As far as the travel ball clubs on the 17U circuit go, there is only one 6-0 team in the Merritt Division and that's California-based Why Not 17U. Coached by Reggie Morris Jr., Why Not upped its record heading into the EYBL's Live Period Session III in Indianapolis (May 17-19) with a 71-66 comeback victory over Strive For Greatness 17U in an all-California Sunday showdown. The star of the game was 6-foot-5 2025 wing Tounde Yessoufou, who had the most energy of all 10 players on both ends of the floor, hit a variety of shots and made some big defensive plays en route to a 26-point performance. He made 9-of-10 field goals and 7-of-8 free throws vs. Strive and is unofficially tied for first in 17U scoring with 6-foot-6 2025 wing Xzavion Mitchell of Wisconsin-based Team Herro at 25.5 ppg.

Team Herro is one of three 6-0 teams in the Raveling Division, along with New England-based Expressions Elite and DMV-based Team Takeover.

For now, let's take a look at the top underclass performers and eye-catchers at Nike EYBL Session II:

2026

Austin Brown, JL3 Elite/Lufkin (Texas) 6-8 SF
This hard-nosed forward moves well without the ball and excels even though sometimes JL3 plays at a fast-pacedthat doesn't always suit Brown's best attributes. In the half court game, or a tight spot, this team knows who to get the ball to because Brown knows how to move without the ball and is such a terrific shooter. Brown was knocking down the 3-ball with regularity and is especially excellent off the catch.

Josiah Cannady, Team Durant 16U/St. Francis Academy (Baltimore, Md.) 6-3 PG
We loved his speed with the basketball and play-making ability.

Christian Collins, Why Not 16U/Westchester (Los Angeles) 6-8 SF
This wiry athlete played second fiddle on his previous high school team at St. Bernard (Playa Del Rey, Calif.) to a talented graduating senior and Why Not 17s friend Tajh Ariza, who will join him at Westchester. From a national perspective, however, was his breakout event. We've known he was a high-major prospect for over a year and a half now, but he's added more coordination and maturity to his game, and is now hitting deep perimeter shots with ease. The son of 2002 McDonald's All-American DeAngelo Collins, Christian one game where he canned three consecutive 3-pointers and caught the attention of national scouts and even a few NBA brass.

Kendre Harrison, Team CP3 16U/Reidsville (N.C.) 6-7 PF
Former NBA player Austin Rivers made headlines earlier this week when he talked about NBA players' abilities to play in the NFL. We've been closely following the nation's top Grid-Hoopers for close to 40 years and even though his assessment was a bit off, there are still plenty of two-sport athletes that play high level basketball that could make a NFL roster. Harrison helped Reidsville to a 29-0 record and North Carolina Class 2A state crown and No. 39 Final FAB 50 ranking a few months after leading the football team to a state title in the same division. Harrison is the nation's top tight end prospect in his class, but boy, he's awfully fun to watch on the hardwood. Not only does he tear down the rim, he does everything with good timing and has great hands as one could imagine.

Andrew Hilman, Oakland Soldiers 16U/Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.) 6-4 SG
The game is starting to slow down for this slashing wing player who was often the best player on a talent-laden Riordan team where multiple bench players have legit D1 offers. Hilman is a strider who can get in the lane with ease and loves to spin off defenders. He has good instincts and loves to jump lanes for easy run-out buckets. There may be some more naturally talented, but few played every possession as hard as this humble kid.

Jordan Hunter, Team Takeover 16U/Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) 6-3 SG
An under control shooter with range and discipline. Hunter knows what a good shot is and where he wants to get in the half court setting.

Dylan Mingo, PSA Cardinals 16U/Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, N.Y.) 6-4 PG
Repeatedly came up with strong drives to the basket and his talent level stands out. A well known player who is in store for a big summer.

Jordan Smith, Team Takeover 17U/Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) 6-4 SG
Playing up, Smith was one of the standouts of the weekend, as Team Takeover remains unbeaten in EYBL play. He is the team's catalyst with his motor, physicality and skill. In fact, his combination of those three attributes might have been the best we saw in Atlanta. Smith is a ferocious on-ball defender and did a terrific job on The Family's Darius Acuff Jr. in a key win. Smith also has solid play-making skills to create and loves to take it down the middle for strong finishes or a monster flush.

