raynaud / John Tonje / Dylan Harper 82
T-8) Collin Murray-Boyles / Kam Jones 81
T-10) Cooper Flagg / Johni Broome 80
12) Tre Johnson 79
T-13) Walter Clayton Jr. / Chaz Lanier 78
T-15) Asa Newell / Rasheer Fleming / Adou Thiero / Javon Small 76


Top Prospects in 3PT Effectiveness (3PE):

1) Chaz Lanier 93
T-2) Eric Dixon / Koby Brea 90
3) Walter Clayton Jr. 88
4) Tre Johnson 87
T-5) Javon Small / John Tonje / Kon Knueppel / Tyrese Proctor 83
T-9 Mark Sears /Max Shulga 81
11) Alijah Martin 80
T-12) Rasheer Fleming / Will Richard 79
14) Maxime Raynaud 77

Prospects who ranked best in both passing and scoring:

Kam Jones, Nique Clifford, Dylan Harper, Cooper Flagg, Walter Clayton Jr., Javon Small, Mark Sears, Johni Broome, Tre Johnson, Collin Murray-Boyles, Kasparas Jakucionis, Max Shulga, Kon Knueppel, Danny Wolf, Jeremiah Fears, VJ Edgecombe, Alijah Martin, Hunter Sallis, Jamir Watkins

Prospects who ranked best in all three of passing, scoring, and shooting:

Alijah Martin, Cooper Flagg, Danny Wolf, Dylan Harper, Hunter Sallis, Jamir Watkins, Javon Small, Jeremiah Fears, Johni Broome, Kam Jones, Kasparas Jakucionis, Kobe Sanders, Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Mark Sears, Max Shulga, Tre Johnson, Tyrese Proctor, VJ Edgecombe, Walter Clayton Jr., Will Riley

Poetic to see former Creighton teammates bookending these scoring creator stats with Ryan Nembhard leading all prospects in Floor General Skills by a mile and Ryan Kalkbrenner dominating yet another category, this time in Pure Scoring Prowess.

Players who rank highly in Scoring but not shooting or passing could be promising play-finishers, like Kalkbrenner, Eric Dixon, Vlad Goldin

Players who rank highly in 3pt shooting and Passing could be good offensive connectors, if not better, such as those who rate 65 or higher in both FGS and 3PE:
Walter Clayton Jr., VJ Edgecombe, Sion James, Ryan Nembhard, Max Shulga, Mark Sears, Kobe Sanders, Kasparas Jakucionis, Kam Jones, Javon Small, Dylan Harper, Danny Wolfl, Cooper Flagg

2025 NBA Draft Prospects – Defense/Hustle/At The Rim

Some promising Defense/Hustle/Rim Stats are deflections, blocks, steals, rebounds, charges, loose ball recoveries, shot contests, and fouls.

These next two data viz show the Best Defensive 2025 NBA Draft prospects via Cerebro Sports NCAA Data utliziing stats like these for At The Rim (ATR), Defensive Statistical Impact (DSI), and Overall Impact (C-RAM).

This first visualization shows a player’s overall impact by circle size, defensive impact vertically focusing on steals, blocks, fouls, rebounds, and at the rim impact horizontally which accounts for rebounding, blocks, and 2P%.

bigger circle = better Overall Impact (C-Ram)

the same data by position:
better Defensive Statistical Impact = bigger square // better At The Rim = darker color

Top Prospects in At The Rim (ATR):

1) Ryan Kalkbrenner 87
2) Johni Broome 85
T-3) Khaman Maluach / Maxime Raynaud 82
T-5) Danny Wolf / Rasheer Fleming 80
T-7 Collin Murray-Boyles / Thomas Sorber 79
T-9 Amari Williams / Derik Queen / Nique Clifford / Vladislav Goldin 78
T-13 Asa Newell / Yanic Konan Niederhauser 77

Top Prospects in Defensive Statistical Impact (DSI):

1) Ryan Kalkbrenner 101
2) Johni Broome 97
3) Thomas Sorber 95
4) Chris Manon 94
5) Rasheer Fleming 91
T-6) Cooper Flagg / VJ Edgecombe 90
T-8 Asa Newell / Yanic Konan Niederhauser 88
T-10) Collin Murray-Boyles / Adou Thiero / Max Shulga 87
14) Alijah Martin 86
T- 15) Will Richard / Maxime Raynaud 85

With some overlap in these two defensive statistics, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Johni Broome rank 1 and 2 respectively in both. Multiple first round prospects rank highly in both, including Thomas Sorber, Cooper Flagg, Asa Newell, VJ Edgecombe, Collin Murray Boyles, and Rasheer Fleming.

Chris Manon, VJ Edgecombe, Max Shulga, Alijah Martin, Will Richard rank Top-5 in DSI among guards. Nique Clifford ranks 78 in At The Rim activity while every other guard ranks 70 or below.

The NBA Combine provides measurables on most prospects like height, wingspan, weight that can be used to compare size, reach, and effective length.

I created a Data Viz of the 2025 NBA Draft Prospects by their Wingspan/Height Plus Minus compared with their Stocks Per Foul rate, where Stocks = STL + BLK

Top-5 Wingspan/Height Plus Minus

+9 Cedric Coward / Rasheer Fleming
+8.75 Thomas Sorber
+7 Amari Williams
+6.75 Drake Powell

Top-5 Stocks Per Foul

2.29 Ryan Kalkbrenner
1.58 Thomas Sorber
1.46 Cooper Flagg
1.45 Johni Broome
1.29 Alex Toohey

*Note, Cerebro Sports, CBB Analytics, and NBA Combine Data only consists of NCAA Players. International players data is from Basketball Reference.

With the 25th pick in the first round and the 46th and 57th picks in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, prospects and picks galore in the war chest, and young talent on good contracts filling up the roster, the Magic’s options this off-season feel endless. That doesn’t always end up translating to something big happening, but Orlando’s process keeps them prepared and flexible today and through the future to continually have the option to do something, which is the important part of making big splash trades – to stay ready for opportunities when value can be found.

In the past, Orlando has sold its second round picks for Cash Considerations; unless one or both are dealt in trades, don’t be surprised if that happens again, especially given how little opportunity there is for young prospects on this win-now roster.

One guess would be Orlando sells off one or both of the second round picks for cash. Another option could be packaging the 25th with the 2nd rounders to trade out of the draft for futrue assets or move up in the draft if there’s one particular prospect target in mind and they feel good about landing him at a slightly higher slot.

The Top-60 Prospects ranked below in tier are viewed as the same level as all prospects within the same tier, but factors like team/situation/role come into play as the tie-breaker. These players are ranked as such for this Magic team based on need, fit, opportunity, investment, and mostly just trying to answer questions like…

Which prospect has the most potential and the best chance of realistically reaching that potential in Orlando given the roster construction around Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner primarily and Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black secondarily as the young core?

Which prospect can help this team win now and in the future *and* fit within the current roster construction over the long haul the best?

The Official 2025 NBA Draft Orlando Magic Team-Centric Big Board

Tier 1a – Ceiling: All-NBA Superstar, Floor: All-Star/All-Defense

1. Cooper Flagg
   The Runaway #1 Pick for a reason, Flagg is the most versatile basketball prospect this game has seen since LeBron.
   
   Any team can ask Cooper to do just about anything, and Flagg will either be good, great, or elite at it, able to slide into a multitude of different roles on both ends. An all-time great defensive prospect with Montverde at the high school level went on to produce an all-time great offensive season in his one and only year with Duke at the collegiate level.
   
   The Magic would obviously love to add a star like Flagg, who projects to play like a Supercharged Franz, and maybe even the one true Swish Army Knife of them all.
   
   
   
   
   Tier 1b – Ceiling: All-NBA Superstar, Floor: Offensive Engine/All-Star
   
2. Dylan Harper
   
   Harper would be taken more seriously in #1 pick talks in just about any other draft class. Dylan looks like a primary scoring creator, a true offensive engine for a team with the dynamic athleticism to give one hopes of positive defensive development. Harper’s a walking bucket tall point-guard who any team would love to have star in their backcourt operating the offense going forward.
   
   Orlando would be lucky to add a natural scoring creator point guard like Harper with how much talent they already have; after news of San Antonio being open to moving the #2 pick, should The Magic seriously look to to secure Harper as the third star to run the show? After trading for Bane, this feels highly unlikely.
   
   
   
   
   Tier 2 – Ceiling: Offensive Engine/All-Star, Defensive Anchor/All-Defense, Floor: High End Starter
   
3. Danny Wolf
   
   Many times this season, Wolf was a one-man offense for Dusty May’s Michigan team, as we discussed on the Learning Basketball Podcast.
   
   Running P&R as a near 7ft ball-handler with powerful rim-roller Vlad Goldin (#36 on this board) provides a proof of theory offensive role that will translate to the league. Danny ran 231 pick-and-rolls as his team’s ball-handler where his 0.94 PPP on P&R including passes ranked in the 65th percentile among all players.
   
   Shooting:
   33% 3P% on 51 Pull-Up 3PA
   34% 3P% on 62 C&S 3PA
   37% 3P% on 30 guarded C&S 3PA
   58% 2P% on 207 Layups
   
   Synergy Scoring Playtpes
   1.14 PPP on 43 Putbacks
   1.09 PPP on 44 Cuts
   1.03 PPP on 31 ISOs (82nd Percentile)
   1.02 PPP on 66 Spot Ups
   0.94 PPP on 33 P&R Roll Man
   
   Danny Wolf is a versatile scorer, a good shooter on and off the ball, an offensive orchestrator who can run either end of a pick-and-roll or spot-up off of a pick-and-pop or space the floor off a drive, a potential offensive playmaking hub who can initiate a team’s offense as a primary scoring creator option. Wolf’s sound footwork, big size, impressive mobility should help him hold his own on defense guarding big 4s and small 5s.
   
   Plus defender, great passer, good shooter, tight handle, two-way feel, unique style, special talent, at 6’11”.
   
   Orlando adding a versatile scoring big man who can run point guard duties and threaten defenses from deep would fill almost all the needs for this offense, freeing up the backcourt to continue to be filled with 3pt shooting scorers and defensive connectors between Bane, Suggs, and AB.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Tre Johnson
   
   Tre just posted one of the best shooting seasons any prospect has shown in years. His shot profile is as efficient and versatile as they come. His handle is tight enough to help him get to his spots and create any shot he wants, which he usually can make. His solid feel when defenses send help has shown promising playmaking skills to create for others off of the scoring gravity he brings. This combination could become a lethal scorer with passing chops as a primary option.
   
   Between Tre’s shooting/scoring gravity, the spacing he would breathe into Orlando’s offense, is just about the best possible fit the offense could ask for, someone who draws two on the ball, can hit the open three, and can make good reads to set up others.
   
   After adding Bane, trading up for Tre or anyone who isn’t more of a traditional point guard or D&3 big seems unlikely.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Kon Kneuppel
   
   Arguably the most complete offensive guard in the class, Kon’s combination of ball-skills from his handle, vision, shooting touch on and off ball, feel running the offense, ability to operate high volume of pick-and-rolls, should create a sum-of-its parts scoring creator at any level, a reliable offensive engine for any team.
   
   The biggest question mark will be defensively, if Kon can hold his own, but the toughness at his size is promising, the will to win is certainly there.
   
   Flanking Kon with plus-defenders where he’s the worst defender on the floor would be ideal, and elite team defenses like Orlando or Houston could use an offensive engine to make the halfcourt flow hum a little smoother.
   
   
   
   
6. VJ Edgecombe
   
   Outlier athlete who will be one of the NBA’s best athletes on Day 1, incredible defensive playmaker, unstoppable first step downhill burst, promising 3pt shooting development, improved decision-maker as season went on. This uber athlete with a high two-way 3&D floor and intriguing potential as a drive-and-kick scoring threat is a prospect any team would like to take a swing on.
   
   VJ would slide right into Orlando’s elite defensive turnover-forcing culture, and only be asked to hit the 3ball and run some secondary offense, allowing him to grow into his own as an on-ball threat and utilizing his off-ball skills immediately.
   
   
   
   
   
   This back half of the lottery is around where the fit in Orlando starts to get murky. Since this range of prospects are likely to be selected Top-14, Orlando would want to stay away from this 7-14 draft range if they deemed someone in a lower tier of prospect to be a better fit for this Magic team, like Walter Clayton Jr. or Jeremiah Fears. They would theoretically want to trade down from the back half of the lottery to secure them, or in reality probably have to trade up from 25.
   
   
7. Noa Essengue
   
   The downhill force forward with graceful footwork has shown an impressive development curve at one of the youngest ages in the draft class. Already showing defensive versatilty with high-impact in many facets, and transition tenacity as an off-ball mover in fast breaks, rebounds, and cuts, the question remains is how much brighter can Noa’s ever-growing star get.
   
   Can he refine the halfcourt on-ball skills to become a true two-way assassin? Could he define a handful of go-to moves for himself to at least score consistently in addition to his defense and fast break fuel?
   
   His potential is sky-high if he continues developing at this rate. In Orlando, the fit would be tough to find minutes at forward without a 3pt shot, but the energy would be appreciated on any team. Filling a role as a play-finishing center until he develops more ball-skills would be interesting to see play out here; maybe he can become a point-center in transition along with a playfinisher in the halfcourt.
   
   
   
   
8. Asa Newell
   
   Newell offers one of the more stable packages of any draft prospect: a lengthy big wing defender who can switch 3-5, use his high-point athletic gifts to block shots at the rim and time up offensive rebounds, and hit the open catch-and-shoot threes out of pick-and-pop, with the ability to attack closeouts with post-up counter-move footwork.
   
   Newell could slide into Orlando’s front court depth as a capable small-ball 5 or backup 4, a versatile defender who can hit the open three and provide two-way winning impact around the rim and on the glass.
   
   Asa’s defensive versatility, 3pt shooting, offensive rebounds impress most, and he also proved to be an efficient scorer off those putbacks on a high volume of scoring as a lead option for Georgia.
   
   
   
   
9. Khaman Maluach
   
   The most efficient rim-finisher the college game has seen… ever? Maluach lobs are automatic alley-oops. Khaman has great hands catching lob passes, though sometimes struggles with tougher passes inside the paint. He shows shooting touch potential to develop as a pick-and-pop threat, and otherwise is a lethal rim-roller right away. Defensively a smart big man, uses hands and strength effectively, and has potential to be elite on that end as well.
   The defense and rim-rolling would be bring a defined two-way role, but the 3pt shooting development could be a big holdup to his playing time. Khaman would bring two-way winning impact without the jumper just as a rim-rolling defensive anchor, so that alone is worth a look next to Orlando’s creators.
   
   Khaman has the highest offensive rebounde percentage of the class while also rating well in Hakeem %, which combines Block % and Steal % to essentially show what percentage of a team’s turnovers any given player forced.
   
   
   
   
10. Thomas Sorber
    
    Thomas Sorber is an absolute tank.
    Sorber’s smoothie of size, skills, smarts blends into an incredibly intimidating presence that could one day anchor an NBA defense and offer a connective playmaking hub on offense.
    
    Sorber’s 2025 NBA Draft Rank Tank Bonafides:
    
    #1 Body Weight (263)
    #2 Stocks Per Foul (+1.58)
    #3 in Wingspan/Height +/- (+8.75)
    
    Thomas Sorber ranks 3rd in DSI and 7th in ATR via Cerebro., making him one of the top defensive prospects in the class.
    
    Sorber’s cerebral two-way feel for the game wreaks havoc defensively, protects the rim as a defensive anchor, and brings a postup playmaking hub on the offense end. Without a 3pt shot, it would be challenging to win minutes on the Magic, but Thomas Sorber’s potential as a defensive anchor down low is too much to deny.
    
    
    
    
11. Collin Murray-Boyles
    
    CMB shows incredible defensive instincts, two-way feel for the game, graceful downhill strides as powerful 4/small 5 defensive playmaker. A head of steam often opens up Collin’s drives to the rack, with good feel to make smart reads and playmaking vision to execute the passes.
    
    Murray Boyles’ defensive mind is what stands out for him as a prospect, his ability to use his big hands to perfectly time up deflections, force stops, and then grab and go downhill off the turnover.
    
    The fit in Orlando is not great with Paolo at the 4 and CMB’s lack of perimeter shooting, but as a small 5 and backup 4 he would certainly be a winning player on almost any team, despite the worrisome jump shot mechanics.
    
    
    
    
12. Ace Bailey
    
    Bailey is a tough-shot making big wing 3pt sniper who flashes defensive potential. While the unrefined handle and lack of playmaking vision is worrisome as a primary initator for team offense, Bailey’s shooting ability, rebounding activity, and defensive athleticism should all still translate to the next level.
    
