Andrew Baxley’s Film Room: 2026s

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the month of October there is not much meaningful live basketball to watch, so what better time than now to watch some tape and get to know a few prospects better? Let's take a look at 2026's who have intriguing film:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2537670' first='CJ' last='Bates']</strong> (Laurens HS) - [player_tooltip player_id='2537670' first='CJ' last='Bates'] begins our list of the 2026 Film Room. CJ has an impressive highlight reel, where he showed some really good moments in the paint on both ends of the floor. Listed at 6'8" 160 lbs, Bates has length and athleticism that jumps off the tape, but he also has terrific instincts when it comes to protecting the rim. He has a very high ceiling and if his body fills out he could be a big time difference maker on both ends of the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1605781' first='Mario' last='James']</strong> (Lower Richland HS) - Mario is a quick left-handed guard from Lower Richland HS. On film, he made a lot of plays to force turnovers and get out in transition, where he is at his best. James is very calm with the ball in his hands and can finish with both of them. Mario is also a dependable shooter. His shot has a very high arc, but on tape, it appeared to be consistent. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2175561' first='Zavarion' last='Jenkins']</strong> (Summerville HS) - [player_tooltip player_id='2175561' first='Zavarion' last='Jenkins'] is a shooter. He can fill it up in an instant from behind the arc. On film, he did a great job of working within the offense to create space for himself. Zavarion has good length as well and could be a very nice 3 &amp; D prospect. Although he is primarily a shooter, Jenkins also showed he could make plays off the dribble. He has a good handle and is an athletic finisher at the rim. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D'Rock Nchinda</strong> (Spartanburg HS) - D'Rock submitted his film from the recent Prep Hoops SC Top 250 Expo, where he had a very solid performance. Nchinda showed that he is a legitimate scoring threat both off the dribble and the catch. His athleticism was very impressive as well, using it to make plays at both rims. He is a strong finisher at the rim on offense and a very good wing rim protector on defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1486212' first='Mikey' last='Williams Jr']</strong> (Greer HS) - Mikey's highlight reel was one of the more entertaining of the series so far. He is a quick and shifty guard with a nose for the basket. Although he is at his best with the ball in his hands as the primary ball handler, Mikey's highlight reel showed that he could be effective as a spot-up shooter too. He is a good shooter and has a good feel of when to quicken his release or when to drive a close-out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2175526' first='Anthony' last='King II']</strong> (Heathwood Hall Episcopal) - One of the things that stood out the most from [player_tooltip player_id='2175526' first='Anthony' last='King II']'s tape was his ability to score and facilitate in the paint as a big. King has exceptional feet and is a dominant back-to-the-basket scorer, but also has the size to see over the defense when given the ball at the elbow. Anthony also has good athleticism and runs the floor well on both ends. Anthony also had some impressive clips as a rim protector. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578642' first='Lucas' last='Wiersma']</strong> (TL Hanna HS) - [player_tooltip player_id='1578642' first='Lucas' last='Wiersma'] rounds out of our 2026 Film Room. Lucas is another very solid young big man. He has active hands and good length on the defensive end, and on the offensive end, he is a strong finisher around the basket and knocked down some shots from behind the arc. His best attribute, which doesn't always pop on highlight reels, is rebounding. He is a very good rebounder on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->