Jahda Swann, New Heights Lightning 16U/Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-4
A sleeper who has plenty of long-term potential. Swann is just coming into his own and we liked what we saw with his outside shooting and sleek frame. Swann can knock down the corner shot, moves his feet well on defense, and is creative off the dribble. He's under the radar, but his teammate Oesoemana Sacko (6-8, 2026) might be the best 2026 prospect in NYC at St. Francis Prep (Queens, N.Y.).

Cameron Williams, Vegas Elite 16U/St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-10 PF
He may not dominate today, but boy, the potential is off the charts. Williams can face up and score and when the skill level and strength meet on the frame he possesses, he's going to be a legit NBA prospect. After last weekend, keen NBA scouts know who Williams is.

Clyde Walters, Nightrydas Elite 16U/Pinson Valley (Ala.) 6-7 SF
His team had an abundance of talent, but we wanted to point out his good feel on the basketball court. Walters has alot in his offensive bag with the ball.

2027

Brock Bass-Browner, Georgia Stars 15U/North Cobb Christian (Kennesaw, Ga.) 6-7 PF
Athletic forward who knows what he is. Excels at finishing off off pick and rolls and has solid touch as a lefty big.

Anderson Diaz, NY Rens 15U/St. Raymond (Bronx, N.Y.) 6-1 PG
Of all the 15U games we evaluated, Diaz might have had the best burst with the ball from a stop-start position. His first step is great, but Diaz also seemed under control when we watched. Likes to get in the key with the ability to do it, then make a quick dish to either side for a quality shot.

Amir Dockery, New Heights Lightning 15U/Eagle Academy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 6-0 PG
A throwback NYC point guard with all the trimmings and fixings on his plate: keeps the dribble alive with a crafty handle, gets through tight spaces, can split double teams and fishing with a strong lay-up package. Freshman starter for his high school team that captured the PSAL, title while he was named the Public League's freshman of the year.

Cole Holden, Why Not 15U/Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) 6-2 CG
This club was unbeaten until its last game on Sunday and it's easy to see why when you look of the makeup of the roster. The team uses teamwork and good ball-movement to punish foes and Holden is one of the ring-leaders. He and Why Not teammate Pierce Thompson (6-2, 2027) played JayVee for the CIF Open Division champions and it's easy to see how practicing against those experienced players is helping him on the 15U level. Holden is a confident ball-handler and once the game slows down for him, he's going to be a terrific contributor for one of the best high school programs on the West Coast. On this team, he has plenty of weapons around him and is learning when to attack and when to get them involved.

Jeremy Jenkins, FL Rebels 15U/Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.) 6-7 PF
His strength and skill at his age (turned 15 last month) stand out right away. He's physical and can handle the rigors of big-time ball. Already considered one of the nation's best prospects in the 2027 class. Jenkins' front court mate Jonathan Watts (6-8, 2027) also moves well and challenges shots at the rim.

Dooney Johnson, Team Herro 15U/Juneau (Milwaukee, Wis.) 6-4 PG
We love the name and the game even more, as Johnson is one of the best 2027 prospects in the Midwest Region. He gets downhill in a hurry and can change direction well with the handle.

Gabriel Nesmith, Nightrydas Elite 15U/Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 6-6 SG
You will be hard-pressed to find a better performance by a 15U player than the one we saw from Nesmith on Saturday afternoon. It was only one game and we can't wait to evaluate Nesmith more, but within the first 10 seconds of watching him we knew what kind of talent he was and what level he'll eventually be recruited it. He hit a mid-court crossover and covered tons of ground to get in attack position in that time frame and his fluid body movements, approach and confidence stood out right away. Nesmith has the length you look for in a high-major wing and can shoot the deep ball out to 25 feet with ease. The mechanics and rhythm look great, too. Don't be surprised if he challenges for a top 3 spot in the 2027 class in the final rankings that matter at the end four years from now.

Marquis Newson, Team Final 15U/Sanford School (Hockessin, Del.) 6-3 SG
A team with an ubundance of individual talent that we liked, Newson is a high-level athlete who can get downhill with plenty of horizontal pop. He's a prototypical wing prospect with a high skill level that high majors will track down the line.

Babatunde Oladotun, Team Durant 15U/ Blake (Silver Spring, Md.) 6-8 SF
Oozing with potential and talent, some well-known evaluators peg this lanky wing as the top prospect in the 2027 class. He wasn't our production-based National Freshman of the Year, but we understand the sentiments of placing him at the top. There is still a long ways to go, but Oladotun obviously has the size and measurables to be a terrific and dominant high school player. At this level, he can dominate with array of shot-making skills, step backs and length. He needs to work on getting in a stance and taking the positive space in front of him, instead of relying on the negative space that he can have at any time against lesser talents.

