Note: All rankings used in this story are via the 247Sports Composite.
After a day off, I'm back reporting from Blake Arena for the final set of Hoophall Classic games. With four of the five games on Monday in front of a nationally televised audience, organizers needed to deliver with big-time matchups, and that they did. Here's what I saw:
Game 1: The Newman School 67-Southeastern Prep 60
The highly touted Southeastern Prep – featuring both the #1 and #2 juniors – fell in a major upset to the Massachusetts-based prep squad.
Let's start off with the player currently on top of the 2027 class: CJ Rosser (#1 JR). In the first half, it was tough for the forward to get going, even though he was generating good looks with his length and first step. Once the second half hit, he picked up his play, making the same looks he was missing earlier.
Rosser has a really good multi-level scoring game. He generates most looks individually off spot-ups, either blowing by guys with his first step or using his quick release to generate open threes. Through this all, he's not the high-usage player that most top recruits are, as he did well to get his buckets while getting teammates involved. To be fair, most top recruits don't have the pedigree of talent surrounding them as Rosser does.
I'm sure Obinna Ekezie Jr. (#2 JR) will have great games and accrue plenty of top offers, but none of those will come from his showing in Springfield. The top center finished with 1 point (0-1 FG) and 6 rebounds. Even in the facets that don't show up on the stat sheet, the big man struggled, getting beaten easily off the block on defense while refusing to impose his will on offense. I'm sure there are better performances ahead for him this season, but he'll need to perform much, much better in Springfield next year to match his ranking.
Toni Bryant (#21 SR/Missouri) put up 11 for Southeastern inside the arc, using his size to do what Ekezie Jr. couldn't. He has an old-school scoring game on offense while being comfortable handling the ball on the perimeter. On defense, he has good rim presence and multi-positional versatility. If he puts on just a little muscle to handle SEC bigs, he'll be a reliable two-way forward for the Tigers, making up a great inside-out game with Jason Crowe Jr. Beckham Black (#13 JR) was a guard I enjoyed watching, a perimeter-oriented playmaker who knows when to hunt for his own shot while also constantly scanning for open teammates.
Quinn Costello (#39 SR/Michigan) had a rough offensive game, finishing with 7 points on 2-of-11 shooting. The future Wolverine looked comfortable with the ball in his hands and got some great looks from deep, but he just couldn't hit anything on this day. I was satisfied with his defense, though, as he played tough both inside and on the perimeter against some of the best prospects in the nation. He's got good instincts and positioning on that end.
Lucas Morillo (#51 SR/Illinois) was a dynamic do-it-all wing, filling up the stat sheet with contributions on both ends. He's attack-minded with the ball in his hands, and while his layup/floater game didn't result in many made shots, it did get him 12 tries at the free throw line. I thought Louis O'Keefe (#316 SR/Princeton) played above his billing, a lead guard with high IQ and a nose for the rim. Surprisingly, nobody listed here won Player of the Game, as that went to unranked junior Preston Bollin. He finished with 16 points (4-of-4 3PT), showcasing a great shot and a hard-nosed mindset. His athleticism isn't at a high-major level, but he has good intangibles that try to make up for it.
Game 2: Dynamic Prep 78-Prolific Prep 66
Similar to a couple games over these past couple days, there was an embarrassment of talent on the court in this one. Dynamic Prep fell into a deficit in the first half before pulling away late to win by 12. Let's get into the prospects.
Of everyone playing, I was most impressed with Caleb Holt (#3 SR), one of the top uncommitted prospects left. Holt is a hard-nosed combo guard that shows up everywhere on the court. With the ball in his hands, he's scoring-oriented, mixing in attacks with a consistent shot. On both ends, you could argue his best trait is his lane recognition, as he attacked at the right angles on offense while picking off multiple passes on defense. He's also more than willing to pick up for 94 feet. Whoever snags him is getting a game-changer.
