VJ Edgecombe 6’5 195 PG/SG – Long Island Lutheran 2024
Edgecombe (pictured) was all over the place in the 82-65 win against La Lumiere. He thrives in the open floor but finds ways to get to the basket and score in the half-court as well. He missed a few shots at the rim but still scored well. His broad shoulders and compact build help him handle and initiate contact. As expected, he finished with numerous jams, but his explosive pop and great body control isn’t just limited to offense, he utilizes it well as a shot blocker and rebounder too. He has a pretty good understanding of moving off the ball and is plenty capable as a passer. He does need to add more consistency to his shot, going 2-6 from 3PT in game 1 and 0-3 in game 2, and he seems to miss a different way each time. Edgecombe finished with 21 points (9-18 FG), 11 rebounds, and 8 assists to 1 turnover against La Lumiere. He wasn’t near as effective against Legacy Early College with only 6 points (2-7 FG) and 8 rebounds, but they won convincingly 84-51.
Kayden Mingo 6’3 185 PG – Long Island Lutheran 2025
Mingo continues to look like one of the most underrated players in the country. He shoots well with ideal form and balance. He’s so efficient as a scorer with the ability to create for himself and his teammates. He has an effective crossover and uses his dribble well to get where he wants. With all that said, he’s good about not shot-jacking or over-dribbling. Mingo scored 20 points (8-13 FG, 4-6 3PT), 5 rebounds, and 7 assists to 2 turnovers against La Lumiere. Mingo wasn’t quite as impressive but still solid against Legacy Early with 12 points (4-9 FG, 2-5 3PT, 2-2 FT) and 4 assists to 3 turnovers.
Nigel James 6’0 205 PG – Long Island Lutheran 2025
James’ quickness and craft with the ball makes him hard to guard. He’s a good ball-handler and got into the paint well, changing speed and direction. He shoots well off the catch or dribble, with ability to stop on a dime to go into his shot. He sticks to the ball well on the defensive end and jumps passes well when off the ball to start transition opportunities, recording 2 steals in each of LuHi’s games. He scored 18 points (7-12 FG, 2-6 3PT) and passed out 5 assists to 2 turnovers against La Lumiere. James was even more impressive in his follow up game with 22 points (9-11 FG, 4-5 3PT) and 5 assists to 2 turnovers.
Darius Adams 6’5 180 PG/SG – La Lumiere 2025
Adams started the game against Long Island Lutheran hot with a few 3s. He played with good aggression and got his shot off well against tight defense but would go out with an injury. While he did return, he struggled in the second half, ultimately finishing with 9 points on 3-13 shooting from the floor and 3-8 from 3. In La Lu’s second game, he contributed with 14 points and 8 rebounds. He wasn’t very efficient, shooting 6-16 from the floor and 2-7 from 3PT. La Lumiere came up short in a hard-fought game against Wasatch Academy 72-65.
Jerry Easter 6’4 195 SG – La Lumiere 2025
Easter had a high-volume effort in both games, scoring 18 points on 7-17 shooting and 23 points on 6-15 shooting. He was aggressive offensively and drew fouls at a good rate, converting 14 of his 18 total free throw attempts. He’s not a great outside shooter (1-5 3PT combined), isn’t real explosive, or a great finisher at the rim, but using his strength he found ways to get to the basket and score. He also grabbed 5 rebounds per game.
Chris Anderson 6’1 150 PG – Oak Hill Academy 2024 (Michigan)
Anderson scored 15 points (6-13 FG, 1-3 3PT) to help Oak Hill defeat Orangeville Prep. He scored with some variety. He only made 1 3PTer but got into the midrange, as well as showing some creativity at the rim. He shot better against Sunrise Christian scoring 16 points (4-7 FG, 2- 3 3PT, 6-7 FT). There are still concerns about him executing as a scorer and facilitator, as well as defender at the next level with his lack of size, recording 11 assists to 9 turnovers combining both games. He also averaged 6 rebounds and 3 steals over the two games. Oak Hill beat Orangeville 75-71 and Sunrise 65-51.
Micah Robinson 6’7 230 SF – Oak Hill Academy
Robinson only made 1 of his 5 3PT attempts over both games, but he was most effective using his strength and athleticism to aggressively attack the rim. He’s strong with the ball and it helped him get to the foul line frequently, scoring 8 of his 9 attempts of his 17 points (4-7 FG) in Oak Hill’s first game and 5 of his 6 attempts of his 13 points (4-9 FG). Robinson played with good energy and was solid on the boards with 5 and 7 rebounds respectively.
Deondrea Lindsey 6’8 215 PF – Oak Hill Academy 2025
Lindsey was effective and efficient against Orangeville with his 13 points (6-8 FG) and 5 rebounds. He didn’t have the same success the next night with 6 points (2-11 FG) and 9 rebounds. He only made 1 of his 9 3PT attempts over both games, and while he did show some midrange shooting, he doesn’t have many ways to score for himself. He was best running the floor and using his athleticism to finish above the rim, including a one-handed alley-oop over a defender on one of his plays of the weekend.