Zaiyir Phillips, Team United 15U/Hunter Huss (Gastonia, N.C.) 5-10 PG
This lefty just keeps attacking until he gets to his spot on the floor. It's refreshing to see his skill level combined with his desire to make winning plays. Phillips is deft at the straight away jumper and shoots a high percentage off the catch. Phillips has the qualities coaches love in their young guards.

Delton Prescott, AZ Unity 15U/Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.) 6-0 PG
This quarterback helped a terrific high school team in the winter as a ninth-grader and is a leader on one of the best 15U teams in the country. Prescott is beyond his years when it comes to understanding and seeing a play ahead. He's also a terrific passer in various situations.

Clarence Rosser Jr., Team United 15U/Northern Nash (Rocky Mount, N.C.) 6-9 PF
He is the type of player that stands out right away with his length and size, but Rosser has already developed a nice array of skill. Rosser makes nice high post passes and has some patience in his attack. He can shoot the deep ball with confidence and his potential is off the charts. Once he learns how to take space and cover ground with the dribble, watch out as he'll be a Top 20 type prospect when it's all said and done. His front court teammate Charles Pur (6-9, 2027) is one to watch as well.

Jymin Veney, Tea Melo 15U/Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.) 6-3 SG
We love it when young players can get their feet under them on offense and stay in control off the dribble and Veney can do just that. He can play the lead or off the ball and is a terrific shooter, with a nice array of pull-ups. Keep an eye on him down the line.

2028

Adan Diggs, AZ Unity 15U/Arizona 6-4 SG
The state of Arizona is has an abundance of quality young players and Diggs is right up there as the best of the lot. He has terrific size and frame for his position, and moves well with our without the basketball. Diggs' athleticism is also high-major and he's a shot-maker with plenty of confidence. With natural progression, he'll be on the recruiting list of Blue Bloods in the future.

Jakyi Miles, Oakland Soldiers 15U/Arizona 6-3 CG
When one talks about scoring, some just had that innate feel and instinct for it and “KyiKyi” is one of the best. In fact, as a rising ninth-grader he's one of the best we've seen come down the pike in a long time. Last season he played on AZ Compass Prep's high school team and was probably good enough to play on the EYBL Scholastic team. He dropped 35 points in a game vs. Babatunde Oladotun and Team Durant and was terrific in the game prior that we also had a chance to evaluate. Miles had great ability to get by defenders while covering ground, can shake them with meaningful dribbles and already possesses a smooth pull-up game from mid-range that most elite high school players would kill to have in their arsenal. Sprinting into a pull-up is not easy and Miles already has that in his tool box. Watch out for Miles on the elite high school level.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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1. California's 2026 Class Can Be Special
Over the past 50 years, California has produced some special classes that dominated college with many of the top players in each going on to NBA careers. The most recent stellar class was in 2020, which produced NBA 2021 NBA No. 2 pick Jalen Green out of Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) via San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno, Calif.) and No. 3 pick Evan Mobley of Rancho Christian (Temecula, Calif.). That class also produced 2021 No. 10 pick Ziarie Williams of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) and a fourth first round pick in No. 24 Josh Christopher of Mayfair (Lakewood, Calif.). This current crop of rising sophomores could have that type of impact on the 2027 NBA Draft, if they continue to work hard and develop.

