2027 Alex Dauska (CC Elite)
In practically every area, Alex exceeds the expectations of a normal rising freshman. For his age, he has unmatched strength and build at the guard spot and is completely under control to put his tools to work. The moves he makes to score showcase not only his advanced skillset and strength, but also his feel and understanding of manipulating defense, passing and relocating or straight up carving out his own driving lanes. He can also deviate as a main decision maker and is a gifted passer with great fundamentals to ground his game. I’d expect him to be an immediate impact on varsity next year within whatever role he’s assigned.
2027 JJ Short (NC Rise)
Point guards have to lead and JJ has two main qualities that allow him to do that, consistency and wanting the ball in his hands. He has no problem handling pressure and is assertive as the main decision maker for this group, he sets everyone else up and they follow. I’ve said it before, but it’s hard to believe he’s only a rising freshman as his game is so well rounded and clearly identifiable. He has a lot of comfort making reads downhill and getting to his spots with the pullup. With 4 years ahead to develop at GDS, expect a lot when it comes to his ability down the road to manage games at a micro level.
2026 Lincoln Raper (Charlotte Nets)
Consistency gears guys for success and Lincoln is about as habitual as they come with his marksmanship and overall scoring prowess. You’d think with the numbers he puts up that he’s being really aggressive, but he’s so in touch with court awareness and is highly efficient. No matter the approach, he has the sound fundamentals and smooth skills to operate to fill it up with relative ease and not having to get a lot of touches or dribble the air out of the ball to do what he wants. It’s really exciting as a coach and fan to see a guy this calm and collected be a dynamic scorer.
2025 Jordan Barbier (CC Elite)
Out of any team, this CC Elite 2025 squad might be the most improved overall unit and Jordan is a big reason why. If you go through the list, feel, patience, court vision, handles, he has it all and packages it together to be a highly effective facilitator. Pick n roll, drive n kick, push aheads or dish offs, Jordan was showcasing the passing skillset and reads to set anyone up for good looks. The team also feeds well off his energy which he provides with a chip on his shoulder, and will chop it up defensively.
2026 Jonathan Slawson (Charleston Raptors)
I haven’t seen many teams as uniquely set up or as high energy as this Raptors group, and Slawson is a huge reason as to why everything works so well. It’s very clear with how he dictates the action that he cares about winning and nothing else. He manages and directs traffic, controls the chaos of their scrambling scrappy defense, and is as fierce of a competitor as you’ll find. His aggression is for winning plays and it’s easy to see his impact making others better without looking at the scoresheet, because you just can’t measure things there. You just have to love guys that don’t care about self credentials and work for the success of the team.