7’2- Forward/Center – Missouri – 3/24/2005 – Cypress, TX
Overview:
Trent Burns is a major sleeper, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he someday wears an NBA jersey. Due to his substantial height and shooting touch, Burns looks like another of these stretch bigs who sometimes have the ability to create for themselves, shoot off the catch, and, most importantly, defend the rim effectively. Burn, as a scorer inside and out and potentially an effective rim protector, made him a late riser; he eventually was ranked as high as the #75 prospect in the 2024 class on Rivals 247. I first caught on to Trent Burns following his performances in 2022 at EYBL. He was about 7 feet then, and his shot fell the entire event. I liked the flashes of him creating quick looks off the dribble. He displayed some ability to protect the basket, but this is an area where he has to continue to grow if he wants to play the five someday. His tendencies at this point were to be more passive and less physical in the paint, but he has improved this quite a bit. His rebounding, however, didn’t seem to have the same issues. He had no problem rising over and through defenders to crash the glass, which he has continued to display throughout high school.
With his arrival in Missouri, the Tigers get a potential headache. Burns boasts some monster performances during his time in the high school circuit. In 39 games across Burns 2023 calendar year per Cerebro Sports, Burns averaged 8.4 points per game in 20.5 minutes per game. Per 40 minutes, he put up a respectable line of 16.4 points per, 10.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists per 40, and 3.5 steals and blocks (stocks). As a long-term shooting prospect, Burns has displayed some potential. Burns shot 39.1% from the field in those games and 25.6% from three on 3.4 attempts per game. He has solid volume for 7’2, and I expect the pick and pop will be in his arsenal as an off-ball option for Mizzou. The 57.1% from the line has to change. I think he has capable touch, but something is just off; as he gets even more comfortable in his ever-expanding frame, some of these hitches in his shot will get smoothed out.
Standout Performance:
8 C-RAM across 3 games at 2022 Nike EYBL Session One (Orlando)
(C-RAM: 10> Elite, 10>8 great, 8> good, 6< below average)
30 MPG, 10 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.0 A/TO, 2 steals and blocks per game
10-24 FG, 7-16 3PT, 3-3 FT
Honorable Mention:
15.5 C-RAM across 2 games at 2023 SWAIC Session Four (Denver)
26.5 MPG, 19.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 9 A/TO, 4 S/BPG
16-36 FG, 3-10 3PT, 4-4 FT
Hot Take:
Trent Burns could easily be a top-10 freshman in the SEC next year. If put in the right spots and the shot falls early in the season, there should be no problem for him to crack Mizzouri’s lineup at the ⅘. If so, I would take him in the second round as a development piece. If he shows physicality and dominance inside… watch out.
6’7 – Guard/Wing – Notre Dame – Charlotte, NC
Overview:
The son of former NBA player Nazr Mohammed, Sir is a versatile wing with the potential to be a dynamic breakout player for the Fighting Irish. He is being compared to Jalen Pickett within ND circles, and I could see why. Sir has a remarkable ability to handle the ball at 6’7. He can create space for shots inside the arc for himself and stretch the floor off the catch. Personally, I like Sir’s motor the most. He has exceptional hands and consistently puts pressure on opponents. If in the proper defensive position, he can also be seen protecting the rim from the wing position.
For Notre Dame, Sir can be a Swiss army knife player who fills in the gaps in a lineup. Mohammed had solid statistical performances in 2023 across 21 games in multiple events, highlighting his overall energy impact and playmaking skills. He averaged 11.8 ppg on shooting splits of 36.8/28.6/55.7. His scoring mostly came in waves, as his jumper was up and down all year. At the Good Guys vs Cancer Showcase, he shot great from beyond, hitting five of eleven from three across 2 games. His presence as a floor spacer is essential for his creation as he isn’t the most explosive player in the recruiting class; his ability to attack space will be a crucial swing skill for him entering college. If he can knock down shots early, the space shot presents itself more as players have to tag him in transition, and he can back cut or attack closeouts. Sir also checks boxes statistically on the defensive side. At events in 2023, per Cerebro’s database, Sir averaged 1.9 stocks per game, including a block party at UAA U17 in Arizona, where he had 7 blocks in 5 games. His potential to grow as a versatile defender is immense. If Sir can play the two, he will have a great chance to continue to bother shots, as he is quite the mismatch for smaller guards. As far as on-the-ball proof, Sir has displayed the ability to create for himself and others his drives, at times making great reads and finding shooters or cutters to create easier looks.