Bruce Branch III (#6 SR) is following his teammate's wave by also remaining uncommitted, and he put in a solid 18-point, 6-rebound and 3-assist performance. He's a physical wing with true multi-level scoring ability, relying on a good spot-up game. On defense, he did a great job fighting through screens, and he also has an unselfish mindset that's uncommon with guys of his pedigree.
The supporting cast of this Prolific lineup made varied impressions on me. Nasir Anderson (#7 JR) is an extremely crafty guard who felt like he used a new move with every drive, but his finishing didn't match. He's still a good table-setter with solid, aggressive defense. Davion Adkins (#31 SR/Kansas) is a 4 with good paint scoring and defensive intangibles. Alex Smith (#144 SR/Ohio State) helped out a bit on the perimeter, but his defense was downright awful: he couldn't stick in isolation and he got caught ball-watching multiple times.
Dynamic Prep's top player coming in was Marcus Spears Jr. (#3 JR), who put in a solid 10-point performance in front of his father. He's a rangy wing that can get downhill with ease, showing off great bounce and finishing. He also impressed with his ability to sneak his way into plays, finding the right spot on the floor to make a big rebound or deflection. As a two-way slasher, he should have no issues at the next level.
On this day, he was outplayed by DaKari Spear (#69 SR/Texas Tech), a 6-foot-5 guard who scored from all over the court. He'll fit right into a great Red Raiders offense with that blend of athletic finishing and perimeter scoring, although Grant McCasland might need to limit his willingness to get out and play fast.
Seven Spurlock (#216 SR/Arizona State) also showed off a versatile scoring game, getting to the rack pretty easily on some good Prolific defenders. Him and Spear were both pretty ball-dominant, so I don't think their game will immediately translate in the Big 12, but I have faith that their scoring will show up eventually.
The player giving these guys opportunities was Austin Goosby (#25 SR/Texas), a multi-faceted 2-guard who stuffed the stat sheet here. I liked Goosby's vision and his ability to make some tough reads, and the guard has good scoring instincts to match. His defensive game is still developing, but he held up here on the perimeter. Elton Smith is an uncommitted senior who found a way to make an impact for Dynamic, and he's somebody that I believe deserves some sort of number next to his name. He brings a junkyard dog intensity onto the court, battling for loose balls, getting in ballhandlers' grills and powering through defenders in the post.
Game 3: Paul VI 75-Phoenix St. Mary's 69
Just like the Notre Dame/Inglewood game I was at on Saturday. this matchup was put together because of two players. Jordan Smith (#2 SR) led Paul VI to a win after Phoenix St. Mary's – led by Cameron Williams (#4 SR/Duke) – made a game of things in the third quarter.
Smith played to his scouting report, finishing with 32 off a bevy of mid-range and paint looks. When he got the ball, it felt like an inevitability that he was going to shoot either a pull-up jumper, a post fade or a layup, and his success in those realms made that perfectly okay.
He brings a fluidity to his game that's extremely rare amongst high schoolers, working in isolation with a tight handle and extreme confidence. He's unafraid to body up on both ends with his college-ready frame. I was not expecting him to be as good a passer as he was, as he racked up 8 assists with good recognition of where defenders would be. On defense, his recognition remained, jumping into lanes when necessary and sticking with players who tried to get by him.
As someone who had never seen Williams play, the best word I could use to describe his playstyle is cerebral. With an extremely lanky build similar to Kevin Durant's, the 7-footer played like him, mainly utilizing post work while mixing in threes and fastbreak finishing. I never felt like he didn't know what to do with the ball in his hands, as he got himself free even when double-teams and traps arrived. There were some moments where I thought he should've been more selfish, giving the ball up when he had an obvious advantage, but that's a very minor knock.
