By: Cooper Hart
FBP Elite Dave 2027 has a roster loaded with versatile combo guards and big wings. They have good positional size and tons of variety throughout the roster. The roster is constructed without much of a true big and more centered around rotatable pieces that can flow between roles. Between guys like Juel Tillery, Isaiah Robinson, and Terris Hobbs (along with 3-4 others in the same mold) this team has multiple future pass/dribble/shoot wings that should be an incredibly exciting watch in the high school age circuits for years to come.
2026 Dan Lanning (Pro One Select TN/Farragut) was incredible at moving off the ball and finding space for his shot. It's not often that players this early into their careers are this good at a certain micro skill, but Lanning has mastered the relocation three. Every time he gives the ball up, he's immediately shuffling his feet and dropping his hips, anticipating the boomerang pass. It's not something that's going to shoot him up rankings or start racking up offers by any means but it's something that a lot of young players lack, and it was refreshing to see such a small and mature skill in a 2026.
2025 Gordie Balas (Durham Hurricanes/Sanderson) showed off a really impressive passing feel, especially for someone that traditionally plays the wing. He ran point for the Hurricanes and handled pressure well, often being able to beat his man and capitalizing on the advantage when attacking the help. His use of timing, angles, and his eyes made it impossible to tell what he was going to do next, and he was able to fit passes into tight windows and/or throw teammates open. The next development in his game is his shot creation, something that flashed on Saturday as he got to his spots with efficiency and comfort. He wasn't knocking everything down but his poise and control while shooting tough fadeaways, pull ups, and floaters was encouraging.
2026 Josh Hines (CC Elite/Myers Park) has incredible versatility and physicality for his position. Hines is as strong and athletic as most anyone in the 15u division and understands how to use that to his advantage. He's a capable dribbler, shooter, and passer that likes to get downhill and finish through contact. The best part about his game in my eyes is his defensive versatility as he can guard 1-5 at the 15u level. Great instincts and motor as well.
It was a fantastic weekend for teams with balanced and unselfish attacks, resulting in multiple division wins and plenty of winning records. While there's over a dozen teams you could talk about when talking about balanced production, the trend of more and more (winning) teams turning away from the usual 1-2 guys carrying the load can't be ignored. The formula is having a disciplined and smart roster (usually 4-6 guys that could lead you in scoring) where each player is in search of the team's best shot as opposed to their own. There can be star players within that system, think Jack Siegel (CC Elite 15u) or Will James Jr. (Strong Center 16u), but they must be the kind of stars that don't force their action and instead get it within the flow of offense. Stars that are actively seeking out their teammates and play quality basketball are starting to pop up more and more, especially amongst the younger divisions. BSA Supreme is THE example of this brand of basketball in the state (and the country). While they have plenty of star players, they don't have any single guy that they live or die with. They have 6-8 players that can lead them in scoring, and they lean into that unique strength. Programs like BSA Supreme CC Elite, Carolina Riptide, Strong Center, PSB Elite, NC Spartans (among a handful of others) are going to have teams rethinking how to go about roster construction in the future thanks to the success of at least one of their squads.