    Ace in Orlando’s frontcourt would provide a capable 3pt shooter to stretch the floor, an glass-cleaning rebounder, and potentially an impactful big wing help defender. If Bailey’s able to create his own shot without needing the handle, the two-way potential as a D&3 Big Wing Scorer rises even higher, but that may require outlier development.
    
    
    
    
    
13. Derik Queen
    
    A one-of-a-kind tank big who uses size and graceful strides to finesse his way to the rack like the a bull in a china shop who somehow didn’t break a single dish. Queen’s passing flashes are impressive, showing incredible vision for a player his size, and a handle good enough to help create advantages on the go.
    
    With Paolo in Orlando, the fit for Queen may be tough due to some overlaps in skillsets that aren’t additive to each other, similarly to CMB, but talent can sometimes find a way. Perhaps having either one on the floor at all times could carve out a role as a small-5 or backup-4, and certainly help replicate the offense when Paolo is out due to injury.
    
    Queen’s defensive effort, maximizing his athleticism, and working on the perimeter jumpshot are question marks, but who’s to say Queen can’t become a high-volume foul-drawing downhill force playmaking hub who can score at the rim and create paint-and-spray offense for any team?
    
    The downhill force of players like Collin Murray Boyles and Derik Queen can best be captured in a data viz like this one below comparing Points in the Paint and Free Throw Attempts per game, along with other stats like 3pt assists, to show the results of players who successfully penetrate the paint. Players who bend defenses in the paint are able to attack the rim, draw fouls, and kickout for threes or throw lobs at the rim to the man in the dunker spot.
    
    CMB ranks 9th in FTA and 5th in Points in the Paint per gameQueen ranks 8th in FTA and 7th in Points in the Paint per game
    
    
    
    
    Prospects listed 14-22 could all be good fits in Orlando to help bring depth of talent who fill needs and fit the identity. Trading up for a target or sitting and hoping a bpa from this list is there at 25 are fine strategies for good players.
    
    
    Tier 3 – Ceiling: High-End Starter, Floor: 5th Starter/Role Player/6th Man
    
14. Walter Clayton Jr.
    
    A 3pt sniper point guard who can beat you off screens, handoffs, pullups. Runs the offense as an initiator, slides right into Orlando’s handoff-heavy system, fills the high-volume 3pt shooter on and off ball as a point guard who can run some offense and set up Orlando’s elite frontcourt scorers and depth of play-finishers in the best possible position to succeed using shooting gravity and quick decision making feel.
    
    As for Orlando’s big board needs, Clayton has a case to be ranked as high as 7 here, but I and many others view everyone ranked between 7 and 14 as a higher tier level of nba prospect. This works out for the Magic, however, since Orlando doesn’t pick until 25, where Clayton might still be available.
    
    An answer to one of the team’s biggest needs could fall right into their laps.
    
    With the addition of Bane, losing the 16th pick, filling a shooting need, ending up with WCJ is less likely to happen, but not out of the question.
    
    As a draft thought exercise, if they moved up to 7, would they do so just to secure Walter Clayton Jr.? Would they move back to the mid-first range where they were before to select Walter closer to where he’s projected? Or is there someone else listed above they’d target in a trade to move up in the draft, like hoping Tre, Kon, or VJ are still there at 7?
    
    Walter Clayton Jr. ranks in 3rd in 3PA/gm volume and 6th in FT%, two positive indicators for future outside shooting development.
    
    
    
15. Jeremiah Fears
    
    Fears quick first step burst is practically impossible to cut off from penetrating the paint, an elite skill advantage that Fears will need to rely on at the next level, along with his impressive decelerating body control weaving in and out of defenses.
    
    Fears shows the killer pull-up 3pt shot and an uncanny ability to draw fouls on drives with a paint-and-spray attitude at a point guard scoring creator looking for the best shot for his team.
    
    Orlando could use his skill-set immediately, as Fears could slide right into the scoring point guard role for this Magic team. Unfortunately, he’ll likely not be available by pick 25. Could Orlando move back up in the draft to land a Fears or Clayton?
    
    
    
16. Ryan Kalkbrenner
    
    Kalkbrenner provides a stable two-way option late in the first round as a traditional rim-protecting big man who can also step out for three.
    
    Ryan will provide team-first winning impact to just about any squad as a playable rotation big with high two-way impact upside as a 3&D center if the shot proves reliable.
    Kalkbrenner sneakily could solve a big need for Orlando at Center, perhaps finally finding its utility big man to do a lot of things well, protect the rim, rebound, score against postup mismatches, and hit the open three around Orlando’s starting frontcourt of Franz and Paolo.
    
    Kalkbrenner being available at 25 for Orlando would be a steal for a reliable D&3 backup big with two-way starter potential.
    
    Kalkbrenner’s 2025 NBA Draft Ranks
    #1 Stocks Per Foul (+2.29)
    #4 Body Weight (257 lbs)
    T-#26th in Wingspan/Height +/- (+5 in)
    
    
    
    
    
17. Cedric Coward
    
    Tied with Rasheer Fleming for having the longest Wingspan to Height Plus Minus in the class (+9 in!), Cedric brings the lengthy measureables to the equation as a 6’5” guard 3pt specialist, a classic energetic D&3 archetype who slides right into a two-way role for any team.
    
    Orlando can’t have enough two-way floor-spacers around its star scorers, especially filling up the backcourt rotation, as KCP and Gary Harris have shown filling D&3 roles through previous seasons. Cedric could be a clean fit to replace that role in the long term for this team as a high-end two-way starter or positive impact role player, though Bane’s addition might prove playmaking and big man needs to be more dire.
    
    
    
    
18. Jase Richardson
    
    Versatile scorer with incredible shooting touch and quick processing skills, positive defensive energy, and strong connector capabilities create a strong two-way presence in Jase Richardson.
    
    While reportedly undersized at the combine, Jase could fill many holes for Orlando’s backcourt as a shooter, scorer, plus-defender who makes team-first decisions with the ball, and shares NBA legacy with his brother Jaxon and father Jason “J-Rich, Magic Legend” Richardson.
    
    
    
19. Carter Bryant
    
    Good defensive feel and capable 3pt shooting 6’7” forward with scoring chops could provide any team with a good basketball player who brings two-way impact.
    
    Orlando could use all the good basketball players they can get around its stars, especially if they fill a D&3 role with scoring being gravy on top, adding Carter could be a fine play for role player depth.
    
    
    
    
    
20. Rasheer Fleming
    
    Tied with Cedric Coward for the longest Wingspan to Height Plus Minus in the class (9in !), Rasheer Fleming offers another D&3 prospect, this time as a 6’8” wing.
    
    With Orlando’s frontcourt depth, there might not be much opportunity to develop. However, there’s always room to try D&3 prospects around the team’s creators, and a role could be found with the second unit and as an injury replacement starter when one of the stars go down. With Black, Da Silva, Isaac on the bench, Fleming does bring a different 3&D dynamic, but would have to compete for playing time.
    
    
    
    
21. Liam McNeeley
    
    High school hoops legend with a knockdown 3pt shot and the aggressive mentality to dunk on drives when attacking closeouts. Liam could fill a role as a 3pt shooter off the ball and a shooting threat off handoffs and screens, someone who can reboudn, handle, and pass well enough to keep the ball moving and make the right decision for the team, and even initiate some offense as a secondary creator at times.
    
    Orlando would be a clean fit for the 3pt shooter as a 6th man who spread the floor, attacks closeouts, runs a few DHOs/P&Rs, and mostly spreads the floor.
    
    The defense leaves a lot to be desired, but the functional size is there for Liam (6’7”, 215) to be a big guard who plays with a contagious fire, can light it up from deep, dunk on your head, and excite any crowd with intensity.
    
    
    
    
    
22. Nique Clifford
    
    If scoring versatility is the game, Nique Clifford is the name. Clifford can beat defenses in a multitude of ways to put the ball in the rack rather efficiently. He can provide plus-defense for his team on and off the ball. He’s a walking bucket who put himself on the map at Colorado.
    
    With Orlando drafting Tristan Da Silva last year, and Nique bringing similar scoring versatility to the table, maybe that’s a sign that he’s a good target as a potential backup 2-guard to Bane, since you can’t really have enough good basketball players who can score in a variety of ways, make big defensive plays, and make team-first decisions with the ball.
    
    An all-around portfolio, Nique Clifford ranks 4th in PSP, 9th in FGS, and 1st amongst guards in At The Rim.
    
    
    
    
23. Kasparas Jakučionis
    
    A tall point-guard pick-and-roll assassin with a go-to stepback pull-up three who uses body control, fundamental footwork, and impressive finishing at the rim to draw defenders into the paint for kickouts, whistles, and shots at rim. Kasparas can help generate offense on a whim.
    
    While Orlando has Franz in place filling a highly similar role, it’s not actually the worst idea to have a backup Franz in case of emergency. Kasparas is much smaller, but brings a similar playstyle that would help replicate Orlando’s offensive identity whether Franz shares the court or not.
    
    With both being better on pull-ups than catch-and-shoots, they might be better staggered, but that could provide Orlando with one reliable “point-forward” at all times. Despite that, the lack of defense and C&S 3pt shot make this a questionable fit.
    
    
    
    
24. Noah Penda
    
    An energetic defensive play-finisher that moves around the court so frenetically he looks like he snuck a diet Dew into his pregame Gatorade bottle, Penda is a strong playfinisher, smart connective passer, and active off-ball mover, rebounder, defender.
    
    Penda will likely be a high-end starter for a winning team, even if its as the 5th starter piece of the perfectly balanced lineup, but the lack of offensive juice could limit his lineup options in Orlando, providing a tough opportunity to develop.
    
    Could he be in winning lineups? Yes. Would he be able to play with Franz and Paolo as the longterm C? Maybe not. A winning depth piece that could be a value pick depending on the slot, but might be a tough fit for playing time in a crowded Orlando frontcourt. As a longterm backup 4 plug-and-play big, there is potential here for Penda’s play-finishing.
    
    
    
    
25. Adou Theiro
    
    Explosive NBA athlete who forces turnovers everywhere defnsively as a dynamic 6’6” wing who flies off the page anytime he opens a book. Raw offense but shows enough all-around potential to carve out a two-way role with patient development. Energetic defense, fast break missile launches, espn top-10 slams should quickly make him an exciting household name for fans.
    
    While the upside would be an intriguing upside play, its hard to see his opportunity to develop with the starting unit in Orlando. If he’s got the highest ceiling available at 25, maybe the team takes a swing on talent the later the draft goes, but finding a player who can fill roles and needs for this Magic team that just made moves to win now should take priority.
    
    
    
    
    Tier 4 – Ceiling: 5th Starter/Role Player/6th Man, Floor: Fringe Rotation Player
    
26. Will Riley
    
    Raw intriguing talent as as 3pt shooter and connective passer who can make impact plays off ball and who rated highly in BPM throughout the season, even overtaking Kasparas some in ball duties for Illinois as the season went on.
    
    This would be a dice roll on talent, impact, upside for Orlando, which isn’t a bad choice this late in the draft. While one could attempt to address a need at PG, C, or general shooting, this is a bet on talent, in-house development. Since Orlando has stated win-now goals, this idea is less likely to happen than the team taking one of the shooters or play-finishers over the next stretch, but hitting on an exciting 3pt connector late in the draft could be a huge swing for the Magic.
    
    
    
27. Javon Small
    
    A tough small guard who does just about everything well, Small has earned a look to be an NBA rotation guard, and few players fit the ilk of Orlando’s team identity better.
    
    Small gives no ground defensively, can guard multiple positions from the backcourt, and then he can turn around and initiate offense as the point guard running different playtypes, hit the jumper on and off the ball from deep, and score within different playtypes as well.
    
    Versatile scoring creator, capable 3pt shooter, and positive impact defender is just the type of guard Orlando covets around its stars.
    
    With Bane’s arrival to a backcourt already featuring Suggs, Small would make an interesting understudy to them both.
    
    
    
    
    
    
28. Sion James
    
    NBA Athlete who filled his role so well it expanded as the Duke season went on.
    
    Attacks closeouts, provides effort hustle plays defensively, at 6’6” can play 1-3 with tenacious on-ball defense, has a quick first step burst and explosive verticality and good feel for where to be and what to do.
    
    Sion could immediately help a winning team filling a small role, and in Orlando he’d get to do just that. Capable C&S 3pt shooter who can bend the defense, penetrate the paint, keep the ball moving, and defend his own would be more than welcome in O-Town.
    
    
    
    
    
    
29. Kam Jones
    
    Versatile old-school scoring guard who can get buckets, get in the paint, get to the line, and get his teammates open. Questionable defender at the next level, but the buckets should look smooth doing it.
    
    Kam could address some of Orlando’s offensive woes, while Orlando’s elite team defense could cover up some of Kam’s defensive holes. The Magic could add one of college basketball’s best scorers last year late in the first round or potentially even in the second round, where either way Jones could fill a role as a scorer, shooter, connective passer, and secondary playmaker creating offense for the team.
    
    Kam has the best combination of AST% and TO% of any draft prospect:
    
    
    
30. Nolan Traore
    
    Traore’s combination of quick first step burst, connective playmaking, defensive footwork, and perimeter shooting flashes earned him the nod here for the 30th spot on this Magic-centric big board over prospects like Koby Brea’s 3pt shooting and Vlad Goldin’s sound rim-protecting rim-rolling presence, or the two-way high floor throwback scoring of Johni Broome.
    
    If The Magic are taking gambles this late in the draft, maybe they should take a swing on a shooter like Brea who might launch 8 3PA per game one day? If the team wants two-way winning players to fill out the rotation to help compete today, a bet on Broome, Traore, or Goldin is probably better.
    
    Both choices depend on how many picks Orlando keeps (down to 3), how much contribution they expect from rookies right away (probably a lot), and what kind of risks the team is willing to take when it comes being patient with draft picks compared to the value of adding more proven talent through other avenues of team-building. (Bane says its time to win)
    
    
    
31. Johni Broome
32. Ben Saraf
33. Vlad Goldin
34. Maxime Raynaud
35. Hansen Yang
36. Koby Brea
37. Mark Sears
38. Egor Demin
39. Amari Williams
    
    Tier 5 – Ceiling: Raw Potential NBA Pro, Floor: International Pro
40. Joan Beringer
41. Eric Dixon
42. Chaz Lanier
43. Drake Powell
44. Jamir Watkins
45. Arthur Kaluma
46. RJ Luis Jr.
47. Max Shulga
48. Alijah Martin
49. Ryan Nembhard
50. Tyrese Proctor
51. Alex Toohey
52. Yanic Konan Niederhauser
53. Hugo Gonzalez
54. Dink Pate
55. Rocco Zikarsky
56. Kobe Sanders
57. Hunter Sallis
58. Will Richard
59. John Tonje
60. Chris Manon

So – which prospect has the most potential and best chance of realistically reaching that potential in Orlando, given the roster construction around Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner primarily and Desmond Bane, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black secondarily as the young core?

For the sake of this exercise, let’s assume Orlando keeps at least two of its three picks, both in the range of its current slots (25 + 46-57)

As of today, 13 players have been invited to the NBA Green Room for Draft night, with expectations to be selected relatively high, and Noa Essengue likely to receive an invite once he finishes playing overseas.

Those 13 Green Room names (Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, Khaman Maluach, Jeremiah Fears, Kon Knueppel, Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, Carter Bryant, Derik Queen, Asa Newell) are likely to be taken by the 25th overall pick where Orlando sits, but that might not be a bad thing for every name here, and there’s always a few surprise names who slip every year.

The ideal players slipping among this group (other than Flagg) would be skilled scorers like Tre Johnson or Kon Knueppel, or the explosive defender VJ Edgecombe, but that was much likelier to possibly happen at 16, not 25.

With his quick first step burst, 3pt shooting potential, natural point guard feel, Jeremiah Fears is one of the more interesting names to watch if he’s still available at the 25th slot, but another to unlikely be available outside of the lottery.

Later in the mid-first round draft range, prospects like Liam McNeeley, Jase Richardson, Carter Bryant, and Cedric Coward could all fit nicely in Orlando’s backcourt. All these guards space the floor and offer varying levels of scoring, defense, and shooting skills, which all help balance out and contribute quickly to Orlando’s paint-and-spray big wing attack. Nique Clifford another name to watch as a scorer, passer, and plus-defender.

If Danny Wolf is still available, that’s the big name to watch for Orlando: A point-center/forward (✓), a 3pt shooter on and off ball (✓), with size and footwork to guard big 4s and small 5s (✓), who shows incredibly unique two-way feel for the game at nearly 7ft tall (✓) , and is, you guessed it, a Michigan Man. (✓)

Wolf is a proven offensive orchestrator who can run pick-and-rolls with ease, slide into the short-roll playmaker on the next set, spread the floor for three the next possession, and play connector playmaking hub the next play. The Magic need a point-something who can hit the open three, play connector next to the stars, yet also initiate the offense so those stars don’t have to every time down the floor. Finding a unique big man who can fill those roles in an already formidable frontcourt and 1-4 starting unit set would be a worthwhile experiment on a high-risk high-reward high-feel high-potential swing.

