TULSA, Okla. – The only live evaluation weekend of the spring came to a close on Sunday and once again 247Sports was on hand at the Tulsa Expo Center for the PRO16/NXTPRO event. For the second day in a row a nice mix of known prospects and those playing their way onto the radar were making things happen.
We wrap up our coverage from the Sooner State with these notes.
WILLIS SHOWS FIVE-STAR STUFF
Evan Willis (Photo: Courtesy of PRO16/NXTPRO)
We've already had the opportunity to see Evan Willis of BTI United a handful of times this spring. The No. 7 ranked player in the class of 2028, Willis is a bouncy and versatile forward who oozes upside. However, at times he hasn't always been involved on the offensive end and because of that his effort and ability to impact the game has suffered.
On Sunday, the five-star prospect took things into his own hands and showed why he's so highly regarded. He did so by ramping up the energy and turning into an absolute menace on the defensive end. There can't be many better athletes in his class, or any, and he really used that to his advantage. He's highly switchable because he can move his feet and then his ability to explode off the floor, length and instincts make him a big time shot blocker for a wing. Offensively he attacked when he could, hit a nice looking three and even though there were no official stats available, we wouldn't be surprised if he had a triple double of points, rebounds and blocks.
In many regards, he reminds us an awful lot of Carter Bryant at the same stage, especially physically.
From our vantage point, we spotted head coaches from Baylor, Miami and Texas peeking in on him along with assistants from Georgia, Kansas, Louisville, Oklahoma and Washington just to name a few.
RACHAL EMERGES AS MAJOR SLEEPER
King Rachal (Photo: Courtesy of PRO16/NXTPRO)
Before the weekend started, we were given a heads up to check in on King Rachal of Team CPSA. That tip proved to be a good one as the class of 2027 wing looks to be a major sleeper who has a chance to take the Pro 16 circuit by storm this summer.
Physically, Rachal has exactly what you are looking for in a wing. He's 6-foot-7, has long arms and a frame that easily carry more muscle once he hits a college weight room. He can really move his feet laterally, is explosive off the floor and he can move fluidly in transition. Offensively, he is a very dangerous shooter from three and isn't afraid to throw his body into a crowded lane and absorb some contact. Realistically, he's probably more of a combo forward at this stage but his jump shooting and ability to move scream future 3 and D wing.
San Diego State, SMU, Stanford, Texas, Virginia Tech and UCLA are among those to make contact since he finished up play on Sunday and he added his first scholarship offer from Grand Canyon on Monday.
DADA ON VERGE OF PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
London Dada (Photo: Courtesy of PRO16/NXTPRO)
We didn't get to watch London Dada of Nebraska Supreme for quite as long as we had hoped to. That being said, we saw exactly what we were hoping to see while we did watch.
Dada is a slender 6-foot-7 wing who we would still classify as a long-term stock. He's got great positional size, good feel, is a fluid mover and shows serious potential as a jump shooter. He has good instincts overall and because of his size ends up corralling a fair number of rebounds. However, he's not yet the most physical of players and he's still a bit passive at times where we'd love to see him assert his will and dominate.
But he does look to have made some positive strides over the last year and he's got so many attributes that are projectable for the next level that he's a guy we'll want to keep close tabs on over the coming months. He landed an offer from Texas Tech over the weekend go with offers he already had from programs like hometown Creighton, Iowa, Kansas State and Nebraska.
FINAL NOTES FROM TULSA
Bamba Touray (Photo: Courtesy of PRO16/NXTPRO)
The No. 5 ranked player in the class of 2028, Bamba Touray looked like a man among boys playing 16U for Tre Mann Elite. A mobile seven-footer with tremendous length and a good frame to build on, it's impossible not to notice his physical gifts. He's not super bouncy, but he's plenty good vertically and what's more important is that he moves well laterally, can really run and he's actually starting to develop some nice feel as a scorer and a guy who can find open teammates when he's double teamed in the low post.
Five-star point guard Reese Alston of Cooz Elite was once again doing some nice things and drew Sean Miller, Jai Lucas and Scott Drew to watch him play. But teammate Brodrick Wyatt also deserves some serious love for his play over the weekend. Built like a linebacker, Wyatt does a little bit of everything for his team and is really productive. He'll knock down shots from deep, he will get on the glass, he will compete defensively and he'll use his strength to power his way to the win. He's one of those kids whose effort and all-around contributions to winning are impossible to ignore. He's got offers from Jackson State and Texas Southern and deserves more. There's an awful lot of mid to upper mid major programs in Texas and nearby states he could help.
We didn't get to watch a ton of 16U ball, but Dakari Mitchell of Team CPSA certainly caught our attention. A 6-foot-10 center from Oregon, it's all about where Mitchell can be a few years ago. Right now he's on the skinny side but he can really run, he alters shots at the rim, he can catch and he plays with a motor. Young bigs with those traits and the type of frame that Mitchell has are pretty easy to project as high major prospects. He'll need a little time to develop, but the tools are pretty obvious and his energy and presence led to a lot of positive things for his team in a comeback win over Sipp United 16's.
He is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential, but 6-foot-7 wing Amani Byrd of the Kentucky Basketball Club is definitely somebody we'll want to see in the summer. He is long, he can move and man oh man is he a bouncy finisher at the cup. Add in that he can make a catch and shoot three, he's the kind of kid that could go from prospect to player in a real hurry as he adds a little strength and confidence.
Idaho based Select Basketball is always a fun team to watch. They compete, they execute and they put together a good collection of talent from the Northwest. On Sunday, we loved the effort of 6-foot-7 forward Jordan Carlson. The Gatorade player of the year in Idaho as a junior, he's a guy who wants to get spotted up for open jumpers, but he still plays with toughness and doesn't' neglect attacking the paint. The sheer size and athleticism of Team New England made things difficult for him at times as a finisher, but he kept going right at them and did some positive things.
Another 2028 who caught our attention on Sunday was 6-foot-1 point guard Christian Clair of Sipp United 16's. A southpaw from New Orleans, Clair has some juice in his first step and some real wiggle in his game off the dribble. He showed that he can get paint touches almost anytime he wants, he finished at different angles and he knocked down enough jumpers to keep defenses from playing too far off of him to stifle his drives. He is a bit left hand dominant (even when he drives right, he almost always gets back left) but that's not unusual for a rising junior and he's got plenty of time to improve his off hand. Bottom line is that he's a nice-looking prospect.
To close things out, we want to mention a player that we should have gotten to during Saturday's coverage. 6-foot-1 point guard Jayden Hopkins of Southern Ties. A product of Norman (Okla.) Terra Verde, Hopkins is among the most explosive guards we've seen all spring when it comes to speed and ability to get to the rim with the ball in his hands. He is in attack mode at all times, will get downhill any opportunity he gets and he's a more than willing and capable pull up jump shooter. Now, that style can lead to him being a little out of control and maybe taking some questionable shots at times. But you have to love a kid who brings energy like he does.