Even if you didn't include the nation's two two prospects in the class who are now at Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.), 6-foot-7 wing A.J. Dybansta and 6-foot-7 forward Tyran Stokes, this is still a terrific group. It's led by point guards Jason Crowe of Lynwood (Calif.) and Brandon McCoy Jr. of St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), both who participated at Ron Massey in the Challenge of Champions bracket reserved for eight outstanding teams. Crowe, last year's Cal-Hi Sports State Freshman of the Year, continues to progress and is getting stronger, while McCoy is a rare all-around prospect who defends the ball, has quick explosion off vertical or off the dribble horizontally and the ball skills that puts him in rare company in this region of the country. Not many high level prospects from California over the years have that combination of skill, athleticism and desire on the defensive end. Three of the players in the next tier of California's 2026 class were at Massey: big guard Tajh Ariza of St. Bernard (Playa Del Rey, Calif.), point guard Kaiden Bailey of Crean Lutheran (Irvine, Calif.) and wing Brayden Kyman of Santa Margarita (Calif.). That doesn't include forward Brannon Martinsen of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), who was nursing a minor injury and did not play in the Challenge of Champions. Ariza is the one talent who could push and perhaps even pass some in the top group with his combination of size, feel and skill. He is starting to feel comfortable shooting the 3-ball off the dribble and catch. Once Ariza gets some consistency, watch out. Five players who have entered the discussion to join that second group of four are led by Isaiah “Slim” Rogers of Centennial (Corona, Calif.), who has improved by leaps and bounds over the summer and helped Centennial reach the Ron Massey title game. The other four knocking on the door are Ariza's teammate Malachi Collins, Julius Price of St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.), Kyman's teammate at Santa Margarita Drew Anderson, and Caleb Newton of Birmingham (Van Nuys, Calif.). Two 2026 big man who displayed rapid improvement at Massey are 6-foot-8 Jacob Majok of Crean Lutheran (Irvine, Calif.) and 6-foot-9 Abdoul Bare of St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.). We haven't even mentioned Alijah Arenas of Chatsworth (Calif.), who some have pegged higher ranked than all expect the Prolific Prep duo, but we are slow-playing him a bit as a prospect because he simply hasn't dominated elite competition just yet.

California's best class, by the way, is the 1975 class led by Mr. Basketball USA Bill Cartwright of Elk Grove (Calif.) and two other first five All-Americans in Verbum Dei (Los Angeles) teammates Roy Hamilton and David Greenwood. All three made the NBA along with five other players from the famed California class: forward James Hardy, guards Reggie Theus and Brad Holland and centers Bill Laimbeer and Paul Mokeski. That core of players twice played a legit United States all-star team and beat them both times, once in Sacramento in front of Cartwright's big NorCal following and once at the Long Beach Sports Arena in front of the SoCal contingent. That class had everything (in terms of size and skill), some other great classes were defined by top prospects at the top (1986, 2008) while others were defined by depth (1993). The 1997 class was supposed to rival the 1975 class, but it peaked early and some flamed out so nothing is guaranteed for this 2026 class. The current sophomores don't have the size in the class to surpass the 1975 class, but there is a solid chance they'll end up being compared to the 1986 and 2008 class one day because of the skill on the perimeter and wings.

2. Corona Centennial Will Be In The Mix
The Huskies graduated a terrific senior class, including 2023 Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Basketball Jared McCain (Duke), that made up a core that finished No. 1 in the state in 2021 and 2022 and won three consecutive CIF Southern Section open championships. At first glance it would seem coach Josh Giles' club is too decimated by graduation, but think again. We talked about the Golden State's terrific 2026 class and the Huskies have three sophomore starters led by Slim Rodgers. The 6-foot-3 point guard has grown at least an inch in the last year and is gaining confidence at every event we see him at. Rogers has a terrific change of pace and is now more consistent with his shot-making. The sophomore that actually saw the most playing time on the 2022-23 Centennial varsity was 5-foot-10 Justice Griffith, a physical play-maker who can terrorize teams on the defensive end and makes winning plays. He scored the game-winning basket right in front of the rim in the Huskies' 68-66 semifinal win over St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) in the Pangos Elite 8 (Challenge of Champions) bracket. The third super soph is Markee White Jr., a 6-foot-6 athlete who is a key rebounder and defender. He starred on the JayVee team as a freshman and has made plenty of strides in his offensive game. UCLA-bound Eric Freeny is the teams' go-to player and once Arizona-bound forward Carter Bryant becomes accustomed to the Huskies' system, this team could be right there to challenge defending CIF state open champ Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) and St. John Bosco for the CIF Southern Section open crown. Some feel Bryant is the state's best senior prospect, so if he meshes with Freeny and the sophomores continue to improve, this young club could be FAB 50 ranked at some point during the season and more importantly, will be a dangerous team in February and March.

