EYBL Las Vegas, Session 4: Top Prospects

The 2026 EYBL Session IV was held July 8–11 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, shortly after the U17 FIBA World Cup in Turkey, where Team USA took gold. While we’re getting these reports up a little later than usual, scouting reports aren’t breaking news, and the evaluations from the summer remain relevant as these prospects move forward in their development. The event brought together the nation’s top EYBL, EYCL, and Jr. EYBL programs for the final stretch of regular-season play before Nike Peach Jam. The session was headlined by a featured clash between the Florida Rebels and Team United and dominated for much of the week by Florida Rebels and Clearwater Calvary Christian (Fla.) star Cayden Daughtry, who led Session IV in scoring at 32.7 points per game. Team United brought its own star power in five-star Orlando Southeastern Prep guard CJ Rosser, while Vegas Elite countered with Compass Prep (Ariz.) standout DeMarcus Henry, with teams fighting for position on the final day as the top nine teams in each pool chased automatic Peach Jam bids. Drive Nation was notably without five-star Texas commit Marcus Spears Jr., who sat out the event after announcing his commitment. The highlight play of the event came from CP3’s Thomas Vickery, who came down the lane and threw down a dunk over the help-side outstretched arms of CJ Rosser, bringing the crowd to a standstill. Here are some of the standouts from Session IV.

U17 Standouts:

Cayden Daughtry – Florida Rebels – PG – 6’0 – Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, FL) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

Many argue that Cayden Daughtry is the most skilled player in high school basketball. He’s an excellent creator both for himself and his teammates and can play both on and off the ball. His natural growth from last season to this season in three-point efficiency and athleticism has made him an even more difficult player to guard. He stretched the floor like no one else at Session IV, creating opportunities for teammates to drive. Cayden has the ball on a string and can get to any spot on the floor when he wants to. If defenders overplay his shooting or try to bully him due to his wiry frame, he’ll show that he has excellent functional strength to go with his handles and ability to get downhill. Crafty around the basket, he finds ways to score or set up teammates despite his short stature. Cayden scored within the flow of the offense while setting teammates up beautifully for catch-and-shoot opportunities and lobs. What makes him even more intriguing as a prospect is his willingness and ability to play off the ball. He’s a deadly catch-and-shoot player who will cut to the basket to keep defenders honest or work off screens to create catch-and-shoot looks. A leader with a strong will to win, that mentality carries over defensively as well. He shows strong anticipation in the passing lanes, and when switched onto a bigger player, he’ll battle on the low block until the rotation comes to switch him off. However, at 5’11 barefoot, height is his biggest weakness as he moves up levels, and it’s difficult to dismiss that shortcoming given what we’ve seen from smaller guards at higher levels. In two years, he’s likely to measure around 6’1 in shoes, and that extra half-inch will help his draft stock. Offensively, he’s absolutely special, but how much he gives up on the other end during his one season in the NCAA will likely determine how high he can go. His performances here were even more impressive considering he was part of the gold-medal team in Turkey that Sunday and flew straight to Las Vegas to play again on Wednesday. He finally sat out the last game on Sunday.

Beckham Black – AB Elite – PG – 6’3 – Duncanville High School (Duncanville, TX) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

Beckham Black (pictured) is probably the best two-way point guard in the class of 2027. While he isn’t the shooter Cayden Daughtry is, he’s clearly the better defender. In his matchup against Team Why Not, he outplayed fellow Team USA FIBA U17 World Cup teammate NaVorro Bowman Jr., playing more efficiently and leading his team to victory. Offensively, he’s really good at getting downhill and finishing once he gets into the key, whether around the rim or with a floater. He’ll jab-step you to death out of the triple threat, has a little herky-jerky element to his game, and uses sharp angles on his first step to get downhill and touch the paint with ease. He has good vision and awareness of where his teammates are, and time and again found the open man in the corner off a drive-and-kick or a cutting teammate, often Steven McLeod, who, with his 7’0 wingspan, was able to finish strong off his passes. Black has a constant motor and moves well not just north-south but east-west as well. He’s also a threat on the offensive glass for a guard. He still has some work to do as an outside shooter but is effective in catch-and-shoot situations. Defensively, he’s physical and in the mix on every play. He rebounds well on that end to start the fast break and uses his defense to ignite the transition offense. Most importantly, he doesn’t take plays off defensively.