I should take a moment to shoutout some other members of these teams too. For Paul VI, point guard Lawrence Brown Jr. (Florida Gulf Coast) was a dynamic slasher who should be a nice tool in the Eagles' offense. Brian Mitchell Jr. (#111 JR) faded a bit in the second half, but he's a solid 3-and-D wing who doggedly marked Williams. For Phoenix St. Mary's, Mick Riordan is a junior with a great shot who converted both open and contested threes.
Game 4: St. John Bosco 65-Columbus 56
Notes on Columbus players can also be found in my Day 3 (Evening) notebook.
It was an 0-2 weekend for Columbus against the state of California, as St. John Bosco followed in the footsteps of Sierra Canyon by beating the Florida school by 9.
St. John Bosco was led by Christian Collins (#10 SR), another top uncommitted senior playing on this day. Collins did the lion's share of work for this team, finishing with 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting and 9 rebounds.
I enjoyed his game, as he's a lanky wing who's more of a perimeter threat than the other wings in this class. From the jump, it was clear he was hunting for three-pointers, and he did a good job freeing himself up with both off-ball movement and individual creation. He can also attack the rim well, and he found good positioning often on the boards. He's comfortable with the ball in his hands, but he definitely is best suited as an off-ball threat.
There's not too much to speak of with the non-Collins members of St. John's Bosco. Unsigned senior Max Ellis has good range. As a 7-foot starter, I was intrigued by senior Howie Wu, but his movement was too lumbered and he never used his size well enough to make me believe he could be a Division I contributor.
Caleb Gaskins (#16 SR/Miami (FL)) got himself into foul trouble early, but the future Hurricane still managed to put up 16 points. He brought similar physicality to what I saw on Saturday, but he added a little more flair to his game with a couple crafty finishes. His brother Caydin Gaskins continued to show why he should be a top 2029 prospect, scoring 6 early points off of strong back-to-the-basket play.
It felt like the roles of Felipe Quinones (#88 SR/Florida Atlantic) and Cello Jackson (#123 SR/Memphis) swapped in this one, as Quinones played more on-ball than I remember against Sierra Canyon while Jackson played more off-ball. Both were up-and-down, but did some good things: Quinones with his spot-up shooting and vision, Jackson with his slashing and aggressive defense.
Game 5: Spire Academy 60-Brewster Academy 47
The final game of this event was an EYBL Scholastic affair chock-full of talent. Let's dive in.
It's worth starting off with the two players that combined for 35 of Brewster's 47 points, guards Michai White (#17 SO) and Antonio Pemberton (#56 JR). There are similarities in their playstyles – mainly their success at the rim and fast-twitch movements – but there are also differences.
White looked solid on defense, showing great anticipation and lateral quickness. As a two-way playmaker with a very tight handle and the ability to score in bunches, he's going to command high value in the 2028 class. Pemberton, on the other hand, is one of the most patient high school guards I've ever seen, letting plays develop and waiting for the right action to come to him. He has good finishing, but he also relies on a killer mid-range game to score.
Spire got some good contributions from Aiden Derkack (#75 SR/Providence) on this day, as the 6-foot-7 wing plays a lot like his older brother. He's a multi-level scorer who's very crafty at the rim and gives 100% on both ends. I think he'll fit into Providence's culture very well.
Derkack had a pair of guards to play off of in King Gibson (#11 JR) and Darrell Davis (#82 JR). This duo is a little more diverse than White and Pemberton, although both are great at breaking down defenders off the dribble. Davis is more of an initiator/passer, getting most of his work done outside of scoring. He has quick hands and good vision. Gibson is the more dynamic scorer of the two, utilizing his athletic gifts to glide to the rim when the ball's in his hands. If the lane's cut off, he's more than comfortable hitting shots from deep.
Dorian Rinaldo-Komlan (#154 SR/Iowa State) didn't do much on offense but is a super versatile defender, even hopping out to stick with Brewster's guards on occasion. That sounds like a good piece for the Cyclones to me. Tarris Bouie (#55 SR/Alabama) is a lanky wing who did not impress, showcasing some athleticism but not much else.