Another name that makes too much sense for the Orlando Magic if he’s sitting there at 25?

UF’s own NCAA Champion, Walter Clayton Jr., who has as worthy of a case as just about any prospect to be this Magic team’s primary target.

Clayton lights up the gym from deep like its nothing, an efficient high-volume 3pt sniper who can shoot on and off ball, run some P&R offense, and flow right into Orlando’s handoff heavy system, fitting seamlessly with a big shot pedigree that may even remind one of Jalen Suggs.

A huge value play at 25 would be Ryan Kalkbrenner, the smart rim-protecting presence out of Creighton who flashes C&S 3pt shooting potential as a pick-and-pop rim-rolling threat. Orlando’s constant hunt for its longterm reliable big man continues, and a potential D&3 bet could be a nice play for a 3pt shooting shot-swatting big man that can be harder to find that one might think.

Assuming all the names above are off the board, then a few late-first round/fringe second round targets to watch could be complete role players: guards like Kam Jones, Javon Small, and Nolan Traore; bigs like Vlad Goldin, Wolf’s Michigan teammate and strong rim-rolling rim-protector, or intriguing big man playmakers Maxime Raynaud and Hansen Yang.

Some of the above names could slip to Orlando’s late second round slots, but given the lack of depth in this class due to all the NIL dropouts, its no guarantee. Packaging two seconds or the 25th pick to move around in the draft, maybe to an earlier second round pick to secure the guy you want and add a future pick is always good value play for a team that just needs to leave this draft with one good basketball player somewhere between 25-57. Even moving back from 25 to the 30s wouldn’t lose much potential value on a pick, especially if the team can use good process to add a future pick on top of it.

With Orlando’s final pick(s) in the 45-57 range, if none of the players listed above are available, the Magic could take a swing on a backup point guard like Mark Sears or Ryan Nembhard, or a potential 3pt shooter like Koby Brea, Arthur Kaluma, Eric Dixon, Chaz Lanier or Tyrese Proctor

Orlando Magic Draft Targets Within Range:

25
Danny Wolf, Walter Clayton Jr., Ryan Kalkbrenner, Jeremiah Fears, Nique Clifford, Liam McNeeley, Jase Richardson, Cedric Coward, Carter Bryant, Kam Jones, Javon Small, Nolan Traore, Vlad Goldin, Johni Broome


45-57
anyone listed above who is still available + Hansen Yang, Maxime Raynaud, Eric Dixon, Koby Brea, Mark Sears, Ryan Nembhard, Chaz Lanier, Arthur Kaluma, Tyrese Proctor


After the Bane trade, it seems less likely that Orlando will invest in another 2-guard; however, with Gary Harris and Jett Howard as the lone SG depth on the roster, maybe finding a high-end two-way wing is still a priority.

The top-2 goals this summer for Orlando now:

1) Target and acquire a long-term starting Center, or a prospect who can become a D&3 big with a little scoring juice
2) Round out rotation with playable depth for a playoff run, between a natural point guard or a 2/3 size wing who can shoot and defend

Of course, the Magic just made their big move. They probably don’t feel pressure to do anything else if they feel this roster is ready to contend already, but if any question remains about the shooting, the center play, the depth, paths to upgrade exist.

Magic fans have been counting down the days for something big to happen like this for years; a consolidation trade to bring this team closer to contending. The team made its goals clear: proven offensive talent was needed, and acquired.

They took their big swing to first address this need by dishing out four first rounders, a pick swap,, Cole + KCP for Bane.

Are the Magic finished making moves?

Maybe Orlando somehow trades into the Top-10 for Tre Johnson, VJ Edgecombe, or Kon Knueppel to help balance the offense, but now that the team has packaged some picks and rotation players for a more proven offensive talent, it seems likelier the team will stay put at 25 to target a good player on a rookie deal, or package its picks to move around the draft for their target.

When it comes to draft night trades, there are plenty of reasons to make deals.

Here’s 5:

1) Front offices are filled with humans, and deadliens create urge for humans. Teams wait for dates like the trade deadline and draft night to make moves for many reasons, one being to evaluate every possible deal and ounce of leverage before settling on a trade packge. But on those nights, anything can happen – some teams are on edge, some desperate, some excited to make a splash, whether that be a big draft night selection or a midnight trade to excite fans with something new over the off-season; as draft day approaches, unpredictable chaos and impulse decisions await.

2) Consensus big boards allow teams to view draft slot ranges where prospects are most expected to land between, so given the knowledge of other team needs/connections/identity, this opens up opportunities to trade up in the draft to secure a coveted prospect, or move back in the draft to add draft capital if your coveted prospect isn’t likely to be considered anytime around the slot you currently possess.

3) Trading out of the draft for additional future picks is almost always a good decision, even if taking on salary to do so. This generally smart draft process acquires extra draft capital for the price of today’s, just because other teams (owners) generally prefer to have the draft pick *that* night, and are willing to pay extra to do it.

4) Pre-agency: Star players, draft picks, and every nba player in between share the same agencies; all sides talk every possibility long before they happen. If a team believes a major splash is available, their best chance to take the dive is on draft night, the last night where the picks posses the most value they’ll ever have because that pick can still potentially be *anything*, before the car is driven off the lot and becomes an actual player the next day, losing value just by going from potential to reality.

5) Christmas Morning: Fans love a good trade, a fresh face, a new name to see on posters, sides of buildings, tv commercials. Draft Day should be a national holiday, as watching the first team go On The Clock feels like waking up on Christmas Morning, where any team’s fans can still get any gift. Few feelings are as fun for a fan like watching a midnight move go down or a surprise draft pick get made (#ThankYouBane), but few feelings are as sad for fans as seeing their favorite players sent out the door. (#RIPOrlandipo)

The Magic went into the summer shopping these trade pieces first:

Draft Picks: 16, 25, 45, 57, PHX 2026 Swap, Future 1sts
Prospects like Tristan Da Silva and Jett Howard
Rotation Players on Good Contracts like Jonathan Isaac, Cole Anthony, Wendell Carter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell Pope, Goga Bitadze

I would have bet a combination of 16, 25, Tristan Da Silva, Cole Anthony, and Jonathan Isaac or some mix of good role players on good salaries would be enough of well-rounded offer to pry one of these proven talents away from a rebuilding team.

Turns out the Magic could keep Black, Suggs, Da Silva, Isaac, 25 if they just sent out 4 future first rounders that have a good chance to be in the back half of the first round.


Magic Fans’ prayers have been answered.

Desmond Bane instantly provides Orlando with the high-volume 3pt sniper they’ve always wanted, a tough defender, a team-first connector passer who can run some offense and score in a variety of ways.

Suggs – Bane – Franz – Paolo – Wendell – Black – Da Silva – Isaac – Goga

Orlando’s got a young prime rotation to build around, an elite defense, two stars, five ball-handlers, and multiple all-defensive candidates too boot.

Now the team just needs to dot some ‘i’s, cross some ‘t’s, and hopefully draft another exciting prospect to add to the deep young core like Walter Clayton Jr., Danny Wolf, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Cedric Coward, Javon Small, on draft night

I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out what happens next on June 25th at 8:00pm EST.

The 2025 NBA Draft Countdown Clock BEGINS!

The post The Official 2025 NBA Draft Orlando Magic Team-Centric Big Board appeared first on Swish Theory.

You never know which version of this Orlando Magic team you’re going to get. Sporadic 3pt shooting. Roster-depleting injuries. Rotations lacking rhythm. But there’s two things you can always count on for this group:

1. Opponents scratching and clawing for every point against this pestering defense
2. When Paolo and Franz get going, this team can hang around with anyone.

Orlando’s defense is as impressive as any team in the league; this year the Magic are on track for their second straight season as the league’s 2nd-best rated defense. The one thing you never question is The Competitive fire. The Energy. The Hustle. (get well soon, Suggs.)

The offense, though, lives and dies with the consistency of its stars, not to mention the shooting luck of its role players. The difference between stars and superstars in this league is a little bit of super and a lot of consistency. Orlando’s two shooting star rising suns still have to find that consistency to make the last jump into the superstar galaxy.

This season, both players made leaps closer to that goal, becoming franchise cornerstones any time would build around. When you play the Magic, sometimes you get Boogie; sometimes you get The Beast.

How many NBA teams run their offense through a pair of 6’10” point-forwards? Two big wing scoring creators here to bend driving angles, hit tough shots, and create good looks for the team.

Often penetrating the paint with postups and pick-and-rolls, what are the odds these two big wings average the same 4.7 Assists Per Game with exactly 223 Drives a piece over the course of the season for the same team?

On most nights, The Magic’s offense relies on its star scorers accomplishing 3 main goals: Getting to the line, Scoring at the rack, and Creating open looks for others. Franz looks to methodically run P&R and DHOs, using the screener to create that half-step advantage into the paint with hostage dribbles and shifty direction-changing drives until he gets to the rim for his patented running flip shot, his dirk fade counter, or the lob to the roll man.

Paolo makes scoring look effortless, bringing the ball up the floor and deciding between a quick pull-up jumper, backing down his defender from the perimeter with brute strength, or simply driving through every defender in front of him for a Power Slam.

I asked Orlando Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley about the challenges that go into playcalling with players as talented and versatile as Paolo and Franz, where it feels like any play could work on any possession depending on matchups and lineups:

“I think a lot of it always boils down to their feel, their read, their recognition to who’s on the floor with them, and the spacing placed around them.” – Jamahl Mosley

Sometimes the role players’ 3pt shooting shows up, like in Cleveland in a National TV spot, and on those rare nights where this team has the “we can make 15 threes” factor in play, they look like they can compete with any team in the league. Other nights, they have trouble hanging with the bottom of the barrel, because when the shots don’t fall, the paint is packed, and every possession becomes a grind to force a stop and follow it up with a tough shot.

Sometimes you get Jekyll, sometimes you get Hyde; no matter which version of The Magic show up, it’s scary.

The Numbers

How do each of these rising stars’ stats compare to the rest of the league?

Franz’ +3.5 EPM rating ranks 19th in Estimated Plus Minus in the 96th percentile overall. Wagner has an elilte rating on both ends of the floor, rating in. the 90th percentile defensively (+1.3 D-EPM), and 91st percentile offensively (+2.2 O-EPM). Only 6 players with a higher EPM than Franz’ 3.5 EPM are also in the 90th percentile or higher on both ends, via Dunks and Threes. That puts Wagner in the company of NBA Stars who impact both sides of the floor, revealing that Franz is one of the best young rising two-way wings in the league.

This impact rating isn’t as high for Banchero despite his impressive box score stats, yet still rates in the 80th percentile overall (+1.0 EPM) and in the 81st percentile offensively (+0.9 O-EPM). In another impact metric called LEBRON, Paolo actually has a slight edge now at 1.43 to Franz 1.38 rating, while Franz still has the lead in LEBRON WAR (Wins Above Replacement) with 4.32 to Paolo’s 3.28.

Many Magic fans and skeptics around the league often debate who is the better player of the two, based on these impact numbers being higher for Franz than Paolo for one reason or another. Two prominent analytics folks have weighed in on the matter to help provide insight; in fact, its the people who created these very two impact metrics.


Taylor Snarr, the creator of EPM, was asked about this very topic in a recent F5 newsletter by Owen Phillips; here’s his thoughts:

I asked Krishna Narsu, the inventor of LEBRON, about this topic directly on my podcast, Learning Basketball. At the time, and up to that point in their careers, Franz had steadily rated higher than Paolo, despite Paolo scoring more points per game.

One might expect Franz’ impact to go down as his usage has gone up, but it hasn’t. Franz has stayed efficient when given Paolo’s #1 option touches due to injury, becoming the primary option defenses have to stop, yet his impact is as high as ever.

Krishna’s conclusion here at the time is that Franz impact stats are generally higher due to his playmaking creation for others, his shooting gravity on and off the ball, and his matchup difficulty as a more active defender. Doing more little things that impact winning than just smooth scoring and tough shot making.

That said, Paolo has finally reached the same level of impact via this metric, showing Paolo’s impact has risen as of late for making winning plays, improving as a shooter, producing as a scorer, and being a reliable scoring hub for the team.

Franz “Boogie” has been putting up legit All-Star numbers all season, averaging 24 PPG – 6 REB – 5 AST / 2 TO – 1 STL,
while shooting 54% 2P% on 13 2PA – 32% 3P% on 6 3PA – 88% FT% on 5 FTA. Franz has had marquee moments throughout the season, like going supersonic anytime he sees the Lakers, featuring a stepback game-winning kill shot on a 37 PTS – 11 AST – 6 REB – 4 STL evening in L.A.

Since the All-Star break, “The Beast” Banchero is scoring 29 PPG, which is 2nd only to The NBA’s Leading Scorer tough shot-making MVP-favorite superstar in Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Paolo’s averaging 29 PTS – 7 REB – 4 AST / 2 TO – 1 STL in that 17gm stretch, while shooting 51% 2P% on 14 2PA – 37% 3P% on 7 3PA – 80% FT% on 10 FTA.

This success didn’t happen overnight; Paolo’s battled a tough injury all season, one that has taken time to fully recover from even while playing games. The standard is so high for the former Duke star that when he was averaging 22 PTS 7 REB 5 AST for 21 games after coming back from injury, outsiders still expected more.

One smart evaluator who looks at the game with a unique eye for physical movement pointed out he didn’t quite have the same leg strength back yet that makes his game so deadly. (h/t @Polarfall on Twitter)

I asked Paolo about his injuries, the physical and mental aspect of recovering and finding a rhythm after the comeback, and how the team’s mindset has been dealing with so many different injuries this season to key players.

Averaging 31 PPG – 8 REB – 4 AST – 1 STL in 14 games since this question, it’s safe to say Banchero is back to his star self.

Against Charlotte on March 25th, Paolo became the first Magic player since Dwight to drop 30+ PTS in four straight games, joining Dwight, Shaquille O’Neal, and Tracy McGrady as the only players in team history to drop 30+ PTS in 4+ straight games, via Magic PR. Against Dallas on March 27th, Paolo did it again, becoming has become the first Orlando Magic player since T-Mac and Shaq as the only players in team history to score 30+ PTS in FIVE straight games

That only scratches the surface of the scoring run The Beast is on. Paolo’s dropped 30+ PTS sixteen times this season Banchero’s posted fifteen straight games with 20+ PTS, a Career-High. Throw in four games scoring 40+ PTS for good measure, including his career-high 50-Burger against Indiana in the 5th game of the season, just before going down to injury. For all we know, Paolo could have been headed for an All-NBA team between his production and where the Magic could have been in the standings had he (Franz, Suggs, Moritz, Goga) not lost so many games to injury.

Seemingly every night, Paolo Banchero ties or sets a record not seen in Orlando since the Magic Mount Rushmore stars who have graced the blue and white pinstripes before him.

• First player to score 40+ PTS in multiple games in multiple seasons since T-Mac & Shaq after his shootout with Steph (56 PTS) in Orlando.
• Against Toronto, he drilled the most FGs made in a quarter without a miss (8/8 FG) since Shaq.
• After a game in Atlanta, Banchero became the 3rd player in Magic history to have multiple games of 35+ PTS, 10+ REB, and 5+ AST, joining, you guessed it, T-Mac (16x) and Shaq (3x).

I asked Orlando Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley how Sequencing factors into his playcalling to keep defenses on their toes with counters of similar plays: “it’s part of the game. it’s the game read. it’s the game feel.”

By The Numbers…

Banchero & Wagner have shared three games this season where they both post a statline of 25+ PTS – 5+ AST – 5+ REB in the same game, the most for a set of teammates in Orlando Magic history.


Paolo is scoring 25.7 PPG, tied for 10th with Cade Cunningham, meaning he scores slightly more points per game than Devin Booker, Anthony Davis, LaMelo Ball, Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Zion Williamson.

Franz is scoring 24.4 PPG, ranking 20th among all players, sitting just ahead of Steph Curry, Trae Young, and Victor Wembanyama

Paolo’s 7.2 RPG is T-47th with Zion Williamson.
Franz’s 5.7 RPG is T-92nd with Jaylin Williams, Anthony Edwards, Dyson Daniels, and Guerschon Yabusele.

Franz and Paolo are both tied at exactly 4.7 APG a piece, T-51st among all players.

Franz 1.3 SPG is T-37th with many including Lonzo Ball, Bilal Coulibaly, Amen Thompson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, and Chris Paul.
Paolo’s 0.8 SPG is T-169th with many players including Giannis Antetokoumnpo, Ben Simmons, Evan Mobley.

