Matt Cross, Miami (Transfer): Cross showed promise playing at U of M, quickly registering his presence as the team’s best long distance shooter as a freshman and turning in a memorable 16 point performance in quality minutes against Louisville. Well traveled though he is (four high schools in four years), you can’t deny the product that the tough Massachusetts native brings to the floor. With a football player build and a presence on the glass, the versatile 6-foot-7 and 225-pound freshman transfer is a skilled and versatile piece with floor-spreading outside shooting capabilities. He led the team from beyond the arc, shooting it at a 40 percent clip. During a four star high school career in which he surfaced as a Top-100 recruit, Cross proved he can be a volume scorer (several games of 20+ points on 50 percent FG).
The wheels of wonder have began to turn, as some project the former Woodstock Academy (CT) forward will reunite with former teammate and likely All American former Tre Mitchell and former head coach Tony Bergeron (now an assistant under Matt McCall) at UMass. Of course, this is pure speculation as of right now. A bevy of other high major programs will likely be vying for Cross’ services.
Kale Stevenson, Independence–The 6-foot-2 point guard has an innate feel for how to make everyone around him better. He’s also a consistent threat scoring the ball at all three levels and a guy who will call his own number out and knock down that highly pressurized shot. He proved this during his prep year at Central Point (FL), when he bagged three consecutive 3-pointers in the game’s final minute to propel the team to an improbable upset victory over then No.5 national JUCO power Eastern Florida.
At Independence, Stevenson has come out of the gates as a lead guard with leadership qualities. Stevenson scored 17 points to go with a game-best four steals to help lead the program to a 79-69 victory over Jayhawk Conference foe Barton Community College. He shot 5-for-11 from the field and went 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Stevenson is currently leading the team with 5.7 assists, creating a stabilizing tandem with 6-foot-7 wing Tim Dalger, who is flushed into a prominent role and put together a 28-point (on 13 shot attempts), 11 rebound performance in the win over Barton.
Jaeden Zackery, Chipola College
The well-built, highly skilled Wisconsin point guard has an offer from North Texas on the table and several mid major colleges in active pursuit. The Westosha Player of the Decade is averaging 11.4 points and shooting it at 58 percent clip through the JUCO national power’s first four games, with a 13-point, four-assists and three-steals performance during a recent 81-58 throttling of South Georgia Technical College.
A calming influence with the ball in his hands, Zackery also got to the line early and often with 8-for-10 from charity during the team’s recent 81-71 victory over State College of Florida.
Simply put, Zackery was the driving force for an offensive machine that scored 120+ points in multiple games. The bullish 6-foot-3 guard’s purity of vision enabled Scotland’s deep roster to get shots and open looks, en route to a 40-4 campaign.
Zackery, who was overlooked and severely under recruited out of high school, garnered some national visibility in his prep year. He averaged 14.4 points, 6.6 assists, and shot 45 percent from beyond the arc. Zackery was able to produce on the biggest stages, including the prestigious national championships in Connecticut.
Zackery is the quintessential low maintenance, high results recruit. He’s a volume scorer, routinely scoring double figures without requiring a lot of shots.
Touko Tainamo, DME Academy–The Finnish forward is averaging 17 points and 11 boards for the national team at DME Academy, registering his presence as a highly skilled double double threat with an imposing two-way style. A bit more athletic than credited for, Tainamo is adept at carving his way to the lane and finishing above the rim with either hand.
The 6-foot-8, 215-pound combination forward has shown this throughout the season, most notably with an eye-widening 35-point, 15-rebound performance over CPCA during the Beach and Ball Showcase at DME’s home court in Daytona Beach. He’s a stretch four, jack of all trades type at the next level of play.
A floor-spreader and deadeye 3-point shooter, Tainamo brings a European forward’s game with his ability to hit 3-pointers in succession and pile up points in a hurry. He’s a proficient scorer around the rim, with a knack for finishing reverse layups and also getting defenders/rim protectors to bite on his fakes.
He never forces anything and knows how to read and dissect a defense. The result has been a two-man foundation alongside athletic and underrated three-star wing Jermonte Hill. The two have led by example for this DME team, which has rolled out to a 10-2 record and overcome several teams with more star power and depth.
