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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Rob Dillingham, OTE (Hickory, N.C.)
6-1 | 170 | Guard | College: Kentucky
Game 1: 12 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST
Game 2: 22 PTS, 7 AST, 4 STL

I've been saying a lot lately that traditional big men and undersized guards are losing value at the NBA level at an alarming rate. So, at first glance, Dillingham doesn't necessarily scream "big-time NBA prospect," as he's not tall and has a slight build at 6-foot-1, 170. Once the ball is tipped, however, it's easy to see why Dillingham is highly touted. First, his speed, shiftiness, craftiness, and knack for getting to his spots and setting up his teammates by dishing the ball with perfect timing and feel are uncanny. And Dillingham is already a capable shot-maker, typically shooting off the dribble after constantly changing his pace and zig-zagging around the court while regularly getting up to speeds that seem like 100 miles per hour and stopping on a dime. Then, there's Dillingham's floor presence. There's no ignoring Dillingham while he's on the court, as he exudes an amount of confidence and swagger that's rarely seen in a player his age (18 years old). He talks a lot of trash and walks a fine line between having confidence that creates a competitive edge and being just a little too much. I think his approach can be effective if utilized properly. Still, again, he's walking a fine line, and I'm keeping a pulse on these elements of his game.

As I've collected my thoughts after my most recent exposure to Dillingham, I can't help myself to think of two players that I've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time around: T.J. Ford and Brandon Jennings, both players who were lottery picks selected by my dad's team, the Milwaukee Bucks. (My dad, Dave Babcock, is the Bucks' director of player personnel, and has been with the team for more than 25 years.) Dillingham possesses Ford's jet speed and water bug quickness and Jennings' craftiness, shot-making, and swagger.

So the big looming question remains: is Dillingham special enough to be an exception to this newly unwritten rule about undersized guards in the NBA and become a top-tiered NBA prospect? Well, I think so, but I'm not entirely sure yet. So I'll watch him closely next season as he's set to head to Lexington to play for coach John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats.

Tyler Smith, OTE (Houston, Texas)
6-10 | 214 | Forward/Center | College: N/A
Game 1: 21 PTS, 7 REB, 4-7 3PT
Game 2: 26 PTS, 8 REB, 3-6 3PT

Like Dillingham, I've seen Smith play many times before my latest trip to Overtime Elite. And actually, I remember precisely the first time I saw him play in person. It was at an AAU tournament in Dallas a couple of years ago. Then shortly after, in Houston, when he switched squads to team up with 2023 NBA Draft prospect Keyonte George (Baylor). Smith was probably around 6-foot-8 when I first saw him, and he showed flashes of versatility and an ability to stretch the floor by shooting the ball from outside.

I was intrigued.

Fast forward to now, and Smith is every bit 6-foot-10, and his body has begun to fill out. So at his current size, Smith is a lefty stretch big, as he typically plays faced towards the hoop outside on the perimeter. And he's capable of shooting from deep, which was evident in these two recent games I watched as he shot 7-of-13 from three-point range. Smith is also a capable finisher at the rim, utilizing primarily straight-line drives. However, he can also put it on the floor for a big guy and finish using some crafty finishes, euro steps, and different moves around the basket. I wouldn't say Smith is exceptionally explosive. Still, he's coordinated, skilled, and a good athlete, making him a well-rounded and versatile big on both ends of the floor.

Per Cerebro Sports, they have aggregated metrics from 45 of Smith's games at Overtime Elite and the high school level. Smith has made 62-of-192 three-point attempts (.322). Of course, those metrics don't necessarily suggest he'll become the next Dirk Nowitzki or Karl-Anthony Towns. However, I heard a veteran NBA coach once say, "we need our big men to shoot it well enough so that they keep the defense honest by having to guard them on the perimeter, providing necessary floor spacing." Well, I think Smith is already at that point in his development. Also, considering that he's developed a reputation for being one of the biggest gym rats in the Overtime Elite program, tells me he'll keep improving.

So over two years, my interest in Smith as an NBA prospect has transitioned from intrigue to excitement. And at this rate, I suspect the next characterization in my evaluation will be "promise."

Regardless, I'll be keeping close tabs on Tyler Smith moving forward.

If you read this, keep grinding, big fella!

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