The High School Fall Invitational in Los Angeles, California wrapped up this past weekend. The Tournament featured quite a few future NBA prospects alongside plenty of players who will be impactful at the college level.

Let’s break down some of the standout performances I saw over the weekend and the players that impressed me the most. We’ll consider both short and long-term outlooks, beginning with the high-profile pro prospects in each class and working towards the deeper cuts.

2025 High School

AJ Dybantsa – W/F, Utah Prep

The consensus top prospect in the 2025 high school class looked the part against Notre Dame. He’s an overwhelming physical talent, standing at 6’9 with guard-level mobility and fluidity. He pairs those movement skills with unbelievable explosion, dunking the ball whenever he gets within five feet of the hoop.

Dybantsa rises over contests to drain difficult shots from deep and in the mid-range. When Notre Dame loaded up to trap and double Dybantsa, he made simple passes to his teammates.

Dybantsa’s feel may be a concern for his ultimate ceiling. At the high school level, his vision and height let him pass through and around overly aggressive defenses.

Dybantsa can appear disengaged at times, especially on the defensive end. That’s understandable given his monster offensive usage, though. Many high-octane high school star creators don’t defend with 100% effort yey develop into great defenders at the college and pro levels.

Beyond any nitpicks, Dybantsa looks like an obvious future star. His physical tools, special advantage creation and shotmaking prowess are undeniable. He’ll continue to dominate high school competition until his eventual college and NBA debuts.

Davis Fogle – G/W, AZ Compass

Fogle saw a dramatic role shift from his time playing AAU ball on the Under Armour circuit. On a stacked AZ Compass team, Fogle thrived as a lower-usage, connective playmaker. Even without lots of shots and on-ball usage, Fogle made his presence felt on offense.

He processes the game quickly, forcing defenses to move and rotate because of his ball movement. Fogle shredded Mission Hills from the middle of their zone, firing passes to shooters and cutters. Fogle manipulates defenders with his body language and eyes, suggesting high-end passing upside.

Fogle competed hard on the defensive end, his cerebral nature helping him win with pristine positioning and rotational timing. With enough mobility and size at 6’7 to defend the perimeter, Fogle flashed a complete two-way package. He should develop into an impact player at Gonzaga as he grows into his body with plenty of untapped offensive potential.

Trent Maclean – W, SoCal Academy

MacLean might be the most impressive shooter I watched this weekend. Standing at a true 6’9, MacLean sprints off of screens to hit jumpers off of movement. That’s a rare skill set at his height, as taller defenders often struggle to chase MacLean around picks. 

When defenders sell out to stop MacLean’s shooting, he’ll make plays to punish rotations. MacLean can pass with both hands from a live dribble into tight windows. His vision, passing skill and confidence bode extremely well for his progression as a playmaker.

Defense will be MacLean’s main improvement point at the next levels. His slight frame leads to struggles defending stronger players. Against smaller, quicker guards, MacLean wasn’t able to change directions quickly enough to stick with them. Adding muscle to compete on the defensive end would turn MacLean into a potential pro prospect down the line. Teams covet tall movement shooters who pass like he can. 

Lino Mark – G, Notre Dame

After committing to play at Rutgers next season, Lino Mark played an excellent game against Utah Prep. He constantly beat defenders to the rim, winning with burst and dislodging opponents with strength and physicality to score. Even when Mark can’t create initial separation, he’ll take defenders into the post to score and create kickout opportunities.

His intensity extends to the defensive end, as Mark’s strength and lateral quickness help him hound the point of attack. Mark creates turnovers with his energy and quick hands and punishes defenses in transition. He should find a role as a solid two-way point guard at the college level.

Parker Jefferson –  C/F, Inglewood

Jefferson thrived as a two-way outlet big for Inglewood. When teams doubled Jason Crowe Jr., Jefferson was the release valve. Playing in the middle of the floor, Jefferson makes simple passes out to shooters and scores in the intermediate area of the floor with touch.

He can create out of the post, hitting a tough Dirk-leg fadeaway against Veritas on Sunday. Jefferson scores from the post, the mid-range and even spaces the floor. His versatile offensive skillset alongside aggressive rebounding and sound defensive positioning make him an attractive complementary big option at the next level.