Lewis Uvwo – Nightrydas – C – 6’10 – Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, FL) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

Lewis Uvwo really helped himself this summer, putting himself in the conversation as one of the top NBA prospects in his class. His most translatable strength is on the defensive end, where he moves well laterally and possesses tremendous length, with a reported 7’7 wingspan and 9’3 standing reach. He’s an absolute rim protector who dissuades opponents from driving into the lane. He has strong hands to grab rebounds and wiry strength that shows up when necessary. For example, when a defender was being a little too aggressive with one of his guards, Uvwo set a pick and, as the defender came over it, subtly but forcefully put an elbow into his ribs as he rolled to the basket. He’s a strong lob threat with his huge wingspan and strong hands, and his two-handed flushes come with authority. He’s also coordinated enough in the air to finish reverse dunks in traffic. In the post, he’ll utilize a drop step and is a real menace on the offensive glass, going after his own misses and putting them back in. An added layer to his game that isn’t typical for players with his length is his catch-and-shoot ability, which keeps opponents honest rather than allowing them to sag too far into the key. Given space, he’ll knock down threes from the top of the key. There are still some limitations to his game, as he doesn’t yet have the handle to consistently create while facing up. But when the day comes for his pro interviews and background checks, he’s going to stand out with his engaging personality and positive attitude.

AJ Williams – Team CP3 – SF – 6’7 – Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, GA) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

When you first take a look at AJ, you notice his broad shoulders and strong frame. An athletically gifted player, he bullied opponents in Las Vegas to get to his spots offensively. Even in his matchup against DeMarcus Henry, he was able to play bully ball, backing defenders down and using his shoulder and forearm to create space, punishing anyone in his path. Combined with his strong handles for his size, that’s why many view him as the top prospect in the 2027 class. From beyond the arc in triple-threat situations, he often needed just one dribble and a forearm to create enough separation to knock down his mid-range jumper. His athleticism and strength also allow him to get to the offensive glass and play strong around the rim. He draws fouls with his physicality and pump fakes, which is a plus considering he’s a good free-throw shooter. He knocked down open threes in catch-and-shoot situations, flashing a nice stroke, and ran the lanes well on the fast break for strong one-handed flushes. Off the ball, while he showed good catch-and-shoot ability, he was a little stagnant in potential cutting opportunities. Defensively, he has the frame and ability to be a strong rebounder and help-side shot blocker, but he didn’t always have the impact his athleticism would suggest. He’s a surefire talent, but if he truly wants to be the top player in the 2028 NBA Draft, there are incoming NCAA freshmen this season, who won’t be draft-eligible until 2028, who are currently ahead of him in terms of impacting the game without the ball in their hands. That’s the area where progress is necessary for him to enter those conversations.

DeMarcus Henry – Vegas Elite – SF – 6’7 – AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, AZ) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

The versatile southpaw continues to show improvement from the perimeter. From out there, the forward creates scoring opportunities off the dribble and out of the pick-and-roll, with a sidestep three emerging as one of his go-to moves at this stage of his development. He’s also very adept when he gets downhill, finishing with a euro-step or using deceleration moves to avoid shot blockers. As he’s developed into more of a high-usage player, he’s increased his shot volume, which is great for his development, but there are times when he seems to settle for the outside shot. With that increased usage comes a need to create for others, and he still hasn’t developed into a great facilitator. In Las Vegas, he was often hunting his own shot while seldom setting up teammates. He remains an excellent offensive rebounder due to his strength, body control, physicality, and athleticism, and he scores proficiently around the basket. Defensively is where his potential versatility really shines, as he moves well laterally to guard smaller players while possessing the strength and length to defend bigger players in a small-ball lineup.

CJ Rosser – Team United – PF – 6’10 – Southeastern Preparatory Academy (Orlando, FL) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

CJ had some of the most explosive dunks in Las Vegas, finishing plays off lobs or on fast breaks with ferocious two-handed slams. He has some ability to put the ball on the floor from the wing for a player his size, particularly when limited to two dribbles or less, and will use shot fakes against tight closeouts to get downhill. He’ll make the occasional long-range shot to stretch the floor, and his form looks projectable. However, his shooting prowess and shot selection remain very much unproven, and a look at his free-throw and three-point percentages reinforces those concerns. Too often, he initiated the offense and took an ill-advised long-distance shot when teammates were open on the fast break, without passing or attempting to run the offense. Granted, this is an AAU environment, but given those shooting percentages and the fact that Team United wasn’t a playoff team despite him teaming with King Gibson over several seasons, there are legitimate questions about how much his performances on the EYBL circuit have impacted winning. Defensively, working mostly in a drop, his combination of size and athleticism alone made him a rim protector, while his length also allowed him to rack up deflections and steals.