Standout Performance:
7.1 C-RAM across 6 games at 2023 SportRadar Showcase
25.7 MPG, 15 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.0 A/TO, 1.8 S/BPG
33-98 FG, 10-35 3PT, 14/25 FT
Honorable Mention:
8.5 C-RAM across 1 game at the 2023 Carmel MLK Showcase
32 min, 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 turnovers
7-18 FG, 0-3 3PT, 2-2 FT
Hot Take:
Sir could be a first-round pick further down the road. This is a pretty deep class, and Notre Dame guys haven’t produced many crazy freshman seasons that warrant first-round selections, and he isn’t going to show up like Brandon Miller and drop 25 in a handful of games. However, Mohammed has several traits and abilities that impact the game without scoring. With another offseason of physical development and training, he could be a monster at the 3. When the shot is also falling, he can be a guy to take over a game with impact plays on both ends. He is a player to watch going forward, even if he doesn’t produce much this season.
6’9 – Wing/Forward – Arizona – 11/26/2005 – Riverside, CA
Overview:
Carter Bryant first caught my attention with his smooth shooting stroke due to his size. In the modern NBA, you need Forwards with the strength and finesse to score at all levels. Bryant has the potential to develop into one of those guys you can rely on at any level to get a bucket. Although in most of his recent performances on bigger stages, Bryant has demonstrated more of an ability to take shots than make them, proving to be a shot-maker early in his development, especially off the dribble. He has a strong frame for his age, so even when the shot isn’t falling, he can still do damage around the basket with his leaping ability. Carter has some flaws, but he is super exciting to watch. It’s just the shot selection and some of his overall habits that need work. With his developing ability to defend the rim and put the ball on the floor to create space, I can also accept some of his willingness to experiment a lot at this age.
In his EYBL career, across U16 & U17, Carter played in 31 games and showed a ton of versatility to play multiple roles. He turned things up a notch around the basket when his shot wasn’t falling in, averaging 15.2 points per 40 minutes on 37.9% from the field. He was good around the basket, but some of his lackluster shot selection from three bled into his midrange shots. He shot 42.7% from 2, but some were also on putbacks. He shot 23.4% from three, and even this is carried by a 70% shooting clinic in 2023 at One in Atlanta. However, I will hold out on Bryant’s shooting potential due to a few things, one of which I have identified previously. First, Bryant is a dynamic rebounder and player with much to his game besides the enticing shotmaking at 6’9. Per 40 minus, he had 9.8 rebounds and 3.7 steals and blocks. His ability to shut down the paint at his size is impressive, and he looks like a man amongst boys in most of his league high school games. He can also move the ball when his shot isn’t falling; he sported a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio and found teammates without making many mistakes. Good things will come if he can be more meticulous in his shot-taking, as with his passing. He tends to make his mistakes in isolation, let the ball sit in his shooting pocket a touch too long when he is going to pass out, or doesn’t correctly anticipate help defense. It is an area where he can develop as he gets more invested in a team mindset. I often find the outcomes of his play can fuel him, and although that leads to impact performances in areas other than scoring, it won’t always convert to more playing time if he insists on shooting when it just isn’t going.
Standout Performance:
8.1 C-RAM across four games at 2023 EYBL 17U Session One (Atlanta)
21.5 MPG, 12.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.8 A/TO, 0.8 S/BPG
20-35 FG, 7-10 3PT, 4-6 FT
Hot Take:
Carter Bryant will be a beast at Arizona. I think he can adopt a bit of a Bennedict Mathurin role for them early as a microwave scorer and impact athlete. I would look to next year for him to grow into a significant role, but he has the potential to make the rotation as an impact player on defense. That’s his key. If he can do it and the shot selection takes steps in the right direction, he should be a guy NBA teams add to their radar.