Christian Gilliard – G, ABC Prep

Against Westchester, Gilliard floated through the air for an absurd dunk in transition. His athleticism began to shine down the stretch, as he won to the rim with his quick twitch explosion. Gilliard loves to hop step into the lane, covering more space than defenders can handle. 

Gilliard flashed the ability to hit open jumpers and toss basic passes off of his drives. His vertical explosion is the real jewel of his profile, though. I didn’t see many, if any dunkers more powerful than Gilliard this weekend.

Aram Soqui Urbano – G, Veritas

Soqui shoots the ball with as pure mechanics as I saw of any player this weekend. He’s clean shooting off of the catch, pulling up off of the dribble and sprinting around screens to carve space to shoot.

He’s a versatile passer as well, finding cutters and shooters out of secondary pick-and-roll action and in early offense. Soqui’s ability to play with and without the ball should bode well for his future.

2026 High School

Alijah Arenas – G, Chatsworth

Few if any guards in all of high school, regardless of class, create at the level Alijah Arenas does. He’s advanced with the ball in his hands, creating separation with a dynamic, creative handle. Without top-tier burst and explosion, Arenas wins with his craft, drawing fouls and forcing defenders to bite. 

He’s not a bad athlete by any means, capable of switching gears and gliding through the air to dunk on his opponents. Arenas settles for plenty of difficult jumpers. Some of this may be related to his decision-making skills. As the primary initiator of a Chatsworth team without other pro-level prospects, it makes sense that Arenas trusts his own scoring ability as much as he should.

Arenas faces double teams on nearly every possession, though, which won’t be the case at higher levels. This should help sharpen his decision-making and creation against pressure, though. That’s a critical skill for elite college and pro guards and Arenas already can carry his team’s offense

When defenses sell out to stop Arenas, he’s capable of passing to shooters on simple kickouts. Arenas is one of the country’s most complete on-ball creators, winning with a special handle and enough athletic juice and shotmaking touch. For my money, he’s the best guard prospect in high school.

Jason Crowe Jr. – G, Inglewood

Crowe’s AAU team, Team WhyNot, threw him into the fire as their primary point guard against mostly older opponents on the 17u circuit. That continued into the beginning of Crowe’s junior season as Inglewood’s primary initiator. Opposing teams, especially Veritas, constantly doubled and shaded toward Crowe to force the ball out of his hands.

It’s easy to understand why, as Crowe hits difficult shots at a high level. The 6’1 southpaw pulls triples from NBA range, scores in the mid-range with high-arcing shots and floats in jumpers off of his drives. He can struggle to work all the way to the rim without elite burst, but Crowe makes up for it at this level with his stellar touch.

When the aforementioned doubles came, Crowe made simple passes to his teammates. And when those teammates make the easy shots Crowe’s gravity opens, Inglewood looks tough to beat. Continuing to improve as a decision-maker and a processor will help Crowe reach his ultimate ceiling as a long-term lead guard.

Tajh Ariza – W, Westchester

Similar to his AAU teammate Jason Crowe, Ariza acts as Westchester’s primary initiator. This is quite the departure from his EYBL role as a lower-usage offensive player and defensive specialist. Ariza wins with his height and shotmaking prowess; few defenders can contest his release at 6’8.

Ariza frequently attempts difficult jumpers, which is somewhat understandable given how much his team relies on him. Ariza nailed difficult stepback and pull-up jumpers, relying on a dynamic spin move to beat defenders without elite burst or explosion on his drives.

Despite his slighter frame, Ariza loves to collide with stronger, bigger defenders on the interior. He’s always willing to play physically, driving to score at the hoop and draw fouls. That trait should serve him well as he continues to add muscle and grow into his body. His shotmaking talent, physical wiring and defensive prowess make Ariza one of the best long term prospects in his class. 

Miikka Muurinen – F/C, AZ Compass 

Miikka Muurinen is a giantic human being. The Finnish big looks every part of 6’10-6’11, towering over everyone he stood next to, myself included. Against a shorter Mission Hills team, Muurinen exploited his size advantages to the fullest. He relentlessly crashed the glass, drew fouls and scored at the hoop.

This was especially encouraging, as Muurinen primarily operates as a stretchy, perimeter-centric big. Muurinen’s jumper looks impressively fluid and smooth for his height, comfortable nailing triples over contests. That fluidity extends to the defensive end, as Muurinen hedges out and denies driving angles like he’s 6’5.