Dooney Johnson – Team Herro – CG – 6’6 – Milwaukee Juneau (Milwaukee, WI) – Class of 2027 – Committed to Gonzaga

Dooney had a strong Las Vegas session, with his better games coming against City Rocks and Drive Nation. He has excellent size and frame for a combo guard and reminded me of Evan Turner, both physically and skill-wise. He has the handle to touch the paint and can finish plays with authority, as he did with a vicious one-handed dunk in the second half against Drive Nation. He’s a streaky outside shooter who can change the momentum of a game at any point. Even in his stronger games, his scoring came in spurts and was often predicated on whether his outside shot was falling. Continued growth in that area to lessen the cold streaks will be essential as he moves up levels. For Team Herro, he was often the lead guard and showed flashes of being able to run an offense, but much like his shooting, there were dry spells where the team struggled to generate easy scoring opportunities. His assist-to-turnover numbers suggest he’s probably better suited as a secondary guard than a primary one. Offensively, his length and athleticism also make him a true offensive-rebounding threat, and he showed strong footwork and balance to create scoring opportunities. Defensively, he has excellent size for a guard, allowing him to be highly switchable and defend positions 1 through 4 with some confidence.

Kager Knueppel – Team Herro – PF – 6’10 – Wisconsin Lutheran (Milwaukee, WI) – Class of 2027 – Committed to Duke

Kager is an absolute flamethrower from three. With his height, pedigree, and shooting stroke, the odds are high that he’ll make it to the top level. His ability to stretch the floor and quick release are already at a pro level. On the fast break, he runs the floor well and can finish with two-handed flushes. However, he isn’t the creator his older brother (Kon) is; he’s stiffer in the hips and lacks the handle his brother had at the same stage to consistently get to his spots. Kager is most comfortable in catch-and-shoot situations or using jab steps and one or two dribbles to create space for a jump shot. He’s very unlikely to touch the paint off the dribble at this stage. Defensively, his length is intriguing. He’s more athletic than his brother but lacks the strength and weight in his frame that his brother had at the same age. It remains questionable what kind of defensive impact he’ll have at the highest level, but his shot is already NBA-level.

Moussa Kamissoko – PSA Cardinals – SF – 6’8 – Long Island Lutheran (NY) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

Moussa Kamissoko, as a small forward, is an excellent creator on the fastbreak or in offensive-advantage situations. More than once he grabbed the defensive rebound, initiated the break, crossed someone over at midcourt, and spun below the elbow for a score at the rim. On the fastbreak or in 3-on-2 situations, Moussa flashed great decision-making and demonstrated being a very willing passer. He was very comfortable shooting from the wing in catch-and-shoot situations, and the mid-range elbow jumper looks like an area he can become extremely proficient in as he develops. However, he makes poorer decisions in structured half-court sets, because he’s so used to dribbling and isn’t as quick a processor from triple threat as he is on the move, which leads to some turnovers and stagnant offense. He has room to increase his offensive efficiency as a shooter, both from the line and beyond the arc. Defensively, he’s an excellent rebounder for his height and has enough length to cause deflections. While he has some functional strength, he can be caught off balance on both offense and defense, so some additional muscle to his frame would be helpful.

Caleb Ourigou – NY Rens – F/C – 6’10 – Overtime Elite (Cold Hearts) / Far Rockaway, NY – Class of 2026 (reclassified from 2027) – Committed to Arkansas

Caleb Ourigou reclassified to the class of 2026 to play immediately for Arkansas. In Las Vegas he had one of the more mature bodies on the floor: broad shoulders, a huge wingspan (7’3/7’4), and a filled-out frame that makes him physically ready for the rigors of the SEC. His strength is on the defensive end; he was the best big moving laterally that I saw in Las Vegas, and his length and agility let him cut off angles as a true asset. He’s a real rim protector with his length, and few opponents attempted to score on him inside. He pushed opponents out of the post with his lower-body strength and forced offensive players to pass back out or take uncomfortable shots. He has huge, strong hands that helped him on both the offensive and defensive glass. On offense he’s primarily a pick-and-dive guy who, because of his strong hands and athleticism, has an extended lob radius to finish plays with powerful alley-oops. The rest of his offensive game is rather raw. He showed some flashes of scoring top-of-the-key threes, but there’s some concern about how much that extends out as he moves up to the pro level. He isn’t a ball handler, nor would you want the offense to run through him.