6’7 – Wing/Forward – Auburn – 10/10/2005 – Norcross, GA
Overview:
2024 Overtime Elite Finals MVP Jahki Howard is an eye-grabbing athlete at the hybrid wing/forward position. He has a powerful finishing package that first drew my attention early on at Overtime Elite. He spent two years there after a brief stint with Donda Academy. In 46 games with OTE per Cerebro Sports database, Jakhi averaged 13.2 points per contest, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.1 stocks. His overall presence as an energy and impact player around the rim also shows up on the tape. He has good lateral instincts and can time an occasional cross-lane or chase-down block. I’d like to see him grow more as a shooter to help him slide down the lineup card. Ideally, raising his 28.3% 3-point percentage over 184 attempts with OTE will be the antidote to this developing issue in his game. On the wing, he presents great positional size and athleticism. However, his absence of an arsenal of dribble moves limits his scoring to cutting or spot-up opportunities where he can attack using his solid first step.
On defense, Howard can be an asset going forward with his natural gifts. He has exceptional prowess as a mover and can take up a lot of space on this end with his length of 6’7. I look forward to seeing how Auburn utilizes him alongside their prominent frontcourt returners Chad Baker-Maraza and Johni Broome. I think he will probably start off the bench, but I wouldn’t be surprised if, due to his energy, they find a way to move him into the starting lineup alongside those guys to give Auburn one of the more exciting groups of forwards in the country.
Standout Performance:
13.4 C-RAM across one game at 2022-23 Overtime Elite (Preseason)
23 minutes, 29 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 A/TO, 1 steal
10-11 FG, 3-4 3PT, 6-12 FT
Honorable Mention:
10.4 C-RAM across four games at 2023 EYBL 17U Session One (Atlanta)
16.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.8 A/TO, 1.7 S/BPG
30-44 FG, 6-11 3PT, 0-0 FT
Hot Take:
Jahki Howard’s extraordinary athleticism and motor skills make him a pretty clear prospect, regardless of his statistical output next year. He may not get the run most fans of his see for him, but we should not lose faith. Being a proven winner and gamer helps, but he could face a similar fate to Dillon Mitchell. However, his shooting flashes also present an escape from that path. If he can knock down shots, I think he is a possible first-round sleeper pick in 2025. Think Jordan Walsh with less wiggle but maybe more pop athletically.
6’1 – Guard – Auburn – 8/04/2005 – Piscataway, NJ
Overview:
I am a big fan of this Auburn recruiting class. Tahaad Pettiford is another well-regarded recruit; however, he may be underrated in NBA draft circles. With some of Auburn’s departures, returns, and fellow additions, I think he has a solid chance to find a role as a dynamic lead guard who can create shots for himself and others, whether off the bench or as a starter. His pace and creativity are elite for his age, and as he has grown a bit more, they have elevated his playmaking to a near-proficient level. The only thing he needs to add is a go-to counter package that can navigate traffic better due to his sometimes habit of getting downhill with no plan other than scoring. He has to be a little more willing to give it up to do that. It was apparent at moments in EYBL that he romanticized his shot versus the right play. To capture the lead guard spot at Auburn, he must be a playmaker first. In his 53-game Nike EYBL career stretching from 2021 to 2023, Pettiford averaged 2.9 assists per game with a 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio in 25.7 minutes per game. This stability grew a lot as he gained more experience, a good sign as he moved onto the next level. As a defender, he could generate around 2.1 steals per game, attacking passing lanes and weak handles at will with his speed. Watching him get up and down when he plays aggressively is really fun.
As a scorer, Pettiford gets an exciting variety of buckets and can create a lot of excitement. He can create tremendous rim pressure, get up with power, and punch it home if he has to. Most of his scoring comes from his jumper, which he can get off anytime and anywhere. In EYBL events, per Cerebro, he shot 6.7 threes a game, converting at a 30.1% rate. This is solid from such a sporadic sample size and setting, and even his 77.9% free throw percentage would suggest Tahaad has a lot to uncover in his game scoring the ball. The touch is there; the shot selection and execution just need work.
Standout Performance:
12.2 C-RAM in one game at 2024 Spalding Hoophall Classic
32 minutes, 33 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
12-17 FG, 4-8 3PT, 5-8 FT
Hot Take:
Tehaad Pettiford, if given the minutes and a bit of a green light, should be an ALL-SEC Freshman candidate. He has the scoring and the entertainment factor down. I like his defense and ability to impact the game at a rate that outplays his size. If that happens, there could be a guy to look out for in year two as a draftable player. The playmaking proficiency isn’t there this year, but I like his outlook on developing rapidly as a lead guard over the next few seasons. With the addition of Miles Kelly and JP Peagues, it will be tough for him to push for playing time in year one unless he beats out JP early on, similar to Rob Dill earning his stripes with Kentucky.
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