3. Mater Dei's Brandon Benjamin is a Difference-Maker
Among the players on the teams in this event and the best overall ones in SoCal, the pecking order in the 2025 class is well-established. St. John Bosco's Elzie Harrington and Brayden Burries of Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.), both big guards, lead the pack along with wing Nikolas Khamenia of Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) and shooting guard Jovani Ruff of Poly (Long Beach, Calif.). After Roosevelt defeated St. Bernard (Playa del Rey, Calif.) in a highly-charged opening round game of the Elite 8 bracket, 54-51, Burries did not play in Sunday's two games, including Roosevelt's 61-60 semifinal loss to St. John Bosco. Tounde Yessoufou of St. Joseph, leads the 2025 group from a statewide perspective and he's the one whose talent level is on par with Harrington and Burries. The powerful wing has been the event's most prolific scorer over the past two years and led his team to third place. The one player who could be knocking on the door down the line in 2025 is 6-foot-5 small forward Brandon Benjamin of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), who played last season at Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.). Benjamin fits in with the Monarchs' returning talent seamlessly not only because he's talented, but also because he's what the doctor ordered in terms of his unselfishness and I.Q. Benjamin is strong around the rim and never rattled or off balance. He also is patient in letting plays develop and and is an excellent passer, especially from the high post or elbow extended. Mater Dei's coaching staff loves what they see out last year's Orange County Register Player of the Year, especially when the team is at full strength. In this event, the Monarchs played without sophomores Martinsen and Luke Barnett, plus senior Brady Karich. Benjamin and Martinsen will be key cogs in leading Mater Dei back into the CIF Southern Section open playoffs, which they missed for the first time last season since it began in 2013-14. Other rising juniors who had nice outings at Ron Massey include guard Julien Gomez of La Mirada (Calif.) and power forward Doug Langford of Pius X-St. Matthias (Downey, Calif.).

After averaging 33.7 ppg in three Challenge of Champion games last year, Yessoufou was once again scoring and shooting at a high clip at this year's Ron Massey. He went for 27 points in a 80-69 first round win over Mater Dei, then came back with 35 in the two-point loss to Centennial in the semifinals. He finished up with 28 points in a 69-67 St. Joe's victory over Roosevelt for third place. Yessoufou finished with a 30 ppg averaging while nailing 11 3-pointers. In the championship game, St. John Bosco's Harrington and the rest of the Braves' regulars did not suit up while Centennial's starters did not start. Bosco easily downed Windward (Los Angeles) in its opening round game, 66-44, while Centennial zoomed past Crean Lutheran (Irvine, Calif.), 67-38, in its first round game.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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Each year at the Pangos Frosh/Soph Camps, some of the nations' best young talent is on display as they begin their journey to playing at the highest levels of the game. The fall calendar has heated up in recent years and with more high school team events seemingly every weekend across California and the West, it was a wait-and-see approach to event organizers as to how many of the region's top ninth and tenth graders would be in attendance.

The talent pool actually turned out to be one that impressed overall, with a good group of wing guards and talented scoring forwards. When the dust settled, however, the best overall player by a healthy margin turned out to be a player well known to West Coast scouts. That player is 6-foot-6 sophomore (2025) small forward Tounde Yessoufou of St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.). The native of Benin was last year's Cal-Hi Sports State Freshman of the Year after averaging 26.4 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 2.1 spg and 2.9 bpg for the CIF Central Section's open division runner-ups and is vastly improved since the 2021-22 season ended.

Yessoufou has always been powerful and quick around the basket, but he's expanded his game with an improved handle and deep range. He also a good outlet passer and offensive rebounder who is simply too powerful for anyone in his class on the West Coast to handle. He had a 36-point performance (including six 3-pointers) in the final set of camp games on Saturday night and ended the two-day event on Sunday with a game-high 28 points (to go along with eight rebounds) to lead the Black-jersey team to a 119-113 win over the White-jersey team in the Cream of the Crop Top 30 Game reserved for the event's top performers. Yessoufou was about as simple a choice for camp Most Outstanding Player as there has been in the event's 20-year history.

Abundance of Breakout Performers

Yessoufou was not only the camp MOP; he was also the Top 30 game MVP. Joining him as the game MVP was 6-foot 2026 (freshman) combo guard Rashod Cotton of Modesto Christian (Calif.), a high school team with the talent level to begin the 2022-23 season FAB 50 ranked. Even though Modesto Christian returns its roster en masse from a team that captured the CIF NorCal open title, it's hard to envision Cotton not cracking the rotation and getting considerable minutes. He's that good. Cotton is wired to cause havoc on the offensive end with his ability to slash, shoot, and break down defenders. Cotton also had the best crossover among the camp's 197 participants, both in transition and in the half court, using it to blow by or create space for an open shot. He finished the Top 30 game with 17 points and four rebounds for the White-jersey wearing club.