Quick Hitters U17

Adan Diggs – Vegas Elite – SG – 6’4 – Millennium High School (Goodyear, AZ) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

On offense, Adan showed proficiency scoring in the mid-range (usually at the elbow) and was deadly on cuts and on the offensive glass in half-court sets. He’s a solid secondary distributor who tends to keep his turnovers down and find teammates when they’re open.

NaVorro Bowman Jr. – Team Why Not – PG – 6’3 – Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, CA) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

The most athletic, highly ranked point guard in the class. He can finish plays off like no other point guard. He was inefficient in the head-to-head matchup against Beckham Black and AB Elite, but turned it around the next game, going 4-for-5 from three and 12-for-15 overall from the field. He also tends to need more of a score-first mentality to be effective in games.

King Gibson – Team United – CG – 6’5 – SPIRE Academy (Geneva, OH) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

Made some strong cuts without the ball and has become very proficient in catch-and-shoot situations. Gets past the first defender with ease, but tends to take a lot of shots on the run between the free-throw line and the dotted line with mixed results. If he can clean that up a bit, his game will go up another level.

Abdul Malik Olajuwon – JL3 – SG – 6’4 – IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

First time down the court, he came down with a ferocious one-hand jam; showed some ability as a creator negotiating a pick-and-roll for an alley-oop pass to Ahmad Hudson. Has potential to impact games defensively with his athleticism and knack for deflections. Needs to keep developing as a shooter.

Paul Ater Maker Bol – Expressions Elite – F – 6’9 – Cats Academy – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

The lefty has intrigue due to his length and ability to shoot the ball. A true floor-spacer. who may never be an elite scorer but may be great in his role as he moves up levels.

King Kendrick – Team CP3 – PG – 6’1 – Combine Academy (Hickory, NC) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

A truly ambidextrous point guard with top-5% vertical ability. He’ll sneak in a dunk on you, similar to Darrell Armstrong, if you’re not paying attention. Has upside as a guard given his athleticism and willingness to pass and play full-court defense.

Josiah Nance – Vegas Elite – CG – 6’5 – Notre Dame High School (Sherman Oaks, CA) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

“JoJo” showed some things as a lead guard in Las Vegas: able to create for himself, score, and create for others. Has good size and strength for a combo guard.

Ahmad Hudson – JL3 – PF – 6’8 – Ruston High School (Ruston, LA) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

Ahmad is an excellent athlete who’s likely to end up playing tight end for a high-major SEC football program and play basketball for them in the offseason. He defends the paint, rebounds the ball, and had several windmill dunks on the fastbreak. He could do enough on the court to be an intriguing basketball prospect had he chosen that route, but at 6’8 would need to further develop his jump shot to spread the floor.

Jayon Connor – Team CP3 – PF – 6’7 – Forsyth Country Day School (Lewisville, NC) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

A versatile, athletic forward and excellent role player. Had some highlight-level dunks in Las Vegas and made enough catch-and-shoot outside shots to keep the defense honest. While he lacks the handles of a scorer, his motor and athleticism will make him a highly sought-after player at the college level.

Troy Fason Jr. – New York Rens – PG – 6’0 – DME Academy (Daytona Beach, FL) – Class of 2027 – Uncommitted

A gritty point guard who hit some big-time shots in Las Vegas, physical and competitive on defense despite his diminutive size. The type of lead guard the Big East relished having in the past.

U16 Standouts:

Benjamin Berrouet – AB Elite U16 – PF – 6’8 – Dynamic Prep (Irving, TX) – Class of 2028 – Uncommitted

Benjamin Berrouet was an offensive force at the U16 level for AB Elite. The duo of him and Darren Ford made for an extremely difficult combo to defend. His thick frame and physicality, combined with a soft shooting touch, is something very few players have at any level, let alone U16. In the post he loved to fake toward the middle and come back to the right side for a drop-step lay-in, bumping the defender with each move to destabilize them and create space near the basket. He’s extremely agile with good footwork around the basket to squeeze in shots. Even with his girth, he’s quick off his feet and usually first to the ball on the offensive glass, a true menace for an offensive-rebound flush, and a load as a finisher on the fastbreak. He brings the wood on screens, is quick to dive, and has a good catch radius. A solid but not freaky vertical leaper, he was blocked once at the rim. He’s very skilled on the perimeter for a forward, using jab steps in triple threat and comfortable as a ballhandler in the pick-and-roll. On one occasion, as the quarter was winding down, he hit a between-the-legs, crossover, NBA-range three. Defensively there were some real concerns, as he rarely had vision of both the ball and his man when his man didn’t have the ball, which caused issues on cuts and led to giving up offensive rebounds. In Las Vegas he was primarily playing drop coverage at the 4/5, and as he moves up he’s more likely to have to defend on the perimeter at the 3/4, an area of his game with room for major improvement given his agility and quickness. It just didn’t seem like he had the same defensive awareness and IQ that he has on offense.