Paolo draws the 3rd most Free Throws at 8.3 FTA/gm, converting 73% FT%.
Franz draws the T-25th most Free Throws at 5.4 FTA/gm, hitting 86% FT%.

Paolo shoots the T-56rd most three pointers per game at 6 3PA, the same volume as Gradey Dick, Cade Cunningham, Jamal Murray, Jalen Brunson, and Naz Reid(!)
Franz shoots 30% 3P% from deep on the T-65th most three pointers per game at 5.8 3PA, the same volume as LeBron James, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jared McCain, Desmond Bane, Andrew Wiggins, Jaylen Brown, Max Strus, and Kristaps Porzingis.

Franz is shooting 36% in the clutch on 15/42 FG.
Paolo is shooting 47% in the clutch on 21/45 FG.

Franz Wagner isn’t just Top-15 in PPG and Fast Break PTS, he’s rated even higher in four areas; Franz is exactly the 6th best player in the league this season at scoring Points in the Paint (13 PTS), Points on Drives (10 PTS), and Points off Turnovers (4 PTS) via the Orlando Magic broadcast team.

Paolo Banchero is similarly great in some of these areas, as these are two of the premier paint penetrators in the sport. Paolo averages as many PTS off Drives as Giannis (8.2), T-16th, and scores exactly 10 PTS in the Paint per game, ranking 29th.

In 809 MIN with Franz & Paolo both ON the court together, Orlando has a +2.2 Net Rating.
In 979 MIN with just Franz ON the court and Paolo OFF, Orlando has a +7.74 Net Rating.
In 484 MIN with just Paolo ON the court and Franz OFF, Orlando has a -8.85 Net Rating.

One thought with having multiple point guard creators on the same team is that one can be on the floor at all times; the same can be applied to having two stars, especially when both can serve as an offensive hub every second on the floor.

As the season has gone on, it appears these two are staggered more and more, where goal is to play as few seconds of basketball as possible without one or both of them on the floor – against Charlotte before the All-Star break it was 6 minutes; against Atlanta after the ASB it was 30 seconds; against Memphis the next night it was 4 minutes.

I asked Jamahl Mosley after the Grizzlies matchup what factors come into play when deciding between staggering Franz’ and Paolo’s minutes compared to the benefits of playing them together and keeping a balanced second unit in place behind them:

Volume & Efficiency

Below’s a chart that compares the two stars shooting touch in three efficient shot locations:

Shooting Touch – At The Rim, Free Throw Line, Beyond The Arc

Paolo shoots better from deep on and off the ball.

Franz shows better touch on a much higher volume of shots at the rim on layups and FLOATAs.

Franz shoots much better at the pinstripe, while Paolo gets to the line more often.

Synergy help us see the volume and efficiency for each Player based on the playtypes they categorize every possession into.

Keep in mind, that these tracking stats are still a work in progress; these stats measure the *final* action of a possession – for example, if a team runs 2 pick-and-rolls in a row bending the defense, and then follows that up with 1 handoff that results in shot attempt, that play is tracked as 1 Handoff Possession.

The two charts below shows how Franz and Paolo stack up in every Synergy Playtype as scorers, while 3 playtypes including both scoring and passing to teammates to compare them as Scoring Creator Offensive Engines: ISO, Post Ups, P&R Ball-Handler

To no surprise, Paolo Banchero has the efficiency edge in ISOs, Drives, and Spot Ups; what is interesting is Paolo is also more efficient on Cuts and in Transition this year.

As expected, Franz Wagner is more efficient running Handoffs and P&R as the ball-handler; what may come as a surprise is that Franz is also more efficient as the P&R Roll-Man and as a Post-Up creator hub this season.

One important note is that volume for some of these plays is drastically different. Paolo has 16 handoffs, 35 cuts, 75 P&R roll-man plays on the year; Franz is up to 68 handoffs, 90 cuts, and 30 P&R roll man possessions.

Both big wings like to leak out in Transition, scoring 1.14 and 1.22 PPP respectively on a total of 391 fast break possession between them.

What really stands out for Paolo is his scoring versatility – Paolo averages between 0.93 PPP and 0.99 PPP on his five most common halfcourt playtypes, which might be roughly average efficiency overall, but on high volume these can be reliable actions.

As for Franz, the combined P&R Ball-Handler efficiency and volume jumps off the page, creating over 1.0 per possession on extremely high volume. His efficiency is very good and doesn’t drop off the more the team runs him through the action. This is by far Orlando’s most reliable set to create a good shot through Franz as the offensive engine.

The numbers supporting Post Ups for Franz makes one do a double take. Paolo is the star swishing beautiful baseline fadeaways, yet the numbers say Franz creates more efficient offense for the team when running through him through the post. Franz creates 1.13 PPP on 104 possessions; Paolo creates 0.98 PPP on 131 possessions.

I asked Jamahl Mosley about the advantages created by moving Franz off ball around screens before initiating the downhill action, like in sets like Chicago and Peja where Franz will run around the perimeter through screen(s) into a handoff that helps give him separation from his defender.

Jamahl notes that this idea of creating advantages by moving off ball, gain ahead of steam, running defenders through screens, to create a situation where the scorer can shoot drive or kick with an advantage already created, is the goal for not just Franz, but all of the team’s scoring options:

Tracking The Assist Combo

Sometimes Boogie looks for The Beast; sometimes The Beast needs a little Boogie.

Paolo assisted Franz 40 times this year, the most of any duo on the team; Franz found Paolo for 27 dimes this season, the T-5th most of any combo on the team.

They have both assisted each other directly at the rim exactly 18 times a piece, T-3rd most of any duo on the team.

Considering how few games these two have actually played together, these marks show how they both prioritize looking for each other on the court for the most efficient shot in halfcourt – at the rim.

As for the costars finding the rest of the team for good looks at the rim and beyond the arc, Franz has created more total shots for his teammates (89 3PT AST, 110 ATR AST) compared to Paolo’s totals (72 3PT AST, 52 ATR AST), partially due to playing more games this season.

However, when the number is based on racking up dimes on a more comparable one-to-one scale of per one hundred possessions, the shot creation rates look much closer.

Paolo creates more looks for the team from deep (3.02 3PT AST per 100 poss),
but fewer dimes at the rim. (2.13 ATR AST per 100 poss)

Franz creates fewer looks for the team from deep (2.8 3PT AST per 100 poss),
and a much higher rate of dimes at the rim. (3.4 ATR AST per 100 poss)

(assist combo numbers via 3.18.25)

Boogie Nights

Some of Orlando’s many 4pt swings each game comes when the defense forces a turnover, the ball finds Franz, he immediately looks up the floor, and finds Banchero streaking down the sideline outlet for a breakaway slam, or he pushes the pace to create a 2-on-1 alley oop lob to Banchero on the break.

The majority of Franz assists to Paolo came in transition for 10 fast break buckets.

The 2nd-most assists from Franz to Paolo came on the move in the half court, with 8 assists coming on off ball cuts and 3pt kickouts.

The Franz-Paolo Pick-and-Roll hasn’t been used often, but it stands as a powerful weapon up Orlando’s sleeve going forward that unlocks Paolo as a short-roll playmaker and Franz as an on-ball creator with a screen, both pulling attention from defenses.

I asked Jamahl Mosley how high the volume of the Franz-Paolo P&R could reach for Orlando as one of the team’s staples sets:

“I really do believe that those two create a problem. And so, when you have two of your best players in P&R — they’ve got to make a decision — and they’re both great playmakers. And so, I think them being able to make plays and read off each other is something that can cause problems for a defense down the stretch.” – Jamahl Mosley

This action sets up the playfinishers around those two to finish at the rim or from beyond the arc. Send two at Franz or Paolo if you like living in your own nightmare.

Franz found Paolo 3 times for assists when running P&R. On two other possessions, Paolo drew a shooting foul after Franz found him in the 2-man P&R set.

Unleash The Beast

Oddly, Paolo did not assist Franz one time in any inverted P&R, and that action doesn’t seem to be used often where Paolo is initiating and Franz is the roll man, probably since this duo’s strengths may be most effective as a combination in the order described before with Franz on ball and Paolo setting the first screen.

Paolo most often found Franz on off ball cuts or relocation threes 21 times.

Winning early post positioning has been key to unlocking quick easy baskets for these two, looking for each other up the court once one has secured the advantage under the rim deep into the paint before the defense is set. One of the most reliable buckets every game is Franz taking off in transition, planting his feet deep in the paint, posting up the first mismatch he sees. Paolo hit ahead to Franz in transition 13 times.

Paolo also found Franz 2 times in the post after securing positioning advantage in halfcourt situations. Sometimes you’ll see one set a back screen for the other in the middle of a set like Horns to help force switches and create mismatches, shown here:

Finding a guard concept that works around Paolo and Franz is the next step

Orlando’s up and down season can be directly attributed to injuries first, and shooting luck second. Even this late in the season has seen volatile stretches, with the team now 6-4 in their last 10 after bouncing back from an 5-game losing streak. What’s been the difference as of late outside of the chemistry of these two stars?

Anthony Black‘s play has been the wildcard factor for this team. His defense is reliable enough to start every night, and his decision-making feel is special, two traits that define the strengths of his game. Even though he’s just in Year 2, he’s become the team’s third scorer, first option off the bench, and third big playmaker who can initiate offense and even space the floor.

When AB’s shot is falling and he finds a way to score, this team is often more competitive:

in Orlando’s 33 wins with AB playing, he scores 11 PPG on 60% TS% and 43% 3P%
in Orlando’s 37 losses with AB playing, he scores 8 PPG on 45% TS% and 20% 3P%

Black continues to develop the 3pt shot despite receiving constant criticism of his shot. In his last 31 games, Black is shooting 40% 3P% from deep on 2.6 3PAs per game; in his 39 games prior, Anthony shot 24% 3P% on 2.4 3PA per game.

I asked Anthony Black about his about his changing role due to injuries and his 3pt development after a 4/5 3P outing “I’m pretty comfortable playing where I’m at right now. It gives me a chance to operate a little bit, while also playing some minutes with our two guys.”

Another underrated factor has been the addition of 33yo Cory Joseph into the starting lineup.

You know a team is shuffling the rotation with injuries when arguably the 7th guard on the roster to start the year is now their most trustworthy starter.

Credit to Cory for doing the little things that have earned that spot: team-first ball movement, hit the open shot, run some O when called upon, take what the D gives you, hold your own defensively. Joseph serves as a fine example of the type of connector floor-stretching plus-defender guard who can slide right into an offense featuring two big wing playmaking initiators.

Orlando has a +8.9 rating in 173 MIN when they play Cory Joseph alongside Boogie and The Beast.

Cory earned the starting job after an impressive stretch against Toronto. Despite losing the game, Orlando mounted a 14pt comeback after inserting Joseph into the game to close with 10 MIN to play for the first time all night, making Cory a +14 on the night. He’s started ever since, leading Orlando to a .500 record after a rough stretch after the All-Star break.

I asked Jamahl Mosley how much he trusts the veteran experience of Cory Joseph after the game:

There’s no more debate to be had; Franz Wagner & Paolo Banchero are NBA Stars, rising suns for a team with the 2nd best defense in the league for the second straight season.

What separates the Orlando Magic from pretenders to contenders is that volatile 3pt factor. Whether they find a guard who can draw two on the ball with pull-up 3pt gravity or flank these two supernovas with more consistent shooters, that’s the last step to go from making the playoffs to competing in them.

The cool thing about this article is it starts and ends with the same picture – the Magic’s defense runs on Chaos Energy, and once Boogie and The Beast carve out the super to their star, this team might just mess around and find the rings they covet.

Stats via Synergy, NBA Stats, Basketball Reference, Dunks and Threes, and Magic PR as of 03.27.25 unless otherwise noted

The post Boogie and The Beast appeared first on Swish Theory.

BOOMSHAKALAKA!

Joshua Lewis makes the highlight poster dunk of the weekend

Postgame Interview with Joshua Lewis (Blake)

Great game out there. Crazy poster slam! What that feel like?

“Yessir! That felt great, I think that’s the best one I got so far in my career, so that felt really good to get a good one.”

What’s your mentality like entering games?

“Just be locked in. Bring energy. Help lead my team. Especially since we’re in a tough situation with our coach being out right now, so I definitely got to step up and be a big leader on the floor.”

What kind of skill development are you working in practice the most; what are you doing now and what do you hope to develop in the future?

“Just continue to get my handle better and get stronger, stay in the weight room; those are probably the two biggest things I’m working on. And just getting my shot more consistent, for sure”

Are there any players, former or current, that you study, that might inspire your game or model some of your skills after?

“Yeah, recently I’ve been watching a lot of Shai, I really like the way he moves on the court. But just any big guard that’s my size, handles the ball, you know those guys like Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, Paul George, Shai, all those type of players, I watch all of them for sure.”

Any recruitment updates? You thinking anywhere, eyeing anywhere?

“Yeah I’ve been talking to Iowa a lot, they’ve been on me a lot. I’ve been talking to Michigan some, Marquette some. I’ve been having some good recruitment, N.C. State some, Texas A&M, just to name a few.”

What’s going to lock it in for you?

“That gut feeling, that’s it. I feel like when you know, you know.”

The Teams

Oak Ridge
Duncanville
Blake
North Broward Prep
Pepperville
Southeastern Prep

The Standout Players

Jamier Jones
Kayden Edwards
Joe Philon
Beckham Black
Jalen Reece
Joshua Lewis
Jason Johnson
Cam Smith
Christopher “Deuce” Hunt
Chudier Dew yak
Ryan Baxley
Zyree Brown

Day 2 Game 3 – Oak Ridge vs. Duncanville

Kayden Edwards and Jamier Jones traded blows back and forth like they were in a heavyweight fight, each dropping 40+ points before the final bell!

In the marquee matchup of the weekend, Duncanville outlasted the host team, Oak Ridge, in double overtime late into Saturday night, winning 95-90.

Jamier Jones used his mobility, power, and touch inside to create a walking mismatch near the rim, recording a new career-high 41 PTS & 11 REB.

Kayden Edwards showed out as the highlight prospect of this event, dropping 45 PTS against Oak Ridge after a 30 PT outing the day before against Pepperidge.

Duncanville

#5 6’3” Guard Kayden Edwards – 45 PTS – 5 REB – 3 AST – 2 STL (14/23 FG – 4/10 3P – 13/14 FT)

Explosive quick first step burst. Soft touch finishing at the rim. Money pull-up jumper. Tough shot maker any spot on the court. Tight ball control. Defensive instincts, jumping passing lanes, timing up deflections. Great awareness when to use pump-fakes. Good feel playmaker. Draws fouls attacking the rack and threatening the pull-up.

Kayden Edwards stayed hot shooting all weekend. After a 30 PTS & 10 REB win over Blake the day before, Kayden lit up Oak Ridge for 45 PTS – 5 REB – 3 AST – STL, hitting tough bucket after bucket from every angle, drawing fouls and getting downhill with ease, converting 14/23 FG from the field, 4/10 3P from downtown, and 13/14 FT from the pinstripe.

Kayden’s tough shot making off the dribble and ability to burst to the rack with ease was on full display as his standout skills, making any shot from anywhere on the floor.

In the first half of the final game against Oak Ridge, Kayden Edwards got to the rim, hunted contact, and showed off shooting touch at every level: a pick six layup, quick burst to the rim drawing a foul, a strong take to the rim for a finger roll, a clean running FLOATA, a corner triple, a bump and finish at the basket, an AND1 putback in the paint, and a bailout putback middy.

The buckets didn’t slow down in the second half: Kayden drilled a pull-up three, splashed a catch-and-shoot triple, hit a defender with a killer crossover into a layup, made good team-first read extra passes, drew a foul on a pull-up jumper.

His instincts impressed on the defensive end, making a deflection to block a shot under the rim to stop a layup, and even stealing the tip off in an overtime period and getting a defender to leave his feet on a pump-fake.

#0 6’2” Point Guard Beckham Black – 8 PTS – 7 AST – 7 AST – 2 STL (2/5 3P)

Beckham Black, Kayden’s Duncanville backcourtmate and brother of the Orlando Magic’s Anthony Black, impressed with good two-way feel for the game, forcing deflections with defensive instincts, making good reads with the ball, and even pulling up for a handful of off-the-dribble three pointers with one falling through the net in clutch time of a double-overtime victory.

I asked Anthony Black after the game how he would describe his brother, Beckham, as a person off the court:

“Funny guy. Shoot, he’s a kid, so still growing up.

It’s cool to see him maturing, but, a good kid.

Loves basketball, loves to compete. Super proud of him.“

While his teammates filled up the box score, Beckham Black showed his incredible two-way feel for the game.