While he’s currently entertaining interest from Florida Atlantic, Stetson, and a barrage of Division-IIs who have offered, Tainamo’s blend of size, skill and academics are best suited for an Ivy or Patriot league program. Dartmouth College is currently expressing interest and others will likely follow suit. Tainamo holds a 4.0 Grade Point Average, having performed at the highest level academically in his age group in Finland.
Jaxon Koroll, LUHI—At 6-foot-11 and 230 pounds and a monstrous 7-foot-2 wingspan, Koroll would give SJU that rim protecting presence and key interior cog who can operate in the low post. Koroll, who recently picked up his first high major offer this month, thrives in the traditional big man categories. He’s a reliable rebounder who knows how to post up and score it at point-blank inside. He’s also a fluid athlete who blocks, manipulates, and alters the trajectory of shots in the post.
Silas Sunday, OSL: As an imposing space eating presence at 7-foot and what looks to be a more svelte 270 pounds, Silas Sunday turned in an efficient account of himself with a 44-point scoring barrage in Our Savior Lutheran’s 99-86 win over California-based SCIOS (Social Institute Of Sport) during the Grind Session last week.
In what appears to be a coming out party for the hulking mountain man, Silas added 17 rebounds and was an overpowering and overwhelming presence. He shot it at a 21-for-28 clip, making a claim for more looks in the post. Having improved incrementally with his low post scoring and catch and post game, Sunday has the potential to be an enticing recruit at the high major level.
Shawn Fulcher, Xavierian
The 6-foot guard is smooth, knows how to play with the changing of the speeds, and is tremendous in transition. Fulcher’s purity of vision and on-court awareness are aspects that enable him to make heads up, high IQ plays and also dish out that fireball assist.
Fulcher gets downhill with ease, is a skilled drive and kick creator, and is one of the best in the state at scoring on the drive. Fulcher has an advanced skill set with the ball in his hands, creating space for himself and dissecting defenses with a steady mid range pull up from the elbow.
Fulcher currently holds scholarship offers from Manhattan, Marist, St. Peter’s, Rutgers, Stetson, and Winthrop. With the confidence and wow factor of a quintessential New York City point guard with his handle and his ability to pick apart a defense, Fulcher’s stock should rise regardless of whether or not there is a season and how it plays out.
Julian McGowan, First State Collegiate Preparatory–The big 6-foot-6 brings a unique skill set which aligns with today’s college game and all that is prioritized by coaches. He’s a bouncy finisher who gets above the rim early and often, displaying a 30+ inch vertical.
As a bigger point guard, he is a sheer mismatch who knows how to get everyone around him involved and make others the beneficiaries of his presence. Beyond his passing arsenal, McGowan is a mid range shot maker who can elude defenders with a quick first step.
Helping accelerate his production rate at the 76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington, De. has been former UMass guard Maurice Maxwell, who played at now defunct Lutheran Christian Academy in Philadelphia.
Maxwell has been instrumental in helping McGowan develop the ball skills necessary to run an uptempo offense.
Brandon Downs, Coldwater (MI): Following a monstrous summer in which he played on some elevated stages, Downs enters his anticipated junior season with the chance to ascend the state rankings considerably.
A hot shooting guard with a fluid mid range jumper and the ability to heat it up from downtown, Downs has undergone a metamorphosis that’s allowed him to improve in all facets of his game. He’s embraced the quarterback role, seeing the floor and creating and making those around him beneficiaries of his presence.
As a combo guard, he’s developed ball on a string handle and the ability to playmake in transition and the half court sense. Becoming quicker and also becoming a better defender on the ball, he’s developed an adeptness at pickpocketing guards and converting them into transition leakout buckets. He’s also increased his awareness and IQ, having a hand in the offensive output and getting stops on the other side of the court.
Downs holds a 3.5 GPA and exhibits leadership qualities on and off the court, aspects which make him attractive to college coaches at this early phases of his recruitment.