Dylan Betts – Legynds U16 – C – 7’3 – IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) – Class of 2028 – Uncommitted

Dylan Betts’ physical traits are unquestionable. He’s a huge human being who’s well coordinated and an excellent mover up and down the court, as well as laterally. He has a good motor for his size and has gained considerable strength since the last time I saw him play live. He’d have an immediate impact at any level defensively just due to his sheer size and athletic makeup. Offensively he’s still a work in progress but has an instant impact around the rim and on the offensive glass. He showed he could absorb contact and finish strong. He also flashed some offensive punch as a trailer in a delayed fastbreak, coming down to the free-throw line extended or flashing all the way to the rim for a quick finish. His skills haven’t yet caught up to his measurables, but he’s a talent teams will continue to work with and monitor. Few players have his toolkit.

Mason Collins – Team CP3 U16 – SF – 6’6 – The Tatnall School (Wilmington, DE) – Class of 2028 – Uncommitted

The first thing that comes to mind when you watch Mason play is smooth and effortless. The lanky wing scores primarily from the mid-range but also has the handles to drive to the paint and finish and shoot efficiently from beyond the arc. In addition, he’s an ideal secondary playmaker as he created for others often while keeping his turnover numbers low. His length and size allowed him to get deflections and steals and also made him highly switchable. A good rebounder, his analytics should stand out should he keep this pace as he moves up to U17 given his ability to be a stat stuffer outside of scoring. A little bit on the lighter side adding a little more strength can only help as his body matures.

Bentley Lusakueno – Team CP3 U16 – PF – 6’9 – Woodward Academy (College Park, GA) – Class of 2028 – Uncommitted

Bentley is a lengthy athletically gifted forward who runs the floor on the fastbreak and is an explosive finisher. In half court sets he flashed some outside touch and has potential as a stretch four as he moves up levels. Defensively he was an excellent rim protector here and showed excellent agility both on the defensive and offensive end of the floor. Still has a very young body that has yet to fill out and has some work to do when he put the ball on the floor.

JJ Sati-Grier – Team Why Not U16 – PG – 6’0 – Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, CA) – Class of 2028 – Uncommitted

The diminutive point guard is a true floor general who loves to run a fast-break offense. In Las Vegas he touched the paint at will, scoring with a craftiness built on great deceleration, floaters, and using the rim as protection from defenders. He was excellent at penetrating and dishing, providing passes right in the shooter’s pocket. With the ball on a string, he has great vision in both half-court and full-court offense. Dangerous as a step-in shooter and in catch-and-shoot situations, he’s the player you want the ball in his hands to create for others. Excellent lob passer, both in transition and off pick-and-roll or dribble penetration. Defensively, he has great lateral quickness and can be a real pest disrupting opposing sets, which must remain his calling card given his lack of height and length. When switched onto bigger players in the post, he made it as difficult as possible to get the ball in.

U16 Quick Hitters

Jordan Mize – NW Rotary Rebels U16 – CG – 6’5 – Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA) – Class of 2028 – Uncommitted

Jordan Mize is what today’s analytics look in an offensive player, as an athletic finisher and a proficient catch and shoot three-point shooter. He did both in Las Vegas.

Trey Edwards – Houston Hoops U16 – SG – 6’4 – Brewster Academy (Melissa, TX) – Class of 2028 – Uncommitted

Trey displayed his ability as a three-level scorer, getting to the paint and self-creating from the outside where he was particularly proficient as a long distance scorer in Las Vegas, but also was remarkable with his high energy and constant fight for the ball.

Houston Rolle – Team Why Not U16 – SG – 6’5 – Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, CA) – Class of 2028 – Uncommitted

Versatile, athletic wing who had some strong finishes and showed a feathery touch in catch-and-shoot situations at Session IV. Had a particularly strong game against Drive Nation, scoring 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting.

Darren Ford – AB Elite U16 – CG – 6’4 – AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, AZ) – Class of 2028 – Uncommitted

The right-hander is a great self-creator with a thick body that helps him get downhill, create space at the rim, and/or draw contact fouls. He has a soft touch and likes the left side/top-of-the-key three. Still developing as a point guard who can run the offense and be the primary table-setter for teammates.