Looking to make the best decision for the team every time down. Hitting pull-up 3pt jump shots when needed. Active hands deflections timing up forced turnovers. Downhill driver finishing at the rim and looking for open shooters. Racking up assists finding open teammates. Running the offense creating drive and kicks, hockey assists, and potential assists moving the ball after creating advantages.

Black’s vision was on full display in the first half, making a drive-and-corner-kick 3pt assist, a hockey assist that led to a triple, team-first reads for extra passes, a potential assist to the top of the key out of a baselines out-of-bounds set, and a kickout off an offensive rebound to Kayden, even showing off the handles with a killer crossover into the finger roll for good measure.

In the second half, Beckham’s two-way feel for the game was made evident: A wraparound pass to a cutter, a swing pass 3pt assist to Kayden, a drive-and-kick 3pt assist to Deuce, a sick swing pass overhead, a lead pass to the roller in pick-and-roll.
Beckham hit a pair of big threes, one after forcing a steal and walking up to the 3pt line for a pull-up jumper, and another that tied the game late to send it to overtime.

#2 6’1” Guard Christopher “Deuce” Hunt – 23 PTS – 5 REB – 4 STL – 2 AST (8/14 FG – 5/6 3P)

Knockdown C&S 3pt shooter (at least 4 3PM). Active hands digs for steals without fouling. Lookahead passer.

Deuce Hunt brought a reliable scoring option for Duncanville throughout the weekend, posting 18 PTS – 7 REB – 4 AST – 3 3PM against Blake on Day 1 and balling out on both ends against Oak Ridge on Day 2, dropping 23 PTS – 5 REB – 4 STL.

Deuce showed shooting touch in the clutch, hitting two big free throws to go up by 4 points with 36 seconds left, drilling a catch-and-shoot triple late in overtime, and splashing triples throughout the game.

#4 6’7” Forward Cam Smith – 6 PTS – 2 AST – 4 BLK – 1 STL – 3 Deflections

Shot blocking rim-protection. Quick second jump. Great timing defensive instincts. Smooth stroke 3pt shooter. Grab-and-go handles to bring the ball up the floor. Long length used effectively. Active hands deflections. Good vision passer.

Putting a lid on the rim throughout, Cam Smith came up big on both ends, bringing real D&3 impact, racking up at least 4 blocks, 1 steal, and 3 deflections. Cam dominated one possession with defensive instincts, timing up a block at the rim and recovering with a quick second jump to block another shot right after. Later in the game he even blocked a 3pt shot, somehow extending to the shooter from the paint.

Cam is only credited with 6 PTS, but he stayed ready from behind the arc, knocking down one catch-and-shoot triple, and he made a good play at the rim in transition with a bump-and-finish AND1, scoring three the old fashioned way. Smith kept his head up, finding an open shooter on the drive and kick and an open cutter slicing down the middle of the paint.

#10 6’1 Guard Gary Jones – 6 PTS – 4 REB – 2 STL

#3 6’3” Guard Jirehn Mitchell – 5 PTS – 2 REB

#11 6’0” Guard Chris Gooden Jr. – 2 PTS

Jirehn Mitchell showed touch passing vision on a pass he caught and immediately swung while still in the air and got a stop contesting Jamier Jones by moving his feet and staying long and tall without fouling. In double overtime, Jirehn drew a foul rolling to the rim, while Chris Gooden Jr. made a big winning play taking a charge against Jalen Reece. Gary Jones made smart cuts and tough baskets underneath the rim.

Oak Ridge

#1 6’6″ Forward Jamier Jones – 41 PTS – 11 REB – 4 AST – 4 STL – 2 BLK (18/26 FG)

Tough shot making at the rim. Body control in the post. Controlled driver. Mobility. Agility. Dexerity. Strong and finesse finisher at the rim. Defensive instincts with effective length. Heads up connector passing. Draws fouls driving downhill and in the paint.

Oak Ridge’s Jamier Jones was a walking mismatch against Duncanville. Whether it was securing early post up positioning on the block, accelerating into drives from the perimeter, or timing up self-alley layups to himself, there was nothing Duncanville could do to stop him from putting the ball in the hoop, scoring a career-high 41 PTS on the night on 69% FG% and pulling down 11 REB to boot with a physical, athletic advantage able to reach a higher point than anyone else on the court.

Scoring in different ways, especially on the move, like in a stampede action already running off a screen before catching the pass on the drive to the rack. Pulling up for a tough contested middy. Grab-and-go coast-to-coast through the defense. Sweet drives into the paint with smooth finishes inside. Powering through mismatches with a big man size advantage. Good footwork down low with a strong move through contact for an AND1 finish in the paint. Power slam after power slam. Whether it was downhill off the dribble or early post-up positioning, Jamier Jones got to the rack with ease.

Jamier brought real defensive impact between guarding the ball at point of attack and forcing Beckham Black to pass the ball, to tools like anticipation and timing with the athleticism to force a pick six steal into a breakaway slam.

Flashed nice vision on a pass underneath the basket. Handled clutch time, drilling a free throw in the final minute of a close game. Drew fouls attacking the rack with an AND1 drive below the rim to cut the lead to two late in the contest. Converted a bump-and-finish layup through contact to extend a late lead.

#2 6’0″ Guard Jalen Reece – 16 PTS – 9 AST – 4 REB – 3 STL (3/7 3P)

Natural point guard. Pull-up jump shooter. Soft touch FLOATA finishing at the rim. Runs the offense, directs traffic. Finds and feeds mismatches. Post entry bullet passes and clean kickouts to open shooters. Effective flare handles.

Jalen Reece flashed creative vision and tight ball control, setting up teammates with post entry passes throughout, looking for his teammates with quick-trigger passes and highlight dimes, finishing with 16 PTS & 9 AST.

Sending a bullet overhand pass to open teammates and quick post entry passes all night, Jalen found Jamier Jones for highlight connections including one clutch no-look pass for a power slam in overtime.

Reece showed off the handles and touch with a mean crossover into a finger roll finish, spinning into a running FLOATA and splashing a catch-and-shoot triple, all in double overtime.

Jalen used active hands and good timing to create deflections, too.

#3 6’3” Guard Will Jackson – 11 PTS – 5 REB – 2 AST – 2 STL (3/5 3P)

Will knocked down a couple of three pointers with at least one coming off the dribble before hitting two clutch free throws late in the game. Brought good energy, took a charge on a hustle play, flew in for an offensive rebound in traffic.

#4 6’7” Wing Treyvon Maddox – 12 PTS – 8 REB – 3 AST – 2 BLK (3/5 3P)

Treyvon played with high motor and toughness. Active hands defense created a deflection and steal. Energy on the glass led to an offensive rebound where he drew foul shots on the putback attempt. Driving strong to the rack, drawing two free throws, and knocking one down to extend his team’s lead to three with 37 seconds left in overtime. On top of his energy, Maddox showed deep shooting range, drilling a contested pull-up three and a catch-and-shoot triple.

#5 6’7” Forward CeZanne Mosley – 10 PTS – 5 REB

CeZanne took advantage of his size mismatch down low, finishing strong in the paint, showing fundamental footwork on the spin moves in the post, drawing the AND1 foul out of a baselines out-of-bounds set. Nice vision on high-low passes.

Entering the weekend at home, Oak Ridge was coming off two losses against fellow Marquee Florida High School Basketball Programs, Montverde and IMG Academy.

Losing to Duncanville was the fourth loss in a row for Oak Ridge, as the host team was taken down by Pebblebrook on Day 1 of the weekend, where Jalen Reece posted a statline of 28 PTS – 8 AST – 5 STL – 3 3PM and Jamier Jones finished with 14 PTS – 6 REB – 3 AST – 4 STL.

Pebblebrook’s #14 6’3” Guard Jaylen Humphrey led the way with 17 PTS & 6 REB; #2 5’10” Guard Zyree Brown scored 13 PTS; #15 6’10” Center Fallou Dioum scored 12 PTS in the matchup.

Against Southeastern Prep, Dioum showed good timing on a block while #20 6’7” Wing Anthony Moon knocked down a catch-and-shoot triple.

Southeastern Prep’s #23 (no roster listed) impressed in the fourth quarter of a blowout win against Pebblebrook. Flying up and down the court, throwing down high-flying slams, popping out of the gym athletically on his dunks, rebounds, and contests.

In the opening game on the first day of Hoopfest Florida, Blake’s 6’7” Wing Joshua Lewis scored 32 PTS – 4 STL – 1 BLK and 6’8” Guard Joe Philon scored 16 PTS – 8 REB – 3 STL against Duncanville.

Against Blake, Beckham Black dropped 11 PTS – 3 REB -3 AST -3 STL, “Deuce” Hunt posted 18 PTS, and Kayden Edwards went off for 30 PTS – 4 REB – 3 AST – 2 STL.

In the second game on Day 2, Joshua Lewis and Joe Philon led Blake to a victory over North Broward Prep, while Chudier Diew yak stood out the most for his team in defeat.

Day 2 Game 2- North Broward Prep vs Blake – Standout Players

Blake

#1 6’9” Wing Joe Philon – 7 PTS – 7 REB – 4 AST – 3 BLK – 2 STL (4.0 A/TO)

Joe Philon impressed with all-around athleticism, versatility, and two-way feel. Philon showed incredible defensive instincts making a block off a quick second jump, swatting another shot from behind on a different possession, poking the ball away for a steal at one point, and trapping an opponent in the corner to help force a deflection.

Philon flashed soft touch by splashing a catch-and-shoot corner triple and convering a tough driving bump-and-finish lay-in.

One aspect Philon could improve was decision-making in transition, where he forced one or two errant passes at teammates’ feet that probably could have been easier to catch in stride rather than trying to perfectly time a bounce pass on the run.

#5 6’7” Guard/Wing Joshua Lewis – 13 PTS – 8 REB – 2 AST

Joshua Lewis made the SportsCenter Top-10 worthy highlight of the night: rising up, climbing the ladder, floating even higher after making contact, and throwing down the poster slam.

Lewis pulled up for at least three elbow middies, swished in a running FLOATA, drew the foul hunting contact beneath the rim, hit the skip pass to the corner, made a well-timed cut off ball for the rim finish, and pushed the pace when opportunity struck.

#20 6’6’ Forward Jason Johnson – 18 PTS (7/9 FG) – 7 REB – 2 AST – 3 STL – 2 BLK

Jason Johnson impressed in many facets of the game.

Jason knocked down a triple, made a huge block, showed swarming defense with a full court press steal leading to a breakaway bump-and-finish AND1 runner, all in the first half. In the second half, Johnson threw down monster dunks, made multiple soft touch finishes at the rim with one drawing a foul, and knocked down a jumper running off a screen.

#2 6’0” G Rashif Sinkfield – 2 PTS – 3 REB – 2 AST – 1 STL
Rashif flashed good feel with the drive-and-kick corner 3pt assist and crafty finishing at the rim.

#3 6’0” G Marion Ward – 11 PTS – 3 3PM – 2 AST – 2 STL
Marion showed of the jumper pulling up for a transition triple and splashing in a corner three, the defensive instincts forcing a turnover, and the finishing touch on a breakaway layup.

#4 5’11” G TJ Daniels – 8 PTS – 2 REB – 1 AST – 2 STL
TJ brought good effort trapping a defender in the corner to force a deflection, showed off nice vision with a no-look dumpoff pass, and flashed the 3pt shot with a catch-and-shoot corner three.

#12 6’3” G Jordan Mickens – 2 PTS – 5 AST – 2 STL
Jordan showed good vision with a solid drive-and-kick read for the corner 3pt assist.

North Broward Prep

#3 Guard Ryan Baxley – 9 PTS – 5 AST – 4 REB – 1 STL

Ryan Baxley flashed his soft touch at the rim with a floater, clean shooting range drilling catch-and-shoot threes in the corner and in transition, vision on a nice look-ahead pass, and good defensive instincts on closeouts and loose balls forcing a turnover.

#5 6’9” Wing Chudier Diew yak – 8 PTS – 3 REB – 1 BLK (2/4 3P)

Chudier Diew yak impressed with shooting touch at the rim and beyond the arc, drilling multiple catch-and-shoot threes and finishing an up-and-under cleanly.

Chudier brings a high motor on hustle plays, pulling down a big rebound in traffic, fighting for loose balls to force the turnover, and using the length effectively as a rim deterrent.

#10 6’5” Wing Luigi Borio – 6 PTS – 5 REB – 1 AST – 2 STL – 1 BLK
Luigi added a catch-and-shoot triple of his own and even timed up a nice block on a floater attempt.

#24 Big Francesco Borio – 4 PTS – 5 REB – 1 AST – 2 BLK – 1 STL
Francesco finished strong a the rim with a bump-and-finish through contact and a mean AND1 putback.

#30 Gavin Gorman 6 PTS (2/4 3P) – 2 REB – 1 AST
Gavin splashed a few catch-and-shoot triples

The post Scouting 2024 Hoopfest ft. Oak Ridge, Duncanville, Blake appeared first on Swish Theory.

Interview with Preston Fowler, Sebastian Wilkins, and Ebuka Okorie from Brewster Academy

Preston Fowler

Q. Preston, are there any current or former pros you model your game after?

Preston – “I wouldn’t say I model my game after a specific person, I’d call myself pretty unique.”


Q. I really liked your defensive instincts and the 3pt shot, 4 blocks by my count last night. Where does that come from, do you take pride on the defensive end like that?

Preston – “Yeah, I would just say I don’t want to let anybody get any easy buckets. I pride myself on not letting anybody score, because in the past I’ve been called a lazy defender, so I would just say I just have to do what I have to do.”

Q. So you’re off to James Madison, what led to that decision?

Preston – “I would just say it was a very family atmosphere. As soon as I got on campus it just felt like home. So it was a place I wanted to be a part of.”


Q. Do you have any other skills that you’re trying to work on over the coming years?

Preston – “I would just say definitely my ball handling. My ball-handling, that’s a big part of basketball, so as soon as I get that under wraps, I should be good to go.”

Sebastian Wilkins

Q. Sebastian, I actually caught your game as the NBPA Top-100 Camp, you were explosive downhill, moving fast, do you pride yourself on using your athleticism and do you base your game off any former or current pros?

Sebastian – “I wouldn’t say I base my game off anyone, I just like playing in transition, running the floor, hitting the open shot, getting a lot of easy shots, and just playing with high intensity and great pace.”


Q. Any skills you hope to continue developing over the coming years?

Sebastian – “I’ve been shooting really well over the summer, so I’m just going to continue trying to grow in that and work on my handles.”


Q. You’re mulling over a few different offers like Florida State, Alabama. Are you leaning any certain way? What’s going into that decision?

Sebastian – “Well, just like who communicates with me the most and gives me like a family aspect, and who really wants to see me develop and grow as a player and as a person, that’s really going to help me lead to my decision.”


Q. Are there any hobbies that you have outside of hoops?

Sebastian – ”I be playing the game a lot with my friends back home, I’m just like a very friendly person. I like hanging out with my family and stuff, just spending time with them.”

Ebuka Okorie

Q. Ebuka, I really like your decision-making out there, your patience, your jump shot. Are there any players you steal moves from or model your game after?

Ebuka – “Yeah, I just like watching top guards like Kyrie Irving and Steph Curry, obviously. I also like watching just any All-Star guards.”


Q. You’re off to Stanford, what led to that decision?

Ebuka – “It’s a really good school in terms of academics and obviously basketball, so I just felt like it was the best fit for me.”


Q. I really liked the patient decision making, your ability to read the floor. How would you describe your mindset when you’re in the game?

Ebuka – ”I’m just playing to win and just help my team however I can to just get the win.”


Q. What kind of skills are you trying to develop and add to your game over the coming years?

Ebuka – “I’m just trying to develop all parts of my game. Getting stronger, quicker, just like all parts of my game, just still working hard.”

Q. How would you all describe yourselves as teammates off the floor?

Preston – “I would say we’re all great teammates. We all hang out outside off the court. We all hangout around campus. We all talk like friends would.”

Sebastian – “These are my brothers. We communicate off the court. We all make like jokes about each other, we all like communicate, and that’s why we play so good together in my opinion.”

Ebuka – “Yeah, I’d say like we’re just around each other all the time, and our chemistry just keeps going up every single time, every day.”

Q. One last question. Your teammate, Dwayne Aristode, wasn’t able to make this trip; he’s dealing with an injury. How would you describe him as a teammate and a person?

Sebastian – “He’s a dawg. He plays with a lot of aggression. He just brings like a winning aspect to the game.”

Preston – “I would say the same thing. It makes our job definitely a whole lot easier. He always wants to guard the best player on the court, which is a good thing at times, and he’s just good to be around.”

