Section 7: The Best Players We Saw (Pt. 1)

<p>GLENDALE, Ariz. – The 2022 Section Seven Showcase held at State Farm Stadium was yet again the premier scholastic live evaluation event of the summer. The set up featured 12 courts inside the NFL stadium and drew teams from multiple states, including some of the top-ranked talent in the country. I this piece we give a more detailed look at the best players we saw over the weekend with some household names and unfamiliar prospects included.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1222428" first="AJ" last="Johnson"]</strong>, 2023, Taft – Johnson continued his ascension into a household name and high major offeree with some impressive offensive performances throughout the weekend. The 6-foot-5 point guard is an elite scorer and playmaker off the dribble as his ability to break down defenders in isolation and get into the lane allows him to get into his crafty finishing package around the basket. Johnson looked comfortable stepping into catch-and-shoot three-point shots, as well, which, if that continues to trend upward, will make him an even more diverse offensive threat.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="923077" first="Blake" last="Buchanan"]</strong>, 2023, Lake City (ID) – We were impressed by the sheer versatility that Buchanan brought to the floor for his Lake City team. The 6-foot-10 forward/center is a physical interior presence and, his combination of good hands, feet and touch down low, combined with his willingness to dominate the block, made him a tough cover for most opposing big men he faced. Buchanan is a power finisher inside who has the passing instincts and basketball IQ to play out of trail situations and initiate offense.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="992481" first="Brady" last="Dunlap"]</strong>, 2023, Harvard-Westlake – Dunlap had himself quite the event despite playing through a lower body injury throughout. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard/wing had his elite jump shooting touch on display as he buried several pull-up three-point shots and mid-range jumpers while helping lead Harvard-Westlake to a championship game appearance. The most impressive part of Dunlap’s game over the weekend was his performance in crunch time as he hit a handful of late-game jumpers to seal victories for the Wolverines.</p> <p><strong>Brayden Burries</strong>, 2025, Riverside Poly – There were a ton of players who weren’t on the national radar prior to Section 7 who left being firmly in that conversation for their class and Burries was one of them. Southern California basketball followers were well aware of what the 6-foot-4 rising sophomore could do prior to the weekend and Burries made it a point to put everyone else on notice. The strong and smooth wing flashed his versatile offensive game with his ability to knock down perimeter jumpers, drive and finish through contact in the paint and exploit mismatches on the block with his advanced post-up game.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1115502" first="Caleb" last="Foster"]</strong>, 2023, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame – The Duke-committed point guard had his elite combination of pace, motor and aggressive scoring ability on display in helping lead Notre Dame to the championship game of its respective bracket. Foster is a strong, physical player with great size and feel at the point guard position. Those traits allow Foster to overpower most smaller guars who defended him, allowing him to get paint touches at-will where he finished through contact.</p>