Kaden Magwood 6’3 170 PG – Oak Hill Academy 2025
Magwood led all scorers in Oak Hill’s first game with 20 points on 7-15 shooting, including 4-7 from 3PT. As usual, he hit a lot of tough shots, including step-backs, pull-ups, and some tough takes to the rim. He’s more wired to score than play as a lead guard, but he saw the floor and made some nice passes, despite recording 3 assists to 4 turnovers. It was more of the same against Sunrise Christian Academy with 21 points (6-13 FG, 5-6 3PT, 4-5 FT). He had the ball in his hands a lot and connected well no matter the distance from the basket or congestion from the defender.
Elijah Duval 6’1 175 PG – Orangeville
Duval was excellent for Orangeville. While he doesn’t have great size at 6’1, he’s quick and doesn’t let up on his aggression. He’s a very good ball-handler who isn’t faized by physical defense and doesn’t pick up his dribble early. He did a good job attacking any gap in the defense to get to the rim. He made some nice passes on the move and mid-attack, a few led to turnovers, ultimately recording 5 assists to 6 turnovers. He shoots well off the dribble from midrange and 3PT. You can’t ask much more out of his effort with his efficient 28 points, shooting an impressive 10-13 FG, 3-3 3PT, 5-6 FT in 27 minutes against Oak Hill. His follow up game was equally impressive to beat Canyon International Academy 78-64 with 26 points shooting another impressive 9-12 FG, 3-3 3PT, 5-8 FT along with 6 assists to 3 turnovers in 26 minutes. Scoring a total of 54 points in 53 minutes on 76% FG%, 100% 3PT%, 71.4% FT% shooting splits is incredibly impressive. Orangeville looks like a completely different team than the team I saw last month without him.
John Mobley 6’3 180 PG/SG – Wasatch Academy 2024 (Ohio State)
Mobley lit it up from outside as usual on his way to 18 points in the 90-77 win against IMG Academy. He hit shots off the dribble with little space using his quick release to connect on 5-9 FG and 3-6 3PT. He handled the ball well and played physical with the ball when getting into the lane, making 5 of his 6 free throws. He’s a shooter by nature but can initiate for teammates and recorded 6 assists to 4 turnovers. Mobley finished with 30 points against La Lumiere, and despite not shooting great from the floor, 8-19 FG and 2-8 3PT, he was very reliable as a free throw shooter making 12 of his 13 attempts. His ball-handling was also key, beating his defender at a good rate with his quick crossover to get into the paint, changing speed, and hitting contested shots with either hand. He also recorded 7 assists to 2 turnovers in the win.
Isiah Harwell 6’5 200 SG – Wasatch Academy 2025
Harwell was huge against IMG with 22 points on 7-17 shooting. He doesn’t have a lot of creativity as a ball-handler or wiggle on his drives, but he got to the rim on selective opportunities. He did a lot of damage in the midrange, shooting fadeaways out of the post. He also lit it up from outside, going 4-9 from 3PT, even drawing fouls on a few attempts. Harwell also contributed with 14 rebounds and 7 assists with no turnovers. He came out with similar energy in the start of the game against La Lumiere; working the post, initiating contact, and hitting fadeaways off reverse pivots and other shots with either hand, but would slow down a bit as the game progressed. He would ultimately finish with 12 points (4-9 FG, 1-3 3PT) and 6 rebounds before fouling out early in the fourth quarter.
Chris Nwuli 6’7 200 SF – Wasatch Academy 2025
Nwuli plays with a lot of passion and energy. He’s vocal and made the most of his time on the court scoring 14 points in his 14 minutes of play. He did an excellent job of getting into the midrange to elevate and hit a pull-up. He also showed his athleticism at the rim with a few dunks. He can work on speeding up his release from 3PT, but he’s capable. Nwuli didn’t contribute much outside of scoring against IMG. He brought similar energy against La Lumiere, but his emotions got the best of him getting his second technical in the second quarter to get ejected, after scoring 7 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.
Donnie Freeman 6’9 200 PF – IMG Academy 2024 (Syracuse)
Freeman led the game against Wasatch in scoring with 27 points (11-15 FG, 3-6 3PT, 2-3 FT). He’s a good athlete and finishes well at the rim. He also scored well from midrange. He grabbed 6 rebounds in the game but didn’t contribute too heavily outside of scoring and didn’t play in the game against Canyon International Academy.