Many skinnier, perimeter-oriented bigs lack the ability or the willingness to bang on the interior. That wasn’t the case for Muurinen this weekend, which is highly encouraging for his projection to the next levels against better and stronger athletes. 

Miles Sadler – PG, Bella Vista 

Sadler played like his usual, impactful self against Francis Parker this weekend. He’s one of the most complete guards in his class, hitting shots on and off of the ball, moving the ball with conviction and bothering opposing guards on the defensive end.

His passing especially impressed me, as Sadler rarely makes mistakes running pick and rolls and manipulates defenders with his eyes and his body to open up passing windows. Despite standing at just 5’10, Sadler is one of the most talented guards in the country and one of my personal favorite watches. 

Jachai Cantave – G, SoCal Academy

Cantave’s point guard skills were evident in SoCal Academy’s games this past weekend. He’s one of the snappiest decision-makers I’ve seen, always punishing defenses with decisive drives, passes and shots when he has space.

He’ll compete hard on the defensive end, sliding his feet to mirror drives and even taking charges to protect the rim. Cantave’s game won’t be extremely flashy, but his processing speed, quickness and confidence offensive play make him a valuable guard option at this point in his career.

Josh Irving – C, Pasadena

Irving is a long, rangy center prospect who’s movement skills pop every time I catch his games. Irving covers tons of ground as a defender, galloping down to protect the rim as a help defender. He’s aggressive on the interior despite his slighter frame, crashing the glass and looking to finish strong.

As Irving continues to age, he’ll need to develop his strength and consistency imposing his physical tools on his opponents. Irving has the tools and mobility to develop into a solid rim protecting and play finishing big at the next levels.

2027 High School

Godson Okokoh – W/F, SoCal Academy

Despite not playing as much as some of his older teammates, no SoCal Academy player pops as much as Godson Okokoh. He’s a frightening mover at 6’9 — powerful, explosive, and light on his feet all the same. When Okokoh defends the ball, smaller players struggle to turn the corner and beat him off of the dribble.

Offensively, Okokoh doesn’t touch the ball as much as his other teammates. His jumper impresses at his size and age, shooting and hitting open shots with a fluid, smooth release. Okokoh must improve his driving to maximize his athletic tools, though he should continue to develop and mature into his frame.

Some scouts and coaches believe Okokoh can be the best player to come from the 2027 high school class. It’s easy to understand why, even in games where he doesn’t light up the box score. The flashes are that tantalizing. 

Josiah Nance – G, Notre Dame

Nance stepped up to the task with Tyran Stokes sidelined with injury. He’s a natural shot creator, never losing confidence and creating space with his sudden movement skills, especially his dynamic spin move. He’s a solid off-ball shooter as well, firing off of basic movement to hit threes.

His athleticism shines on the defensive end — Nance flashed shot-blocking and point-of-attack defending ability. Against Utah Prep, Nance rose up for a huge block and caused havoc defending the ball. As the 6’4 guard continues to mature, his versatile offensive kit and athletic tools suggest significant two-way upside.

Tavid Johnson – PG, Francis Parker

In a game featuring most of Canada’s premier youth talent, Johnson stole the show. Johnson, a 6’2 guard, might have been his team’s tallest player. Despite losing in a blowout to Bella Vista Prep and their collection of future pro talent, Johnson was one of the game’s most impressive players.

Johnson rained in jumpers from all over the floor, hitting deep-range threes and pulling up in tight windows over taller defenders. His handle is excellent, letting him create space for jumpers, drives and live-dribble passes to his teammates. Johnson’s ability to consistently generate offense against high-level competition projects him well moving forward, especially given his age.

2028 High School

Roman Esparza – G, Crossroads

Esparza checked in amidst a blowout against SoCal Academy and wasted no time making his mark. The freshman guard cooked multiple SCA defenders off of the dribble, creating space for his pull-up jumper. Esparza whipped an overhead pass down to a cutter in a tight window as well.

These are the kinds of flashes that help freshmen make their way onto radars. Even without the high-leverage playing time, Esparza’s talent with the ball in his hands. Hopefully, Esparza can continue to grow from his current 5’10 height in the coming years.