Ebuka – “Yeah, obviously he’s a great player. He’s also a great teammate, like he’ll pick us up like if we’re having a bad practice or something, he’s always here for us.”

2024 Sunshine Classic Standout Players

Brewster:
Sebastian Wilkins
Preston Fowler
Ebuka Okorie
Antonio Pemberton
Kilyan Toure

LuHi:
Kayden Mingo
Dylan Mingo
MJ Madison
Nigel James
Nico Onyekwere

MVA:
Kayden Allen
Dante Allen
CJ Ingram
Trent Sisley
Dhani Miller
Hakeem Wicks

Orangeville:
Harmon Hailemichael
Sergio Corta
EJ Horton
Lukas Jendrusiak
Isaiah Lukusa

Sebastian Wilkins, Dante Allen, and Kayden Mingo lived up to the hype as highly touted prospects, likely creating the most winning impact for their teams on both ends of the floor.

Ebuka Okorie, Kayden Allen, and Nigel James popped out with their respective decision making, passing chops, and tough shot making at the rim and on pull-up jumpers, with decisive feel and defensive instincts leading to routine winning plays.

Preston Fowler, CJ Ingram, Trent Sisley, and Dylan Mingo impressed by flashing athleticism and two-way impact.

Harmon Hailemichael hardly played, but stood out as the most impressive potential prospect on Orangeville.

Kayden Allen possesses an incredibly clean jump shot 3pt and middy pull-up, the smoothest shooting stroke from the weekend.

Ebuka Okorie’s crafty finishing at the rim, decision making feel running the show, splashy pull-up 3pt range, anticipation jumping passing lanes for steals and timing up blocks for turnovers deserves to be highlighted.

Nigel James put on a show making highlight after highlight in the marquee matchup between LuHi & Montverde, penetrating the paint with ease, dropping no look dimes, hustling to force turnovers, and converting tough shots at the rim and beyond the arc.

The Data via Cerebro Sports

Overall Impact

Dante Allen, Ebuka Okorie, and CJ Ingram were the standout prospects in overall impact (C-RAM) via cerebro sports, all registering over 10+ C-RAM respectively.

Kayden Allen, Antonio Pemberton, Trent Sisley, Sebastian Wilkins, Nigel James, and Gabe Weis rated as the next most impactful players, each rating betwee 7.0-8.0 C-RAM, despite some playing more than others.

The following players rated between 5.4 C-RAM and 6.6 C-RAM:
Dylan Mingo
Hakeem Weems
Isaiah Lukusa
Preston Fowler
Killyan Toure
Darien Moore
Kayden Mingo
Dhani Miller
MJ Madison
Sergio Corta

While these players rated between 3.9 C-RAM and 4.8 C-RAM:
Lukas Jendrusiak
EJ Horton
Harmon Hailemichael
Nico Onyekwere

Defense

Antonio Pemberton (135 DSI) and CJ Ingram (124 DSI) jumped off the charts in Defense via Cerebro’s Defensive Statistical Impact rating.

Dhani Miller, Dante Allen, Ebuka Okorie rated very highly on the defensive end as well, finishing between 97-99 DSI ratings respectively.

The following 5 players rated highly defensively, between 75-81 DSI, respectively:
Trent Sisley
Killyan Toure
Preston Fowler
Nigel James
Sebastian Wilkins

Around The Rim

CJ Ingram stood alone as the most impactful player around the rim, rating 80 ATR via Cerebro Sports.

Sebastian Wilkins and Gabe Weis were the next most effective players at the rim, each rating 71 ATR.

Hakeem Weems, Dante Allen, MJ Madison, Trent Sisley were the next best-rated at the rim, finishing between 67-69 ATR.

One note to remember is that Cerebro defines ATR as: “a rim presence metric that combines assist rebounding and rim protection efficiency (offensive rebounds, blocks, fouls) to show the best big men.”, so this metric reveals rebounding and rim-protecting instincts, traditionally brought by big men.


In total, Dante Allen, Ebuka Okorie, CJ Ingram stood out the most in the tournament statistically by their overall impact and defense, with the montverde duo also rating highly in rebounding/rim-protecting measures.

Sebastian Wilkins and Trent Sisley stood out by ranking Top-10 in all three of these metrics.

Nigel James and Antonio Pemberton rated in the Top-10 in Overall Impact and in Defense.

Gabe Weis brought big impact within his role, yet it should be noted that he played 15 minutes in 1 game, and Antonio Pemberton played 13MPG in 2 games, while most others in the Top-20 of C-RAM played 25-30 MPG in 2 games.

Scoring

Dante Allen (94 PSP) and Ebuka Okorie (88 PSP) were the Top-2 rated scorers at the 2024 Sunshine Classic, via Cerebro.

Kayden Allen (76 PSP), Sebastian Wilkins (75 PSP), Nigel James (68 PSP), and CJ Ingram (65 PSP) were in the next tier ranking as the Top-6 most impactful scorers at the event.

Kayden Mingo (61 PSP), Dylan Mingo (59 PSP), Hakeem Weems (59 PSP), Trent Sisley (57 PSP) rounded out the Top-10 rated scorers by Cerebro’s Pure Scoring Prowess metric at this event.

Passing

Antonio Pemberton stood out amongst the field with his playmaking numbers, rating 96 in FGS, Cerebro’s Floor General Skills metric.

Ebuka Okorie (79 FGS), Kayden Allen (76 FGS), Nigel James (73 FGS) were the next highest rated playmakers at the 2024 Sunshine Classic.

Killyan Toure, Trent Sisley, Lukas Jendrusiak, Dylan Mingo, and Gabe Weis rated between 65-71 FGS at this event.

3pt Shooting

Hakeem Weems (96 3PE) and Gabe Weis (94 3PE) were the two most effective 3pt shooters via Cerebro Sports at the 2024 Sunshine Classic.

Sebastian Wilkins (85 3PE), Dante Allen (82 3PE), and Ryder English (80 3PE) ranked Top-5 3pt Shooters at the event.

The following players rated between 76-79 3PE as Top-10 shooters at the event:
Tyler Bayne 79
EJ Horton 78
Isaiah Lukusa 78
Antonio Pemberton 76
Javion Tyndale 76

Darien Moore 74, Ebuka Okorie 72, and Nigel James 71 made up the next tier of 3pt shooters.


The following players rated between 57-67 3PE to round out the Top-20 shooters at the event:
Kayden Mingo 67
CJ Ingram 65
Kayden Allen 65
Preston Fowler 64
Killyan Toure 62
Dhani Miller 60
Lukas Jendrusiak 57

Dante Allen and Ebuka Okorie again stand out on this chart of offensive engines, rating among the best as scorers, playmakers, and 3pt shooters, showing they could be the most reliable scoring creators from the 2024 Sunshine Classic.


Kayden Allen, Nigel James, and CJ Ingram rated highly in all three categories, showing their potential as scoring creators, their decision making feel for the game and positive impact on offense scoring, passing, and shooting.

While Antonio Pemberton stood out for his playmaking, and Sebastian Wilkins stood out for his scoring, and both rating highly as 3pt shooters, they could be some of the more reliable scoring creators from this event.

Dylan Mingo, Killyan Toure, Gabe Weis are the next players to stand out in this chart, each with varying levels of 3pt shooting, but all three rating as positive passers and capable scorers.

Preston Fowler was 1 of 9 players to rate over 50 in all three categories, which could be a positive sign for potential scoring creator development.

2024 Sunshine Classic Scouting Reports
with Film + Notes

Brewster Academy (NH)

#2 Ebuka Okorie (Stanford)
6’2″ Guard 2025

Incredible decisonmaking feel
Crafty finisher around the rim
Real two-way impact forcing turnovers
Clean Pull-Up and C&S 3pt jumper rhythm shooter
Great vision executing halfcourt offense finding open teammates
Willing passer giving up good shots for better shots
Defensive instincts timing up steals and blocks

19 PTS – 3 AST – 1 REB – 2 BLK – 8/11 FG (26 MIN)
vs. LuHi

Crafty finish up-and-under hanging in the air at the rim
Soft touch finger roll high off the glass
Good body control deceleration
Tough contested finish at the rim with soft touch
Nice block timing
Crafty finishes all around the rim all game long
Up-and-under reverse
Beats buzzer through contact for tough finish at the rim with defender draped all over him and no foul called

15 PTS – 6 AST – 3 REB – 4 STL – 3/7 3P – 5/10 FG (29 MIN)
vs. Orangeville

Good anticipation on Steal
Smooth stroke pull-up triple
Patient decision making, good feel and decision to shoot of the handoff
Unselfish pass from good to shot to great shot in open corner shooter
Smooth C&S 3 off screen, playcall seems to be named “leg”
Nice decision dumpoff pass

#11 Sebastian Wilkins
6’7″ Forward (2026)

Fluid Big Wing Scorer
Long Versatile Defender
Active Rebounder
Strong Play-finisher
3pt shooter in pull-ups and C&S
Makes good decisions connective passer
Soft touch finishing at the rim
Runs the floor hard in transition

8 PTS – 9 REB – 1 BLK (27 MIN)
vs. LuHi

Soft touch finish, nice reverse at the rim, times up defensive board next play

22 PTS – 5 REB – 1 AST – 2 STL – 8/13 FG – 4/6 3P (27 MIN)
vs. Orangeville

Drills Pull-Up 3
Nice anticipation steal on ball at point of attack defender into a pateint eurostep defcelerating footwork on drive, draws foul
Drills C&S 3 in semi-transition
Smooth stroke shooter drills pull-up 3
Nice find hitting cutter with assist
Transition slam
Strong finish outmuscles opponents down low out of BLOB set

#13 Preston Fowler (James Madison)
6’7″ Forward (2025)

Tall 3pt Shooter with Relocation Off-Ball Gravity
Great Defensive Instincts
Active Hands Deflections
Help-side Shot Blocker
Breaks up passing lanes for steals
Soft touch putbacks and post moves scoring near the rim
Playfinisher who runs the floor hard in transition
Versatile Defensive Forward who can screen, dribble, pass, shoot, sprint

13 PTS – 3 REB – 2 AST – 1 BLK – 1 STL – 5/12 FG (27 MIN) (4 blocks by my count)
vs. LuHi

Big strong block
Good active hands for deflection
Racks up 2 block in one possession, nice defensive instincts
Soft touch putback at the rim, good timing on rebound
Clean C&S 3pt jump shot in semi transition

8 PTS – 7 REB – 1 STL – 3/8 FG – 2/6 3P (30 MIN)
vs. Orangeville

Times up tip-in rebound in traffic
Attacks closeout, draws foul on the floor
Drills C&S 3
Makes Deflection next play
Impressive move – Strong rebound, power dribble, spin hook shot down low
Good idea to throw alley oop lob, just mistimed with teammate
Misses gamble for steal, gives up dunk
Picks up loose ball and finds teammate in transition

#23 Kilyan Toure (Iowa State)
6’3″ Guard (2025)

Scorer 2-Guard, Playfinisher
C&S 3pt Range Shooter off-ball gravity
Active hands ball pressure wreaking havoc, creates a lot of deflections
Clean finisher at the rim
Middy pull-up flashes

9 PTS – 5 REB – 1 AST – 1 STL – 1 BLK – 1 3PM (25 MIN)
vs. LuHi

shows fundamental footwork in a strong postup, draws foul
finishes clean at the rim in traffic

7 PTS – 3 REB – 6 AST – 1 STL – 1 BLK (21 MIN)
vs. Orangeville

forces a steal at point-of-attack
swishes the middy fadeaway after driving into the paint
strong sequence forcing a steal and finishing strong through contact for an AND1

#0 Antonio Pemberton
6’1″ Guard (2027)

Incredible defensive instincts ball hawk
Pull-up and Movement 3pt shooter off screens
Hustles for loose balls, rebounds, deflections
Attacks closeouts with shot, pass, drive when available
Point Guard traits looking for open teammates running the floor

10 PTS – 6 AST – 3 STL – 2 3PM (16 MIN)
vs. LuHi
takes smart charge
converts a lefty finish on the strong take through traffic
drills a splashy pull-up triple
drills the clean buzzer beater 3 C&S movement shooter 3pt shot off screen

3 AST – 5 STL – 1 REB (10 MIN)
vs. Orangeville
credited for 5 STL in 10 MIN!
brings good hustle leading to a steal diving on the floor for the loose ball
drawing a foul
grabbing the board in traffic

6’9″ Forward (2026) #10 Ater Bol meen shows nice gliding eurostep footwork vs. LuHi

6’2″ Guard (2026) #1 Darien Moore drills the C&S triple, hits a smooth FLOATA, makes a big block at the rim vs. Orangeville

6’5′ Guard/Forward (born 11.23.08) #4 Giannis Odzebe makes the connector extra pass in transition, nice vision and passing flashes on the drive baseline and jump pass corner kick potential assist vs. Orangeville

6’4″ Guard (2025) #22 Jack McMahan drills 3pt shot in transition vs. Brewster
6’8″ Forward (2025) #12 Nnadulu Noble forces a steal and finds Ebuka on fast break

Long Island Lutheran (NY)

#4 Kayden Mingo (Penn State)
6’3″ Guard (2025)

Downhill decelerating body control draws fouls attacking the rim
Soft touch floaters and finger roll finishes in the paint
Knockdown 3pt shooter on rhythm Pull-Ups and C&S
Drive and kick vision
Willing to sacrifice body to take charges
Times up digs for deflections
Nice handle maneuvering through defenses

10 PTS – 1 STL – 3 REB – 5/12 FG (28 MIN)
vs. Brewster
Soft touch Floater
Decelerating finger roll, nice touch

15 PTS – 3 REB – 3/8 3P – 5/12 FG (32 MIN)
vs. Montverde
Wild 3rd quarter scoring sequence with a bucket, a pull-up transition 3, and a C&S 3 in a shootout practically playing horse with Kayden Allen

#5 Dylan Mingo
6’5″ Guard (2026)

Defensive instincts jumping passing lanes for steals
Strong north-south attacks into the paint
Draws fouls with downhill drives at high volume
Soft touch bump-and-finishes near the rim
Paint-and-spray 3pt kickout Vision
Attacks closeout/screens with stampede half step decisive advantage
Good handle weaving through traffic
C&S 3pt range shooter

14 PTS – 8 REB – 2 AST – 8/10 FT (31 MIN)
vs. Brewster
Strong take to rack, draws foul
Bump and Finish AND1 FLOATA draws foul

14 PTS – 5 REB – 4 AST – 2 STL – 5/11 FG (29 MIN)
vs. Montverde
Off screen, attacks defender with half step advantage driving through paint for reverse
C&S 3 off scramble play
Nice take to the rack, soft touch finish

#10 Nigel James (Marquette)
6’0″ Guard (2025)

Insane start-stop change of pace deceleration brakes acceleration gas pedal body control
Smooth finisher on tough shots at the rim
Clean 3pt range pull-ups and catch-and-shoots
Great handles attacking while running the offense
Incredible vision and playmaking chops finding playfinishers initiating the offense as a scoring creator
Impactful two-way feel forcing pick six turnovers turned layups

12 PTS – 4 AST – 3 REB – 1 BLK – 1 STL – 4/10 FG (31 MIN)
vs. Brewster
Tough AND1 finish at the rim, small guard finishing among the trees

17 PTS – 5 AST – 3 STL – 7/14 FG – 2/6 3P (31 MIN)
vs. Montverde
Sick behind the back pass driving baseline slicing up defense to big man Nico underneath the rim
Another nice dish tough pass through traffic to cutter baseline
Impressive change of pace, keeps attacking after denial until finds the gap
Jumps pass for pick-six steal layup
Smooth Pull-up 3, follows shot up next play with a steal and breakaway layup
Impressive start stop body control, hits the breaks on the drive and finishes clean

#13 MJ Madison
6’9″ Forward (2026)

Explosive mover
High-flying vertical gravity athleticism
Good defensive instincts using height/length effectively without fouling
Active rebounder and defender with footwork, timing, and contests
Quick first step burst to attack closeouts
Flashes midrange jumper and solid finishing at the rim

8 PTS – 4 REB – 1 AST (23 MIN)
vs. Brewster
Explosive verticality, gets up for alley-oop slam
Times up offensive rebound putback with soft touch around the rim

6 PTS – 10 REB – 2 AST – 3/6 FG (32 MIN)
vs. Montverde
Blob set frees up Madison from Nigel inbound pass
Midrange jumper play-finisher
Snags pass out of air, twists and finish at the rim

#21 Nico Onyekwere (Florida State)
7’1″ Center (2025)

Brute force inside
Fundamental footwork on the block
Strong play-finisher at the rim
Soft touch finishing in the post
Good Rim-Protector with traditional big man defensive instincts, timing
Agile footwork and active hands sound switching on the perimeter