Khani Rooths 6’8 195 PF – IMG Academy 2025
Rooths contributed with 17 points on 5-9 shooting against Wasatch Academy. He’s versatile with the ability to score inside and out. He drew a lot of fouls and went 6-7 from the free throw line. He got to the rim on occasions as well. He’s a good athlete and is versatile on the defensive end as well, guarding a few different positions. He seemed to take pride in defending Isiah Harwell when he had the hot hand. Rooths also contributed with 5 rebounds and 4 assists with no turnovers. He was consistent in his second game as well with 19 points (8-10 FG). He showed off his explosive pop at every opportunity he could finish with a jam, and he’s alert playing with Darius Acuff to catch his no-look dimes. He threw in some nice footwork on his moves at the basket at times. Rooths’ was an impressive athlete on the defensive end as well with 4 blocks as a reliable help defender. IMG beat Canyon International Academy 77-64.
Darius Acuff 6’2 175 PF – IMG Academy 2025
Acuff ran the point for IMG and did a good job initiating the offense. He got his shots up with 22 points on 7-20 shooting but did a good job of getting into the paint to find the open shooter or cutter/slip to the basket. All his scoring in the paint is below the rim with his lack of size and explosive pop, but he can score at different angles and hit difficult shots at the rim. He shot it well from 3PT to go 4-9 from outside and for whatever reason, struggled from the foul line to go 4-8. Acuff also pulled down 6 rebounds to go with 5 assists to 3 turnovers. He followed up with 27 points on another high-volume effort, 9-20 FG, 3-10 3PT, 6-8 FT. He grabbed 6 rebounds and did a good job controlling the pace and making plays. He can get too casual a ball-handler and passer but he made plenty of impressive passes as a lead guard and his 7 assists to 2 turnovers is respectable. As a shot creator, he can get his shot off against any defender at this level.
Morez Johnson 6’9 235 C – Thornton Township 2024 (Illinois)
Johnson was a handful for Richmond Heights with 21 points (8-11 FG). He doesn’t have the most polished release, but he’s capable of stretching the floor and facing up, making 1 of his 3 3PT shots and 4 of his 7 free throws. However, it was nice to see a player willing to go into the post nearly every possession, keeping it simple, and use his advantage to score close to the basket. He showed solid athleticism on both ends, as a finisher, rebounder to collect 8 boards, and defender to block 2 shots while altering a few more. He’s physical and has good footwork in the post, not just to score but he passes very well out of the post, despite only recording 1 assist, the ball moved from the inside out. In addition to protecting the paint, Johnson showed some versatility as a defender, spending some time staying in front of Richmond Heights’ shifty ball-handler through a stretch of plays. Thornton defeated Richmond Heights 62-48.
Dorian Jones 6’4 160 SG – Richmond Heights 2025
Jones led the team in scoring with 15 points on 6-13 shooting. He plays off the ball as a scorer. I think his impact could’ve been more frequent as he blended in at times. He’s a streaky shooter, draining difficult shots when he gets going but missing knockdown opportunities at other times to ultimately go 2-7 from distance. He has some explosive ability that came out on some dunks and attempts, as well as a chase down block late in the game.
Spencer Ahrens 6’9 215 PF – Sunrise Christian Academy 2024
Ahrens impressed in both games with 14 points (5-12 FG) and 13 (4 offensive) rebounds against Oak Hill, and 20 points (8-16 FG) and 10 (5 offensive) rebounds to defeat Legacy Early College 80-48. He played hard, scoring well on rim runs and second chance baskets. He’s quick off the ground, not needing to load up when dunking. However, he did miss quite a few around the rim when he didn’t dunk. His quick leap helps him on the defensive end as well with 4 blocks against Legacy. He didn’t live on the perimeter but has plenty of capability to stretch the floor, going 4-6 from behind the arc over both games.
Jeremiah Green 6’2 180 PG – Sunrise Christian Academy 2025
Green was Sunrise’s offensive catalyst with his dribble-drive and shooting. He made all 3 of his 3PT attempts of the event, but he was more dangerous with his pull-ups in the midrange after beating his defender on the perimeter. There were times he had some good takes to the rim but missed a few close ones. Overall, Green played well with 18 points against Oak Hill and recorded 14 points (6-9 FG) and 10 assists against Legacy Early College.
Amier Ali 6’7 195 SG/SF – Canyon International Academy 2024 (Arizona State)
Ali is a talented prospect, but his production is too reliant on if his 3-ball is falling. He’s athletic but needs to add strength and more to his half-court offensive game. Against a set defense, he tends to just let it fly. He recorded 2 points (1-9 FG, 0-5 3PT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals against Orangeville. His results against IMG Academy were much better with 26 points (9-19, 6-12 3PT), 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Jaion Pitt 6’7 210 SF/PF – Canyon International Academy 2025
Pitt provided 17 points (6-10 FG) against Orangeville. He has a strong upper and lower body, absorbing contact well on drives and around the basket. He has nice shooting touch from midrange and 3PT, but struggled from the free throw line, going 4-10 on free throws. He pulled down 7 rebounds with 4 coming on the offensive end. He also had 4 turnovers in the loss. He followed up with 14 points (5-9 FG), 11 rebounds, and 4 assists. Pitt’s ability to get shots off with contact and little separation is impressive, especially from distance, making all 5 of his 3PT attempts over both games.