Tay Williams, Polk State—The 6-foot-8, 195-pound forward is an under the radar talent with a toolset that aligns with today’s NCAA Division-1 game. A vertically explosive, above the rim finisher, Williams is extravagant in the open floor and finishes with ease. He’s instinctive defensively, capable of interrupting the passing lanes and turning in the type of plays only a special breed of athletes are capable of.
Williams is a surgical passer, playing with his eyes perpetually up and capable of firing that quarterback to wide receiver pass from baseline to baseline. Williams is an elite level passer at his size. He additionally brings wingspan, toughness, and a multi positional defensive aptitude. He’s an equally tough threat with his outside shooting presence.
Ian Jackson, Cardinal Hayes: The 6-foot-5 guard/wing has a game that is already being pegged as high major, even as he registers his presence as a high flying scorer in the 2024 class. Jackson’s length, athleticism, and ability to levitate above the rim and finish are noteworthy aspects of his game. He’s got an advanced scoring arsenal for his age, with the ability to unfurl stepbacks and create openings for his shot. Mobile and long, Jackson has a tremendous future ahead of him.
TJ Lamb, Central Pointe Christian Academy–With so much emphasis on recruiting ready-made guys and transfers who have experience at the Division-I level and JUCO level, Lamb is the quintessential “safe bet” prep recruit because of his college-ready build and multi-positional style.
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Lamb brings a Ron Artest-style build that enables him to knife his way to the rim early and often and absorb the contact. He’s shown a catch-and-post aptitude and the ability to score it through the rim protecting trees in the post. A reliable shooter from 12-15 feet out who can surely extend his range beyond the 3-point line, Lamb brings a lost art in today’s game with his knack for the mid range jumper.
Lamb has been taken for granted on the defensive glass, where he’s able to snare rebounds over bigger players and kick-start the breakneck transition attack. His work in the weight room and time management concepts make him a safe bet to transition to the collegiate level. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to outwork him, and that penchant for the unrequired work has translated into a guard/forward who is capable of defending nearly every position on the floor for CPCA.
A full qualifier, Lamb’s imposing size and skill set allows him to overcome some of the challenges many prep and high skill kids face with having to get bigger and tougher while competing with ready made JUCO and Division-I transfers.
Chris Rotiroti, Hastings: Midway through last season, veteran NYC and Westchester County head coach Bob Delle Bovi called the 2021 Rotiroti the best point guard in Section 1. His words proved prophetic as the dish first 6-foot-1 facilitator spearheaded Hastings to its first Sectional title since 1999, when then-forward Farid Johnson put the tiny school on the New York State map.
Rotiroti’s hounding defense is a staple in Delle Bovi’s system, which involves pressure all across the court. As the team’s dogged defender and spirit of the on-ball pressure, Rotiroti brings a level of toughness on both sides of the floor. A true point guard who plays with his eyes perpetually up, Rotiroti made everyone around him better.
Assuming there will be a season to be played, Rotiroti will look to add to his All Stats pedigree. Delle Bovi has repeatedly called him the best point guard in Section 1 and the veteran coach’s words proved prophetic as Rotiroti steered Hastings to a Sectional title, levitating his play on bigger stages and during marquee matchups.
He’s a well built guard who makes sound plays and knows how to attack the rim and finish through contact.
Josh Thigpen, Hastings–The smooth 6-foot-1 guard has been a lethal scorer since he was a freshman thrust into meaningful varsity minutes. He’s had games where he’s hit four consecutive three-pointers and engineered scoring sprees and authored personal 7-0 runs.
He brings bouncy athleticism and an advanced level scoring between a defender and the basket. With a quick first step and a knack for getting out into the open court and finishing, Thigpen has a chance to cement his legacy as one of the school’s best ever scorers.
Jordan Johnson, Brooklyn Law & Tech—Bolt-quick and capable of spurring scoring runs with his shooting and ability to knife his way to the rim, Johnson inherits a leadership role for the Jets this season. Johnson brings a veteran presence and the type of ball control leadership qualities necessary for a youth laden team. He knows how to ramp up the tempo and feed guys at opportune times. A hard attacking point guard, Johnson’s explosiveness is perhaps the most underrated quality of his game.
