ZGXL "The Launch": Intriguing frontcourt prospects

Zero Gravity's "The Launch" event brought a selection of teams from the Zero Gravity XL circuit to Atlantic City along with some additional flavor sprinkled in, headlined by BABC of the 3SSB circuit, which swept the championships of all three age groups. After taking in a day's worth of action on championship Sunday, we came away intrigued with a handful of frontcourt prospects highlighted below.    During a free game set without a predetermined game to watch, we happened to see Marcin while walking past his court and were certainly glad we did. Playing in the 16U division, he was as intriguing a prospect as we discovered all day, possessing a combination of size, fluidity, and skill that coaches covet at all levels. Marcin has positional size for the D1 level and has a solid foundation of strength while moving with a natural grace that offers a world of versatility in the frontcourt. He shoots the ball with confidence out to the perimeter while flashing the ability to put it on the floor for multiple bounces and running the floor for easy finishes inside. Defensively, he contributed as a rim protector while effectively rebounding his area to start the break. As he learns to keep his engagement up throughout the full game and gains reps against stronger competition, Marcin has the talent to emerge onto scholarship radars in the next couple years with the potential to even catch eyes at the D1 level.     As high-upside a long-term prospect as there is in the storied BABC program, Daniels is impossible to miss with his towering size but showed on Sunday he's far more than just a big body. The game can understandably still be a bit fast for him at times right now, but Daniels was a consistent factor inside defensively as a natural deterrent at the rim, an imposing rebounder, and a consistent threat as a finisher at the rim. He's comfortable stepping out to catch and make reads on the perimeter, flashing a smooth shooting stroke that should project nicely over time. At just 14 years old, Daniels still has a ways to go, but the ceiling is evidently quite high with proper development in years to come.     In the best game we saw all day, Cromwell was key to helping Team Northeast of the UA Rise circuit come out with an overtime win over PA Flight. A southpaw stretch forward, he impressed with his size and skillset while contributing on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he showed the ability to pull opposing bigs away from the rim as a reliable shooting threat out to 3. Cromwell is comfortable making reads from the middle of the floor with the ability to attack to his left hand off the bounce or act as a finisher off rolls and dumpoffs. He impressed defensively while playing both inside and out, serving as his team's primary rim protector for extended stretches but also moving his feet comfortably when pulled out to the perimeter. We'd like to see him impose his will a bit more throughout the course of a game, but Cromwell certainly possesses a skillset worth monitoring at the scholarship level.     Another intriguing forward from the Team Northeast program, Whiting caught the eye with his impressive natural fluidity and emerging twitchiness at his size. In a narrow semifinal loss to BABC, he was effective in transition whether running out ahead for athletic finishes or even pushing the break himself while showcasing his expanding ball skills. Working on refining his 3-point stroke, he flashed the ability to be a threat from the arc, which will be a key area of his game to track moving forward. The native of Canada is still catching up in terms of high-level reps and will need to continue his work in the weight room, but Whiting showed he certainly belongs on the scholarship radar with his physical tools and the outlines of his skillset.     The man in the middle for an RI Magic team that's had a lot of success on the ZGXL circuit, DesMarais was as skilled a rising senior big as we saw all day. He may look a bit awkward at times, but is effective nonetheless operating all over the floor as a scoring and facilitating hub. DesMarais is extremely comfortable with the ball, handling on the perimeter into dribble handoffs or faceup drives while keeping his head up to spot open teammates. He's a comfortable stretch option out to 3, whether spacing out or playing in the pick and pop game. Defensively, he has the size and bulk to be a deterrent in the lane but could potentially have a hard time when pulled away from the basket. He tracks as a potential gem for the small-college level.     Making his debut since moving over to BABC, McNamara displayed a tantalizing ceiling while helping lead his team to a championship. Looking to have added a couple inches to his frame since last summer, he toggles seamlessly across forward spots as a walking mismatch with his size, fluidity, and continuously evolving skillset. A natural mismatch forward, he shows continued flashes of developing into a true wing which points to a naturally high upside given his elite positional size. As he continues refining his jumper and learning to effectively blend his interior and perimeter games, look for high-majors to be involved with McNamara in the years to come.

Zero Gravity's "The Launch" event brought a selection of teams from the Zero Gravity XL circuit to Atlantic City along with some additional flavor sprinkled in, headlined by BABC of the 3SSB circuit, which swept the championships of all three age groups. After taking in a day's worth of action on championship Sunday, we came away intrigued with a handful of frontcourt prospects highlighted below.