Lincoln Cosby has ascended faster than anyone in the national high school class of 2027. Still relatively unknown even 15 months ago, things have come quickly for the tantalizing 6-foot-9 wing. Still just 14 years old at the moment, he was the first freshman and youngest player ever to sign with Overtime Elite. His basketball journey has taken him from Tennessee to Ohio and now to Atlanta. The latest stop in his journey took him to the recent MSHTV Camp in Indianapolis, but he doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon.

“My basketball journey kind of kicked off in Nashville. It was kind of short lived because we moved a couple of years after that and I couldn’t really find a team. I was bouncing around from team to team in Ohio,” the well spoken Cosby told Ballislife of his journey. “About a year ago, my notoriety started to kick off. My name started to get out there and I started being recognized by a lot of the ranking websites as a top-five guy in the country. I got recognized by OTE due to my consistent performance and upside.”

Considered by many to be the top player in the class fo 2027 nationally, he certainly didn’t disappoint at MSHTV. Lincoln’s combination of inside-out play makes him an extreme mismatch, especially with the 15 pounds he’s gained since attending Overtime Elite. Naturally, the growth that he made allowed him to take over in Indianapolis, telling us, “I have loved every single moment of it. I have been getting way better and I have really been able to see this playing against guys my age this weekend.”

Having participated in the OTE Pro Day that was attended by nearly 100 college coaches and NBA scouts, Cosby showed his ridiculous ceiling. In fact, Ballislife’s Ani Umana deemed him the highest upside player of the event. His showing in front of some of the biggest names in basketball didn’t come without jitters, though.

"At first, before the pro day, I wasn’t really nervous. When I got out there and saw all the college/NBA coaches in the stands, I was definitely nervous,” admitted Lincoln of his experience at the OTE Pro Day. “I wouldn’t say that it affected my performance that much, but I definitely had butterflies in my stomach throughout the workout."

Enjoying his new home in downtown Atlanta, the swingman has fully embraced everything that the city has to offer from the culture to being able to have 24-hour access to the gym. While there were initially some concerns with the Cosby family about sending their son away at such a young age, there is a super support system in place and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he became one of the guys trying to get all of his peers to OTE down the road.

“My family and I had some concerns with me being a freshman and the youngest one there. Ultimately, we looked at things long term and trusted the process,” the well spoken freshman explained. “I’m getting way better there with the resources they have. It’s off the chain. No school in the country can compete with what OTE has to offer me, so I feel like it’s going to maximize the potential staying there for all four years.”

The combination of resources, a new culture, and a new city seem to have made Cosby the perfect fit as the first freshman to ever sign with Overtime Elite. The progress that he has made in such a short time has followed, as he’s happy to elaborate on.

“My shot has really improved because I’m shooting the NBA three every day. Here [at MSHTV Camp] the high school line feels like a mid-range jumper or even a layup,” he added. I’ve gained like 15 pounds since I’ve been in Atlanta. I’ve gotten much, much stronger. I feel like from a physical aspect that my game has gone through the roof.”

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Here are a few players who caught my eye between the final week of the Minnesota high school season and the T3TV March Madness tournament:

Taison Chatman, 6’4, PG, Totino Grace HS (MN), 2023
Chatman is a name that I was familiar with prior to moving to Minnesota myself and prior to him even entering high school. With lofty expectations, the Ohio State bound senior has lived up to every bit of his lofty billing. Chatman plays the game with great pace, is really learning to utilize his size at the lead guard position, and makes high level passes with both hands. Fresh off of winning a state championship last season, Chatman will look to bring one more ring to Totino-Grace before he is bound for Columbus.

Andy Stefonowicz, 6’2, PG, Minnetonka HS (MN), 2024
One of the more underrated players in the state of Minnesota, Stefonowicz is going to be the quarterback for Howard Pulley in the EYBL this spring. The super heady lead guard excels in drawing defense with change of speed, outstanding court vision, and ability to finish creatively at rack. A priority for many mid-majors, the University of St. Thomas had nearly their entire staff at the game for Stefonowicz’s matchup (23 points, 10 assists) with Taison Chatman.

Lincoln Cosby, 6’7, SF, All Ohio Sumner, 2027
Upside is the first thing that comes to mind from the second that one lays eyes on Lincoln Cosby. Having grown four inches in the past year and not appearing to be done any time soon, Cosby has the size of a big with the skills of a guard. The lefty is a very effective straight line driver, moves with extreme fluiditynd is an explosive athlete despite his slender frame. This is undoubtedly a name that you will be hearing about sooner rather than later.

Patrick Bath, 6’9, PF/C, Totino Grace HS (MN), 2023
Arguably the best unsigned senior in Minnesota, Bath will bring a high level of productivity (had 31 points and 12 rebounds in recent game I saw) and toughness to whatever college he chooses to attend. The North Dakota transplant has improved footwork on the block, can finish above the rim through contact, and has made huge strides stretching the range on his jumpshot. Owning seven D1 offers, Bath is the casualty of today’s transfer portal generation, but offers a number of traits that will make his future college coach very happy down the road.

Tyce Simpson, 6’4, SG, Rondo Elite, 2027
One of the brighter young talents in the state of Kentucky, Simpson helped pace his gritty Rondo Elite squad to the championship game in front of the Celtics legend himself. The 6-foot-4 combo guard is a good shot creator with a live dribble, is a solid 3-point threat, and showed the ability to facilitate for others. Genetics are certainly on Tyce’s side as well, as he’s the son of 6-foot-10 former Memphis Tiger Stan Simpson.

Shawn Foster, 6’0, PG, All Ohio Sumner, 2027
A player who I hadn’t seen going into the T3TV Battle Royal, I walked away from Cincinnati realizing that all of the buzz surrounding Shawn Foster was absolutely justified. The athletic lead guard was a blur in transition, can finish with the best of them in transition, and is great jumping passing lanes defensively. Foster looks to follow the footsteps of former OKC Thunder guard Zavier Simpson as the next guard out of Lima.

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