Persevering with our pre-season hoops protection, I made the journey to Dallas to soak up the GASO JUCO/Prep Showcase. Held on the beautiful Duncanville Fieldhouse, the JUCO/Prep Showcase blended over 50 JUCOs and prep faculties from all through the nation beneath one roof, with courts that made issues simply accessible to look at a number of video games without delay. Blue Zertuche, Michael Timmons, and the remainder of the GASO employees made issues seamless.
The sector was led by defending NJCAA D1 champion Trinity Valley Neighborhood School (Tex.). Numerous different junior schools from inside the area made the journey to Duncanville, culminating with a loaded two day occasion. Area V and Area XIV characteristic a number of the strongest junior schools within the nation, with family JUCO names resembling Odessa, Tyler, Paris, Navarro, Angelina, and extra, all becoming a member of the ranks for what truly proved to be essentially the most thrilling and aggressive hoops of the weekend.
Having already taken a take a look at the highest highschool seniors, the highest juniors, and the highest underclassmen, listed here are a number of the prime junior school gamers who will see their inventory rise with their play on the 2025 GASO JUCO Showcase:
Armani Henderson, 6’2, PG, Trinity Valley CC (Tex.)
The catalyst to the defending nationwide champions, Armani Henderson, brings a degree of vitality to the ground that’s completely infectious. “Mani” was an absolute blur pushing the rock up the ground, and is without doubt one of the finest on-ball defenders that you just’ll discover on the JUCO degree. The nation’s JUCO chief in steals final season has no scarcity of D1 packages recruiting, with a lot extra to observe because the season goes on, with the success that Trinity Valley ought to have.
Ahmere Carson, 6’3, PG/SG, Odessa CC (Tex.)
An electrical scorer, Ahmere Carson, has rapidly cemented himself as probably the greatest guards on the junior school ranks and confirmed that on the GASO JUCO Showcase. The lefty is a bodily lockdown defender, able to taking part in both guard spot for spurts, and is in fixed assault mode when he has the ball in his fingers. The Chicago product has no scarcity of elite expertise working with the EYBL after which taking part in at Kansas Metropolis final yr, so he’ll undoubtedly be capable of contribute instantly to whichever of the 15 or so D1 packages which have already provided him.
Zati Loubaki, 6’9, PF, Trinity Valley CC (Tex.)
The MVP of final season’s NJCAA Nationwide Championship has continued constructing on what was an impressive freshman marketing campaign together with his play on the GASO JUCO Showcase. The face-up ahead is computerized together with his mid-range jumper, brings positional versatility, and has the flexibility to take advantage of mismatches. Loubaki is a local of France and has performed with Extra time Elite previous to arriving at Trinity Valley, giving him a wealth of expertise at completely different ranges that may make him a right away affect participant on the D1 degree.
Jaquarious Patterson, 6’6, SF, Navarro School (Tex.)
A participant whom I used to be not conversant in main into the occasion, Jaquarious Patterson, stood out inside 5 minutes of watching him. The athletic swingman modified the sport together with his degree of exercise on each ends, was an impressive cutter, and put fixed strain on protection with an explosive first step. Toss in the truth that the South Carolina product shot 42 % from 3-point vary final yr, and also you see why Patterson has all of the makings of a mid-major prospect.
Braylon Wagner, 6’5, SG/SF, Trinity Valley CC (Tex.)
The epitome of a plug and play man, Braylon Wagner slot in completely with the defending nationwide champions together with his capability to shoot the ball from deep. He was excellent flashing to open areas versus zones, shot the lights out when he had his ft set, and continually occupied defenders as a capturing risk from past the arc. The Ohio native is the kind of man that you just don’t should run any performs for and already holds gives from Bradley, Grambling, Japanese Michigan, Louisiana Tech, and numerous others.
Clarence Payia, 6’6, SG/SF, Angelina CC (Tex.)
One other participant producing buzz coming into the occasion was Clarence Payia, a swingman out of Beaumont. With good dimension for a swingman, he’s an efficient straight-line driver, jumps the passing lanes rather well defensively, and confirmed the flexibility to knock down deep threes. Already holding D1 gives for subsequent yr, Payia brings D1 expertise (he performed at Louisiana Tech) to an Angelina squad that might be anticipating him to place factors on the board this season.
Derelle Want, 6’10, C, Trinity Valley CC (Tex.)
Probably the most intriguing bodily prospect that the GASO JUCO Showcase dropped at the desk was Derelle Want, a product of London. The tremendous gifted lefty has an impressive body, could be very comfy capturing the ball from mid-range, and appears to dunk something that he touches within the paint. Proudly owning the entire instruments and expertise of a excessive main huge man, Want’s manufacturing this session will finally depict what D1 degree he lands at—large body.