3 PTS – 3 REB – 1 BLK – 1 STL (16 MIN)
vs. Brewster


6 PTS – 7 REB – 1 STL – 3/6 FG (17 MIN)
vs. Montverde
racks up 7 rebounds in 17 MIN vs. MVA
goes up strong and finishes clean, power slams when left open, shows off a quick soft touch finish in the post on the block

6’11” Center (2026) #24 Omar Essam shows a patient finish vs. Brewster, keeps ball high to not get swiped. Adds 2 big blocks vs. Montverde

Montverde Academy (FL)

#2 Dhani Miller
6’3″ Guard (2026)

Defensive playmaker forcing turnovers with instincts, timing, active hands
Contests shots with hustle and fundamental closeouts
C&S 3pt range shooter
Connective passing finding open man, tossing alley-oop lob

8 PTS – 3 REB – 1 AST – 2 STL – 3/6 FG – 2/5 3P (17 MIN)
vs. Orangeville
Drills C&S corner 3 off kickout from Sisley, this hits another for back-to-back 3pt shots

6 PTS – 3 REB – 2 AST – 3 STL – 4/6 FT (25 MIN)
vs. LuHi
Tosses Lob to Sisley for Alley-Oop
Forces steal, finishes at the rim scoring off turnover, 4pt swing
Forces 2nd steal, good defensive instincts

#11 CJ Ingram (Florida)
6’6″ Guard (2025)

Impressive explosiveness, full court speed, bouncy hops athletic advantages
Super quick second jump for second chance opportunities, putbacks off own misses
Strong rebounds in traffic, good timing, reaches higher point than peers off the jumping advantage
Defensive instincts and anticipation creating pick-six steal + slam highlight 4pt swings
Downhill force attacking the rim on drives with 3pt kickout vision
Gets to the rim with ease, can improve finishing
Clean shooting touch drilling pull-up 3pt shots
Solid handle and playmaking vision adding up to good scramble plays with dribble, pass, and shoot

13 PTS – 11 REB – 2 AST – 1 BLK – 6/13 FG (22 MIN)
vs. Orangeville
Pick-six Steal + Slam athleticism, instincts, anticipation
Strong Rebound, gets up high hops, strong putback
Drills pull-up 3

15 PTS – 11 REB – 2 STL – 2 AST – 6/14 FG (32 MIN)
vs. LuHi
Attacks rack strong, misses contested shot but quick second jump putback
Quick first step burst, tough finish soft touch over two defenders driving right
Good drive-and-kick
Another big rebound, flys up higher than peers
Nice feed entry pass to post
Smart pumpfake, attacks closeout, spins and hangs in air. Misses shot but second jump quick puts back own miss and draws the AND1 foul
Another big man rebound
Strong finish inside
BLOB Alley-Oop layup good timing and hops

#12 Trent Sisley (Indiana)
6’8″ Forward (2025)

Good all-around basketball player
Solid Play-finisher at the post and running the floor
Attacks closeouts with the dribble and pass
Nice fundamental postup footwork and finishing moves
Defensive instincts jumping passing lanes, ball denial active hands deflections
Times up rebopunds in traffic
Nice touch around the rim and in the paint
Connective passing hitting the open man
Good decisionmaker makes the right winning plays on both ends

10 PTS – 6 REB – 4 AST – 2 STL – 5/7 FG (20 MIN)
vs. Orangeville
Easy take to the rack
Breakaway in transition
nice fundamental postup footwork, post move soft touch push shot
nice post move footwork, patient hook shot on block
good decision makes extra pass to Miller for corner 3
Jumps passing lane for steal to open second half
Lobs alley oop pass to Kayden Allen
BLOB post up lefty finish
finishes strong through contact for the AND1 at the rim

8 PTS – 7 REB – 3 AST – 1 STL – 4/9 FG (32 MIN)
vs. LuHi
throws down alley-oop
nice fundamental post move footwork and layup

#13 Hakeem Wicks
6’10” Forward (2025)

Off-ball Shooting gravity
Good Ball Instincts & Timing
Uses height/length effectively for rebounds and contests

5 PTS – 3 REB – 1 3PM (13 MIN)
vs. Orangeville

5 PTS – 2 REB – 1 3PM (9 MIN)
vs. LuHi

big putback over contact
C&S 3PM in both games

#21 Kayden Allen
6’6″ Guard/Forward (2026)

Smoothest shooting stroke of any player this weekend
Incredibly tough shot maker walking bucket pull-up artist
Slight fade on every jump shot release makes shot harder to contest/block
Runs the floor hard for outlet opportunities
Impressive passes threading the needle to open teammates with skips and drive-and-kicks
Two-way feel leading to pick-six slams
Vertical gravity playfinisher for lobs

17 PTS – 6 AST – 2 REB – 1 STL – 8/13 FG (19 MIN)
vs. Orangeville

Layup clean finish
Pull-Up middy contested
Stepback 3 and nice pass through defenders
Steal and reverse slam
Flys up for alley-oop jam
Sick pass cross court threading needle
Pull-up elbow Middy contesteed
Pull-up jumper
finish in transition
Drive-and-Kick into paint to corner 3pt assist

14 PTS – 6 REB – 4 AST – 6/13 FG (30 MIN)
vs. LuHi

Turnaround middy fadeaway
Stepback 3
Good feel look ahead pass in transition

#30 Dante Allen (Villanova)
6’4″ Guard (2025)

Cerebral two-way feel for game
Barreling strong downhill force who hunts contact
Stat sheet stuffer who makes the right play for the team
Quick trigger 3pt shot on pull-ups and catch-and-shoots
Forces turnovers with active hands deflections, timing, and instincts
Real winning impact on both sides of the floor as 3&D downhill force who can initiate halfcourt offense

17 PTS – 7 REB – 3 AST – 1 BLK – 2 STL – 6/9 FG – 2/3 3P (19 MIN)
vs. Orangeville

Nice instincts and timing jumping passing lane for steal
Forces steal and throws down breakway slam Pick-Six
Corner 3 off the drive and kick from Kayden
Fights for rebound, draws foul
fights for loose ball, strong take through contact, draws foul
Big block, CJ Ingram picks up loose ball for steal and makes nice dish back to Dante on the break for a 4pt swing
Steps into a pull-up triple
Forcing issue downhill with raw athleticism, a little reckless at times losing ball on turnovers or offensive fouls, but forces refs to make a call, draws a lot of contact and whistles

17 PTS – 2 REB – 1 AST – 1 BLK – 4/6 FG – 8/10 FT (32 MIN)
vs. LuHi

Good footwork finish at the rim
Strong downhill slam

Orangeville Academy (CAN)

#2 EJ Horton
6’2″ Guard (2025)

Smooth 3pt pull-up shooter
Active hands ball pressure deflections forcing turnovers
Pace pusher in transition

8 PTS – 4 REB – 2 STL – 2/8 3P (24 MIN)
vs. Montverde

6 PTS – 3 REB – 2 AST – 2 STL – 2/4 3PM (15 MIN)
vs. Brewster
Smooth stroke 3pt shot
Drills pull-up 3

#11 Sergio Corta
6’9″ Forward (2026)

Fundamental footwork near the rim
Solid finishing touch at the rim
Patient mover at his own pace
Active on the glass

4 PTS – 8 REB – 2 AST – 2/3 FG (24 MIN)
vs. Montverde
Draws foul from contest
Nice footwork through traffic for finish at the rim
Nice up-and-under finish in transition

4 PTS – 2 AST – 1 REB (21 MIN)
vs. Brewster
Good footwork, patient finish in transition

#24 Isaiah Lukusa
6’4″ Guard (2027)

Solid 3pt range on movement shots and standstill C&S looks
Tough shot creating advantage with footwork and body control

5 PTS – 1 REB – 1 AST (22 MIN)
vs. Montverde
Splashes movement 3pt shot

10 PTS – 5 REB – 4/5 FG – 2/3 3P (25 MIN)
vs. Brewster
Nice move, good footwork and ball control with the half spin pull-up middy
Drills C&S triple

#33 Harmon Hailemichael
6’11” Center/Forward (2026)

Imposing big brute inside the paint under the rim on both ends of the floor
Finishing strong at the rim with power slams
Timing up good contests, keeping arms straight up using his height, length, strengh effectively to contest without fouling
Thought he was Orangeville’s most impressive prospect despite not playing many minutes

2 PTS – 1 REB (13 MIN)
vs. Montverde

6 PTS – 2 REB – 1 BLK – 1 STL (16 MIN)
vs. Brewster
Powerful slam dunk after defender gambles for steal
Strong presence down low, draws foul through two defenders contact
Strong finish as roll-man in P&R off the nice feed splits defenders from the point guard Darius McGlashen.

#35 Lukas Jendrusiak
6’4″ Guard (2027)

C&S 3pt Range Shooter
Attacks closeout with dribble, counter move footwork, patience drawing fouls
Nice vision and passing execution through defenders

3 AST – 3 REB – 2 STL (18 MIN)
vs. Montverde

11 PTS – 5 REB – 4 AST – 4/8 FG – 2/6 3P (26 MIN)
vs. Brewster
Nice up-and-under AND1 finish
Corner C&S 3pt shot followed by a Wing C&S 3pt shot, forces timeout
Draws foul on the pumpfake up and under
Bullet pass down low post entry, no assist but big man draws the foul

6’10” Guard (2025) #10 Darius McGlashen nice drive and kick, strong take with good body control deceleration, draws foul on drive, active hands anticipation deflection breaks up the lob vs. Brewster

6’1″ Guard (2027) #30 Ryder English drills 2 C&S threes vs Brewster

Video from @BeyondTheRK on the scene and Film Clips sourced from League Ready
Stats via Montverde Academy & Nike EYBL

The post Scouting The 2024 Sunshine Classic appeared first on Swish Theory.

If you’ve tuned into an Orlando Magic game recently, noticed Jalen Suggs make a chasedown block, and started to wonder, “wow, it feels like Suggs blocks a shot from behind every time I watch the Magic,” it’s because he has.

Is the game slowing down for Suggs so much that he’s channeling his inner LeBron, using his athleticism, shot-tracking, and defensive instincts to let his man drive past him, giving the opponent an ounce of hope that he beat Suggs off the dribble, just to suddenly surge forward and block the driver’s shot from behind?

Let’s investigate.

Finding a Role Update: The Defense

Last year, Jalen Suggs was the king of the Pick Six, a Backcourt Ballhawk forcing turnovers and scoring breakaways on what felt like every play.

This year, Suggs leads all guards in Blocks Per Game (1.2) and Total Blocks (21), narrowly edging out Derrick White.

Tracking every block from behind, forced turnover, and (missed) shot contest for Jalen through 18 games this season reveals that Suggs has in fact averaged one chasedown block per game, 19 to be exact.

Sometimes, it looks like Suggs has been beaten, almost as if he’s given up on a play, just to creep up behind the driver, quickly accelerate and explode into a smackdown from behind.

Often, Jalen’s even able to keep the ball inbounds, somehow swatting the shot hard enough to deny the force of the opponent’s attack, yet soft enough to recover the loose ball before it becomes a lost possession, making multiple winning plays at once.

Don’t drive by Jalen Suggs or you might just feel the wind up and follow through of his shot-swatter arm bopping off your skull.

Suggs, of course, doesn’t just block shots; he’s a ball of energy one-man wrecking crew who doesn’t run out of gas.

His motor never turns off.

His screen navigation is as clean as any defender in the world.

His versatile switchability is as strong and agile as a guard can be.

On top of his 19 chase-down blocks, Suggs has swatted a shot, stolen the rock, or forced a turnover 33 more times, while the Magic have scored points or drawn fouls directly off turnovers forced by Suggs on 15 possessions.

Have you heard that Jalen Suggs used to be a defensive back in football? Pick-Six Suggs is alive and well.

Orlando ranks as the third-best defense in the league, primarily because they force the second-most turnovers (17.4 TOV%), grab the second-most defensive rebounds (25.4% DREB%), and hold opponents to the seventh-lowest shooting percentage (53.1% eFG%), via Cleaning the Glass.

Suggs’ rotations have been timely, his shot contests have stayed active, his second and third effort always shows up.

Jalen has personally contested 71 shots that opponents missed.

Sometimes he’ll rotate so well he contests multiple shots in the same possession, or gets his active hands on the ball for a deflection without recovering the loose ball and still make it out to the perimeter to close out on an open shooter.

Jalen Suggs Contesting Missed Shots – Part 1

Jalen Suggs Contesting Missed Shots – Part 2

Finding a Role Update: The Offense

While Suggs’ All-Defense level impact has been as dominant as ever, the full-time point guard experiment has been inconclusive at best or average at worst.

Even though Orlando’s elite defense has been spearheaded by Suggs’ willpower and tenacity for four years running, after Paolo went down, the Magic’s offense took off once they put the ball in Franz’ hands as primary initiator.

Letting a career-high volume of 3PA fly, launching just under 7 threes per game, Jalen’s efficiency from downtown has regressed after a hot start, down to 31% 3P%.

Perhaps losing Paolo has changed Jalen’s shot volume from more open secondary closeout-attacks and off-ball spot ups, where Suggs is hitting 38% 3P% on 93 Catch-and-Shoot 3PA, to more on-ball usage contested jumpers and pull-up threes, where Jalen’s converting just 10% 3P% on 30 pull-up triple attempts.

The skillsets to watch before the season were his Floor General primary initiation, his P&R decision-making, and his Pull-Up 3 effectiveness, where there’s still much to be desired for consistency in all three.

According to Synergy, Jalen’s rated average in most playtypes (P&R Ball-Handler, Spot Ups, Transition, Handoffs).

Suggs rates excellent in ISO efficiency, scoring 1.22 PPP on 23 possessions.

What Suggs has proven thus far is his connective floor-spacing, making team-first reads on both ends, knocking down a high volume of catch-and-shoot threes on good efficiency.

Even taking on more usage, his energy levels are never depleted. Time will tell if Suggs can find consistency as more of a primary creator for the team, but no one can question his will to compete at every opportunity.

Stats as of 11.27.24

The post Don’t Drive By Jalen Suggs appeared first on Swish Theory.

This season the folks at Swish Theory are targeting a handful of players they think will bring more winning impact than expected in their respective roles. These players might not be superstars, but they won’t be benchwarmers, either. In the spirit of Zach Lowe, they are the Derrick White-esque Stars, players who pop on the screen and are expected to take a mini leap in their career progression this season, whether they do so as role players or impact starters.

Let’s examine the proven skills and potential developments for these five players: Jaden Ivey, Amen Thompson, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and Chet Holmgren

Jaden Ivey

Offensive Role: Guard Initiator

Offensive Strengths: Quick First Step Burst, Ball Handling, ISO/Handoff Scoring, Drive and Kick Playmaking Feel, Off-ball Cuts

Offensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Pull-Up Shooter
Needs opportunity to show Consistent Efficiency 3pt Shooting, in Pull-Up and C&S

Secondary Skillsets to Watch – Rim Finisher and Floor General
Needs opportunity and defined role to prove consistent efficiency at the rim, is only average PPP at P&R, needs defined role

Defensive Role: Primary POA

Defensive Strengths: Quick feet on the perimeter, P&R Ball Handler Defense against Scorer, Off Screen and Handoff defense, contesting Runners and at the rim

Defensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Cuts Off Drives
Can improve ISO defense
Secondary Skillseet to Watch – PNR Disruptor, Screen Navigator, Timely Rotator
While these are positive skills, can still improve navigating P&R Defense after passes and Deep Range Shot Contests for closeouts on 3pt shooters

Projection: Ivey needs opportunity in a role that maximizes his on-ball drive-and-kick strengths rather than reducing him to a spot-up off-ball threat, his worst attribute. Being 2nd fiddle next to a primary creator in Cade could make this difficult, but splitting up on-ball reps for both is not impossible, especially if staggering play and leaving one in the game at all times to run point and initiate offense.

Ivey has strengths in his game similar to De’Aaron Fox, a first step advantage creating speedster who can fly by any defender in front of him; when the 3pt pull-up is falling and the finishing at the rim is clean, there is no stopping him from scoring with single coverage, and good feel for the game leads to kickout reads.

Coaches could have him focus his energy more on POA defense when sharing the floor with Cade, and more on handling the offensive creation when against second units, while taking turns initiating in between. Both Cade and Jaden attempted 3.3 catch-and-shoot three-pointers per game last season, and Cade even shot the slightly better percentage at 37.1% to Ivey’s 35.5%, so setting Cunningham up for more off-ball looks could maximize both players’ strengths while creating additional opportunities for Cade to score attacking closeouts when the defense isn’t already set. Reducing Ivey to an off-ball spot up shooter with inconsistent or nonexistent playing time zaps him of his strengths and makes his weaknesses more glaring, if this balance with Cade can’t be found as 2nd option, a new team with 5-out spacing could be the better path to maximize Ivey’s development.

