Bruce’s Best: Top 10 Breakout Circuit Performers
The Prephoops Next Circuit has been amazing. With so many stops all over the country, there have been tons of opportunities to showcase some of the top middle school talents in the country. I’ve been fortunate to attend three events. The West Coast Kick-Off in Ladera, CA, the Sooner State Shootout in Edmonds, OK, and War In The Valley In Phoenix. Before attending each event, I do diligent research on the top players, however without fail, every time someone comes from off the radar to make a name for themselves. In this article, we take a look at our top 10 Breakout Circuit Performers.
- Zak Abdalla 6’1 SG West Coast Select 2025 – Abdalla is so good, I’ve already started writing about him on my high school page. He’s a scorer that can make open 3’s or use a crafty handle to create space for himself.
- David Lunn 6’0 PF JB White Elite 2026 – Every time I check out a JB White game, it looks like Lunn is scoring a basket. The reality is, he probably is. He doesn’t really have a position unless you consider hooper a position. Lunn can score with his back to the basket and has a knack for absorbing contact and scoring off dribble drives.
- Jefferson Exinor 6’3 SF JB White Elite 2025 – A freak athlete, Exinor came from out of nowhere to be one of the most exciting players at the War in The Valley event a couple of weeks ago. An advanced frame with crazy bounce, he’s proving to be must-watch bball on the circuit.
- Eli Schwartzman 5’5 PG Flight Force Athletics 2026 (featured image) – I’m a basketball junkie and prone to hyperbole, but the Eli Schwartzman game in Edmonds still gives me chills. The diminutive PG hit the proverbial zone, making seemingly everything he threw up en route to a 34 point effort. He backed that game up by helping Flight Force reach the finals of that event, firmly entrenching his name in the minds of everyone watching.
- Phoenix Woodson 6’3 SF PWB 2026 – Woodson is just scratching the surface of his potential. One look at him and you can see he has the physical tools needed to be an impact player. He has a crazy long wingspan which allows him a wider than average catch radius and to block shots that others would have a difficult time getting to.
- Tyler Bright 6’6 C West Coast Select 2025 – Bright has a Bright future, Pun intended. He always seems so calm when playing. I’ve had the fortune to watch him develop over the past few years, and his play over the last 3 months have been the best I’ve seen of him.
- Braxton Caruso 6’0 PF Sneaker Steal 2027 – Caruso deserves some love based on his play at Ladera Ranch. An unselfish bruiser, Caruso threw his body around, carving out rebounding space and setting devastating screens to get his teammates open.
- Aidan Teasley 5’10 CG Arizona Select Tuscon 2025 – I never heard of Teasley until recruiting legend Spencer Pullium pointed him out to me. Now it’s difficult for me to forget him. He has a smooth game, allowing him to get by defenders, and use good footwork to finish at the rim.
- Joseph Terry 6’4 C Team Eleate 2025 – Mckel Shedrick has gotten a ton of pub for Team Eleate, however, Terry has quietly had a good circuit season. He’s a dedicated screen setter, rim runner, and rebounder that has helped free up some of his other teammates to score.
- Kemartrai Clark 5’11 SF Razorbacks Elite 2026 – I may be higher on Clark than most, but I just love his game. For one, he produces when he’s on the court. If he’s not scoring, he’s rebounding, if he’s not rebounding, he’s defending. Whatever needs doing, you can usually find Clark doing it for his team.