KANSAS CITY, Kans. – Through the years, the annual Crossroads Elite Invitational has become an increasingly important stop on the scouting trail. One of the top underclassmen exposure events in the country, Crossroads provides an opportunity for rising juniors, sophomores and freshmen to compete against players from around the country and potentially put themselves on the map.
While each year features some players who have already established a national reputation, the real value from 247Sports perspective is that we can do some serious one-stop shopping and get an early look at players that we'll be tracking more closely over the next few years.
After taking a look at our top overall performers from camp yesterday, we are turning our attention to focus on the classes of 2028 and 2029. While these aren't the only players that caught our attention, this group of 15 had us going back to our notebook to scribble down notes consistently throughout the event.
RELATED: Crossroads top overall standouts | Crossroads 2027 top performers
Antoine Caughman Jr., SF- We had a chance to see Caughman during the spring and summer with the Upward Stars 15U team in Adidas 3SSB play and while he didn't score as much at Crossroads as he did when we saw him previously, he did a lot of nice things. A long-armed athlete with great instincts on both sides of the floor, it was fun watching Caughman committing to playing defense and doing all of the little things in a camp setting. His two-way potential makes him a potentially valuable prospect.
Carter Coleman, PF- Coleman is a promising young prospect. He's got a good frame to grow into, is a very functional athlete and is ahead of the curve when it comes to overall skill. He's got a good-looking shot, sees open cutters and can put the ball on the floor enough to be dangerous. The Oklahoma native projects nicely as a faceup four man.
Cameron Crenshaw, C- A thin interior player, Crenshaw looks to be almost entirely arms and legs. He can run, he is fairly bouncy around the rim and he's got a plus motor. He is lacking in strength right now and needs some time to figure out what his role will be offensively, but that's fine. The San Antonio native is all prospect right now and that's a good thing. Given all of his physical tools, the 15-year-old looks like a pretty safe bet to develop into a very good player down the road.
Darren Ford, CG- One of the more well-known 2028 players in camp, Ford is a strong and versatile combo guard who is wired to score. Because of his strength and ability to stay on balance through contact, he can pretty much bully anybody his age. For the most part he plays under control and he shows some good signs as a passer. His jump shot is going to be important to develop more along the way, but he's going to be in the conversation for the initial 2028 ranking. He's already got offers from Arizona State, Kansas State and NC State.
Bronx Ganaway, SF (2029)- One of a handful of rising freshmen who made a strong impression in camp, the 6-foot-7 wing is setting the bar pretty high in terms of expectations. He is a long and fluid mover with a lot of bounce in his legs given that he's just starting high school. There's some room to clean up the delivery on his jump shot, but he's a willing shooter and a plus ball handler given his youth and size. We'll be interested to see how his first year of high school goes, but Ganaway could be a national level recruit sooner than later. Nearby Missouri is the first major program to offer.
Mason Grivna, C (2029)- At about 6-foot-9, Grivna is another young prospect that we'll be interested to see a year from now. He runs pretty well, was plenty active on the glass and as a potential rim protector and despite his lack of bulk, he didn't back down from physical play. He showed some touch with his jump shot and has a lot of tools to work with as he begins his high school career.
Terrell Jackson, C- Jackson is an interesting guy to watch. His current game is probably more suited to play as a five, but at about 6-foot-8 he's got the size and fluidity that suggests he could ultimately be a four man. He's quick off his feet, can really run the floor, has a pretty good motor and can clean up messes near the rim on both ends of the floor. We'd love to see him play with some more confidence on the offensive end and be a bit more aggressive as he grows older.
Anthony Key, PF- A 6-foot-7 four man with a good frame to build on, Key just seemed to everything right. He posted strong, he showed touch as a scorer, he sprinted the floor and he took care of his responsibilities on the glass and as a defender. He's not flashy and isn't reliant on athleticism, just smart and productive.
Lleyton Leonard, CG- From what we saw, this young perimeter player from Arizona was among the most competitive players in camp. His motor never stopped running and at 6-foot-4 with plus athleticism and great natural instincts, he always seemed to be in the mix of something good happening. A slasher off the bounce, he makes things happen in either two or three dribbles and if not, he passes, relocates and figures things out. We didn't get to see much of him as a jump shooter but he can find open teammates and is capable of defending all over the perimeter. He reports early offers from Arizona State, California and Washington.
Keaton Murry, SG- It's going to be fun to track this lefty shooting guard from Oklahoma City develop over the next few years because there's some real juice to his game. He can shoot with range, has some burst with his first step and plays the game with some real personality. As he adds strength and tightens up his handle a little, Murry has the tools to develop into a very dangerous and highly recruited prospect.
Amarion Smith-Holley, PG- Smith-Holley isn't the biggest point guard out there, but he's not afraid of any challenge and he is a dangerous scorer. He is capable of going on runs with his jump shot and he's surprisingly strong off the dribble when he wants to get into the lane and finish.
Billy Stanfield III, SF- At this point in his development, Stanfield is probably a bit of a combo forward. He's got the ideal body type (long arms, slender strong frame) and 6-foot-6 size of a high-level wing, but he's probably most effective scoring near the rim, getting on the glass and defending on the interior. We first saw the Baltimore native at last year's Crossroads camp and the strides he's made over the last year are pretty significant. He's much more aggressive attacking the rim and playing with growing confidence that should suit him well down the road.
Austin Triggs, PG (2029- Yet another who hasn't even attended his first high school practice, Triggs was able to impress. The six-footer plays the game with a lot of maturity and confidence. The way he gets to his spots and scores off the dribble, it's easy to see why the Floridian is so confident. He hit some jumpers, made some nice reads as a passer and had a tremendous first showing on a national stage.
Rodney Washington, SG- Pound for pound, there may not have been a more explosive athlete in the building than Washington. A product of McAlester (Okla.), the 6-foot-2 guard doesn't just jump high and run fast, he plays with some physicality and real toughness. He attacks the rim, can make enough jumpers to keep you honest and can be a lot of fun to watch when he's got it rolling. It's not surprising that he's a football standout too and he just got his first football offer from Tulsa to go with hoops offers from Nebraska and TCU.
Zane Zilliax, PF- Last but certainly not least, Zilliax was a great find. A 6-foot-7 forward from Seattle, Zilliax showed deft touch from deep, some toughness around the rim and some pretty solid athleticism. He recently picked up his first offer from UC-Irvine and we would bet that many more will come his way as coaches find out about him. While we like him as a skilled four at this juncture, we wouldn't rule out the possibility of him developing into a big wing that can stretch defenses.