Jalen Suggs

Offensive Role: Currently a Floor-Spacing Super Connector, now looking to be a full-time Guard Initiator

Offensive Strengths: Connective Passing, C&S and Pull-Up 3p% on medium volume, High Motor, Relocation awareness, rocket in transition off forced TOs, Consistent development and efficiency in Spot Up, Transition, Handoff, and ISO

Offensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Floor General
Look for development as decision maker in Primary Initiator Playmaking, without forcing tough passes and inefficient shots

Secondary Skillset to Watch – PnR Operator, Pull-Up Shooter
See if 3pt consistency carries over from elite shooting season without regression, and decisionmaking initating PnR

Defensive Role: Primary POA

Defensive Strengths: Screen Navigation, Strong Lockdown Versatilty 1-4, Hustle play demon, forcing turnovers at POA, never giving up on a possession, competitive energy

Defensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Timely Rotator
Check if closing out on Spot Ups and Pull-Ups

Secondary Skillset to Watch – Cut off Drives
Watch one-on-one defense in ISO and Postups to see engagement.

In actuality, Jalen Suggs has little to no holes on defense; he is an elite point of attack defender who hounds opponents every possession and is strong and quick enough to switch 1-4. The only real question this upcoming season will be how Suggs balances energy between his new offensive load as a primary initiator with his defensive responsibilities. If anything, the challenge for Suggs will be maintaining energy on both ends for the entire season, every game, finding a balance between going all out every play expending defensive energy with his expected increased playmaking load on offense. Ideally, adding KCP and retaining Gary Harris while adding playing time for Anthony Black will help handle some of the defensive asks so Suggs can maximize his point guard play.

Projection: With Markelle Fultz no longer on the roster and Cole Anthony established as the second unit point guard role, the starting point guard duties now fully fall on Jalen Suggs’ wide shoulders. The acquisition of KCP and retention of Gary Harris brings two players focused on D&3 playfinishing into the backcourt, so Suggs opportunity to initiate offense is as clear as its ever been.

While still likely playing as the third scoring option to Paolo and Franz, Suggs will have the opportunity to initiate more offense this season, where his high volume lead point guard playmaking decision-making will be put to the test: Can Jalen set up his big wing costars for easier scoring opportunities and find a balance for himself to score when its the right play, letting the defense dictate the best decision without forcing too much? Will Suggs have enough energy left in the tank to go from lead point guard decisionmaker to once again be arguably the most impactful point of attack guard defender in the league? Jalen’s proven his motor never turns off, his development as a passer shooter and decisionmaker improves each season, and he stays hungry for more.

Suggs could see similar impact to peak Marcus Smart, who also saw his 3P% drastically rise from his rookie season and brings strong versatile defense to the backcourt. All-Defense, general consistency as a halfcourt initator, and another year of shooting lights out from deep would be a win on its own. If Jalen answers all these questions this season the right way, maybe Magic fans will finally see glimpses of the Chauncey Billups super connector all-star player comp that followed Suggs in the pre-draft days.

Anthony Black

Offensive Role: Connector

Offensive Strengths: Spot Up, Off Ball Cuts/Transition, Putbacks, Finishing at the rim, Making team-first reads, Winning plays, Open C&S 3s

Offensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Catch & Shoot, Floor General

While highly efficient on C&S attempts, Anthony Black generally looks to pass first or attack closeout with the drive. Seeing him be more aggressive as a scorer is something to keep an eye on, even though he already thrives in all Connector skillsets.
Similar to Suggs, seeing Black develop on-ball shot creation, creating looks for himself and others as the primary initiator, is something to look for in his development. Will we see higher volume and good efficiency in ISO, P&R Ball-Handler, Handoffs, Pull-Up Shooting, Floater, or will he stick to secondary off-ball actions like Cuts and low volume C&S? Opportunity with the team will be a big factor, as of preseason he will be a lead or secondary initiator coming off the bench.

Defensive Role: Wing Stopper

Defensive Strengths: Lockdown Switchability 1-4, Digs reaching for steals without fouling, closeout contests, defending P&RS both ball handlers and switching onto roll man, screen navigation against P&R/off screen plays

Defensive Development Needs:

Primary Skillset to Watch – Strong Frame

Let’s see Black’s develeopment in individual defense guarding ISO/Post-Up/Handoffs, if he’s added strength to bulk up.

Secondary Skillset to Watch – Walls off Drives
Does that strength help get more stops when players drive left or straight through at him?

Projection: Black is the likeliest of the Magic’s three youngest players to see consistent playing time, opportunity, and defined role this season because he brings two-way team-first impact on a team that’s always looking for that in its role players. With rising Stars in place in Paolo and Franz and defensive stalwarts anchoring first and second units in Suggs and Isaac, Orlando has much of its hustling brute force identity in place, needing floor-spacing connectors who can help get stops to flank these players.

While Anthony’s long-term potential development path could look like Derrick White as a connector and versatile dig-happy defender who wins 50/50 plays more often than a coin flip would suggest, this Magic team needs unselfish players with few holes to exploit, especially once the playoffs role around. Black is a natural connector who makes smart reads on both sides of the ball, uses graceful footwork and intriguing athleticism to force turnovers and eurostep through multiple defenders in transition, and does the basic role player things well with extreme effort and focus. Black can knock down the open C&S three, attack the closeout with the dribble, and make the extra pass for the better shot when it’s there.

Defensively his instincts are off the charts, timing up digs and deflections, rotating with mobility, knowing where be with ease and showing impressive defensive chops as a rookie getting stops against guards and wings, whether he himself is marked as a point guard or point forward ends up depending on the lineup he’s in, because he can shapeshift his role next to just about anyone as long as he’s not asked to initiate every shot from scratch.

Amen Thompson

Offensive Role: Forward Initiator

Offensive Strengths: Explosive North-South Driving Force of Nature with tight handles; smart connector playmaker; very good soft touch finisher; insane first step start stop body control speed; special spatial awareness of seeing where he wants to go and flawlessly executing the movements; advantage creator for himself and teammates; efficient offball playfinisher on Putbacks, Handoffs, P&R Roll-Man, Cuts;

Offensive Development Needs:

Primary Skill to Watch – Pull-Up Shooter
Keep an eye on Amen’s Pull-Up and Spot-Up Shooting Development, as it will open up driving lanes for his powerful downhill force
Secondary Skills to Watch – Floor General
Already a smart drive and kick threat, making next level reads in P&R/ISO Playmaking and Shot Creation for Team is worth watching

Defensive Role: Wing Stopper

Defensive Strengths: incredible mobility, feel, and energy on both ends of the floor with side-to-side defense, impressive screen navigation, lockdown versatile wing defense; great guarding ISOs, Handoffs, Spotups, PostUps

Defensive Development Needs:

Primary Skill to Watch – PnR Disruptor
How does he hold up when P&R Defense gets complicated? Guarding P&R including passes, when defense commits, switching or tagging the roll-man in P&R

Secondary Skill to Watch – Screen Navigator
Can he utilize his athletic gifts to improves defending Off Screens?

Projection:

In Houston, it’s going to be hard to keep Amen on the bench; the bouncy talent is that palpable. Adding Rookie Reed Sheppard‘s knockdown shooting to the mix with Alperen Sengun‘s playmaking hub down low, along with Tari Eason‘s explosive playfinishing and versatile defense, Jabari Smith‘s knockdown shooting and helpside shotblocking, and Cam Whitmore‘s downhill athleticism of his own, Amen could emerge as a primary perimeter option with his quick first step burst advantage creation penetrating the paint to bend the defense and create looks for others, while bringing an off-ball play-finishing element of his own.

A strong perimeter defender, a powerful downhill force, a smart playmaker, Amen Thompson’s physical measurables and dynamic two-way feel show potential that he could ideally star in the league one day in ways that Andre Iguadola found success as a big wing versatile defensive ace, point forward connector, and paint-penetrating poster-dunking runaway train.

Chet Holmgren

Offensive Role: Play Finisher

Offensive Strengths: Mismatch postup killer, high efficiency on high volume of Cuts, P&R Roll Man, Pick and Pop, Putbacks, good efficiency on low volume of P&R ball-handler, ISO, Postups, strong when driving right, good reads passing out of ISO/P&R, great finisher and runners at the rim, shoots well below 17ft, plays physical, good handles to grab and go off board

Offensive Development Needs:

Primary Offensive Skillset to Watch – Catch & Shoot
Deep Range Jump Shot (Higher efficiency on C&S since given high volume of looks, off screen/handoff efficiency to build out versatility, cleaner pull-up jump shooting)

Secondary Skillset to Watch – Rim Finishing
Converting in Transition, Driving Left, Playmaking out of Post Ups, Bulk up Strength for Stronger Finishes at Rim

Defensive Role: Coverage Versatile

Defensive Development Needs:

Primary Defensive Skillset to Watch – Switchable
Strength in Post Ups and defensive mobility in P&R and Closeouts; Okay closing out catch-and-shoot jumpers but Contesting Shots gets worse the farther away from the rim he is, needs to work on defending P&R ball-handlers as drop defender and switching, could improve mobility/footwork to help contest and drop back on closeouts and 2v1s

Projection: Become the ultimate #2 next to a superstar #1 option MVP candidate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, ideally developing into an All-Star one-man defensive ace switchable rim-protector like Anthony Davis who is at his best impact offensively as a pick-and-pop play-finisher against mismatches rather than being asked to initiate everything from scratch. Chet’s role can alternate between play-finishing against starters alongside more proven creators in Shai and Jalen Williams while stepping into a primary scoring option role against second units at times with his co-stars on the bench.

Chet shot a respectable 37% on 4.3 3PA his first year and shoots well at the pinstripe for a rookie big at 79%, promising indicators for future shooting and scoring development. Building consistency in his release and jump shot mechanics could make him one of the more difficult stretch bigs to defend, because his bag in the midrange postups is already deep when attacking mismatches and closeouts.

Holmgren plays physical, hitting harder for rebounds and postups than his frame would suggest, generally hunting contact to wreak havoc in the paint. While already a superb shotblocker and respectable rebounder, finding the balance to contest opponents without reaching or fouling is the next step to consistently making winning plays. Using his huge length, great timing, and cerebral defensive instincts to keep his feet chopping and his arms straight up should be more than enough to make offensive players wary of challenging him in the paint.

The post Finding A Role – Season Kickoff appeared first on Swish Theory.

Darryn Peterson & Prolific Prep

Darryn Peterson makes a claim for the throne.

Racking up a statline of 33 points (11-17 FG), 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals, Peterson showed out on both ends in a marquee matchup upset of Prolific Prep over Columbus against fellow Top-3 2026 NBA Draft prospect, Cameron Boozer, who tallied 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals.

Darryn Peterson flashed the smooth stroke shotmaking that’s made scouts wonder if he’ll have as much of a case for the #1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft as Cameron Boozer or A.J. Dybantsa of Utah Prep.

On the majority of his shots, the net doesn’t even move.

Darryn’s exploring depths of Swish Theory previously unseen.

Against Columbus, DP stayed locked in attack mode, scoring at will on one end and forcing turnovers on the other.

Defensive instincts, active hands, straight up shot contests, well-timed digs, jumping pass steals, blocks leading to 4pt swings, stampede movement decisiveness, burst speed acceleration, tight handle ball control, smooth decelerating body control, playmaking vision when drawing extra defenders into the paint – Peterson proved he’s more than a tough shot swishing sniper.

Darryn baited defenders into the air with mature moves that tricked opponents to leave their feet for easy trips to the pinstripe in the first quarter, ending the period with a wild buzzer-beating pull-up 3pt runner off the backboard to tease the tough shotmaking to come.

Peterson willed his team on the offensive end to stay in it, scoring 16 of the team’s first 18 points.

Showing two-way feel, blocking a shot from behind as the driver gets by him, digging in on the perimeter for a steal to force a turnover and fast break bucket.

Winters Grady dives for the loose ball and finds Peterson, who stays pushing the pace off turnovers, sprinting into the start/stop body control hesi and a turnaround fade over the outstretched Cam Boozer. Slowing it down in the halfcourt the following play, Darryn drills a FLOATA through bump-and-finish contact after initiating Double Drag P&R, forcing Columbus to take a timeout to try to slow his momentum.

Continuing the 2nd quarter run, Peterson continues to show off his defensive instincts going straight up for another block, moving his feet to contain the spin move and force a turnover with his teammate’s help defense, grabbing the loose ball and taking it the other way for another tough middy pull-up in traffic off the clean in-and-out dribble.

21 PTS in the first half for Darryn off the smooth shooting stroke we all came to see: swishing the pull-up triple against the switch, Columbus defense looking half a step slow in rotations, giving Peterson all the room he needs to rise and fire.

Darryn didn’t force it even though he had the hot hand. When Peterson draws the triple(!) team here as Niko slips the screen in P&R, Darryn drives into the paint and quickly finds arguably the best 3pt shooter on the floor with a jump-pass 3pt kickout, Winters Grady for the catch-and-shoot triple.

Darryn Peterson contests a shot, leaks out off the miss, and has the opportunity for a fast break layup; but, instead of forcing a contested shot, possibly hearing Cam Boozer’s footsteps, he again hunts for a better shot for the team with the open corner three for splashy shooter Winters Grady, who smartly ran to the corner in transition.

Peterson continues flashing two-way feel, making plays with active hands and disrupting defensive instincts with another full-extension block and jump-pass steal, pushing the pace downhill to draw fouls and find open teammates on kickouts and lookahead dimes.

Incredible soft touch finishing through traffic on the putback and downhill drive, with impressive speed control, able to accelerate with nitro burst on a whim and stop on a dime to send the defender flying and manipulate movements to get a shot up.

Watch Darryn’s movements, knowing he’s going to reverse into a drive as soon as he catches the ball.

Next play, Niko slips the screen, Peeterson finishes the up-and-under hanging-in-the-air FLOATA through FOUR defenders!

Thought Darryn was done splashing deep jumpers without hitting the rim? Think again. Can’t leave him any space, yet Columbus practically leaves him wide open on this rotation.

Nothing but net. Peterson looks at the rim and sees and ocean. The Hot Hand Theory is in full effect in this one.

Niko Bundalo

Prolific’s Niko Bundalo dominated the glass with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and 1 steal in this high school showdown on FAU’s court, splashing in a corner three, driving downhill, bringing active hands for deflections and a head up for loose balls.

Niko showed good driving ability on the perimeter, able to slink by the strong defender Cayden Boozer with a patient stutter rip, lefty dribble drive into 3 defenders into the paint, and soft touch push shot FLOATA over an extended Cam Boozer.

Niko added in a 4pt swing sequence, forcing a turnover at point of attack, finishing cleanly in transition.

Niko impressed with his handle and footwork as a driver for his size, drawing a smaller matchup switch after popping out in Double Drag and rescreening for his teammate, gliding to the rim for the eurostep drive and putback.

Cameron Boozer & Columbus

Cameron Boozer’s strong athleticism stayed on display, showing off his rebounding instincts by timing up the powerful putback slam through traffic. Boozer has great footwork and body control, able to spin through defenders going downhill.

Jaxon Richardson, son of NBA Legend J-Rich, showed off his play-finishing bounce and athleticism running the floor, throwing down back-to-back alley-oop lobs, and crashing the glass for a putback.

Cam Boozer continues to show incredible playmaking with a grab-and-go mentality, always looking ahead to transition outlets. Boozer initiates these two fast breaks off his rebounds, quickly pushing the ball up, even finding Jaxon himself for the frontcourt lob connection.

Cayden Boozer made winning plays, hitting a clean C&S 3pt jumper on the wing and in the corner, finding shooters with pristine playmaking vision as the traditional point guard, with rebounding instincts finding the offensive board.

Marcellous “Cello” Jackson showed good two-way feel and soft touch in a nice sequence where Cello popped up for a steal on the perimeter, pushed the pace in transition, and decelerated into an AND1 ceiling-scraping FLOATA.

Columbus’ Caleb Gaskins, transfer from Montverde, showed tough shot making skills attacking closeouts, drilling jumpers over Peterson’s contests, stepping in for middy pull-ups off the playmaking from the Boozer twins. Gaskins tallied 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block.

Baseline views from CCNN:

https://twitter.com/ccnnlive/status/1859042150832574842?s=46

https://twitter.com/ccnnlive/status/1859040722797863360?s=46

https://twitter.com/ccnnlive/status/1859035253299683426?s=46

With over 500 days for these top prospect high school seniors to make their mark before the 2026 NBA Draft, who will wear the crown?

Film via The Grind Session
Stats via Maxpreps

The post Darryn Peterson Makes His Claim for the Throne appeared first on Swish Theory.