This series of fall showcase camps has served as a national coming out party for a plethora of high caliber young players such as Trae Young (South) and Evan Mobley?(West). Cotton was among those who wasn't well known coming in among the West's top scouts, but surely is now. That group included 6-foot-4 2025 wing Isaac Carr of Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.), 6-foot-2 2025 Caleb Versher of St. Bernard (Playa del Rey, Calif.) and his high school teammate Tajh Ariza, a 6-foot-6 2026 wing guard with vision and game to boot, 6-foot-8 2025 Juju Ervin of North Central (Spokane, Wash.), 6-foot-6 2025 Tae Simmons of Heritage Christian (Northridge, Calif.), 6-foot-1 2025 Noah Bendigner of Juan Diego Catholic (Salt Lake City, Utah), 6-foot-3 2026 Jalen White of Clark (Las Vegas, Nev.), 6-foot 2025 Braden Moore of Yuma Catholic (Yuma, Ariz.), 6-foot-3 2026 Caleb Newton of Birmingham (Van Nuys, Calif.), 6-foot-5 D'Andre Harrison of Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) and 6-foot-6 2025 Marco Varani of Bellevue (Wash.). Every player in that group (and perhaps a few more) are now firmly entrenched in the minds and scouting reports of the West's top evaluators and made a favorable enough impression to make one of the camp's two all-star games.

Westmoreland Heads Lead Guard Pack

College coaches at all levels desire a talented and dependable lead guard. It's been the most important position on the floor for many years at the collegiate level. Many programs play their two best guards and don't assign labels to them. "Combo guard" is a popular term since the point guard is required to shoot and score in today's game, with the true lead guard a harder commodity to come by. Finding a true lead guard at this camp was no different, as the pickings were slim. Likely the best one of the lot was 5-foot-10 2026 Rodney Westmoreland III of Dougherty Valley (San Ramon, Calif.).

Westmoreland is a true set-up, pass-first guard with a steady handle, vision, an unselfish demeanor and leadership skills. He can also keep defenders honest with his change of pace ability and perimeter shot. Westmoreland's game is a blend of two terrific collegiate point guards of the 1990s: NCAA tournament hero Tyus Edney of UCLA and Dajuan Wheat of Louisville. Westmoreland obviously doesn't know too much about those two smallish point guards, but he has a great mentor and is a student of the game.

He is the apprentice to high school teammate Ryan Beasley, a 2023 guard and one of the better returning players in California. Westmoreland told www.ebooksnet.com he's excited for his rapidly-approaching freshman season.

"I'm really looking forward to it, as I've been training hard with the team," Westmoreland said. "At this camp, I truly think I could have done more. If I could have got the ball a bit more, I would have got others involved more and it would make others look good and me look good.

"As far as who I emulate on offense, it's Kyrie Irving. Defensively, I really study what Kobe Bryant did. As far as mentally, I try to have that Kobe and Jordan mentality on the floor."

Some of the camp's other top true lead guards included 6-foot-1 2025 Nick Jefferson of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), 6-foot-2 2026 Julius Price of St. Joseph (Santa Maria, Calif.) and 6-foot-1 Zyon Harris of Clark (Las Vegas, Nev.).

Harris also falls into the category of players deserving to participate in one of the camp's two Cream of the Crop games who wasn't selected. Others in that group include 6-foot-3 2025 Austin Unegbu of Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), 6-foot-4 2027 Terrance Murphy Jr. of Antioch (Calif.), 6-foot 2025 Dominic Bolton of Laguna Hills (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and 6-foot-2 2026 James Carraway of Vanden (Fairfield, Calif.)

Some of the most productive players in camp which didn't fall into one of the above mentioned categories were a group of strong wing forwards who scored at will and were relentless in their offensive attack. Arguably the two most productive front court players in the entire camp (if you categorize Yessoufou as a big wing guard) were Simmons and 6-foot-6 2025 Kellen Hampton of Moreau Catholic (Hayward, Calif.). Simmons is a warrior around the basket and punishes defenders with his athleticism and frame, while Hampton has improved his ball skills and was the camp's second most prolific scoring threat. Three other front court players who stood out include 6-foot-7 2026 Brannon Martinsen of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 6-foot-8 2026 Maximus VanLaningham of Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) and 6-foot-5 2026 Andre Gomez of Grant (Portland, Ore.).

Some of the event's best long term prospects include Ariza (the son of former NBA forward and 2003 high school All-American Trevor Ariza?of L.A. Westchester), Varani, White and 6-foot-6 2026 Maximo Adams, a fast-twitch forward who should make an immediate impact at Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.).

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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