Preseason Watch List: Additional 2028 Notables To Know

With fall preseason play now complete, attention now shifts to the fast-approaching high school season. As teams gear up over the next week and an exciting winter of basketball gets underway, it's an ideal moment to spotlight several prospects—particularly from the 2028 class—who merit recognition, whether they're aiming for a breakout and greater exposure or looking to solidify their standing in the months ahead.    Coming off not only an impressive freshman campaign but also a strong spring and summer, [player_tooltip player_id='2504902' first='Jamieson' last='Young'] has consistently proven to be a very poised and skilled combo guard. Known for his exceptional perimeter shooting ability, Young is confident and efficient from three point range— excelling as a spot up shooter as well as a movement shooter. Allowing the gravity he attracts as an outside shooter to open up additional offense for him, Young also attacks the basket with poise off the bounce— finishing strong through contact and with craftiness and soft touch in traffic coupled with a smooth mid range pull up game. An underrated aspect of his game, Young is also a reliable decision maker, consistently making the right read off the bounce, recognizing when to look for his own shot and when to find open teammates.     An intriguing combination of elite length and glaring athleticism paired with an insanely high motor, Josiah Hamilton has the physical tools that translate to impacting the game on both ends of the floor. As a prospect who's capable of being a versatile defender and guarding multiple positions on the floor, Hamilton's long arms and eye popping athleticism allow him to stand out— using active hands coupled with strong instincts to be a difference maker not only as an on ball defender but also as a ferocious rebounder. Hamilton also excels in the open floor, shining bright for explosive above the rim finishes. Having recently taken strides as a perimeter shooter, Hamilton has shown flashes of improved shooting touch and mechanics, offering more glimpses of his long term upside as a shooter. With there being plenty of room for growth in his skillset, look for Hamilton to provide more flashes of what his long term potential could become with continued development this season.     Stepping into what is expected to be a larger role and having looked comfortable doing so throughout the course of the fall, [player_tooltip player_id='2504891' first='Sean' last='Forbes'] will look to demonstrate an ability to thrive as an additional strong and dependable ball handler while also being an additional source of steady offense. Whether he's seen initiating the offense and setting the table for teammates, or scoring within the flow of Bergen's system, particularly as an outside shot maker or crafty finisher around the rim, Forbes will look to showcase he's a trustworthy point guard capable of taking on a greater offensive responsibility in Bergen Catholic's rotation this season.     [player_tooltip player_id='2919940' first='Jared' last='Jennings'] is a combo guard who's just as effective off the ball as he is with the ball in his hands. He's effective as a sound pick and roll operator and offensive orchestrator, while also posing as a real threat as a floor spacer when operating off the ball. Confident with the ball in his hands, Jennings shows strong composure in PnR actions, consistently reading the defense and generating opportunities for himself and his teammates. Off the ball, he does a good job of finding open shots from three and knocking them down off the catch.     A welcoming addition to Pennington's backcourt, [player_tooltip player_id='2344525' first='Jalen' last='Bell'] provides an interesting dynamic as a guard who's quick downhill attacker off the bounce and steady shotmaker. Possessing an explosive first step, Bell generates a large amount of rim pressure not only on half court dribble drives but different PnR actions and in transition, ultimately shining as a crafty finisher around the basket. The left handed combo guard is also effective as a dynamic shot maker. As Bell continues to refine his skillset, look for him to continue to showcase his ability to be effective and produce at either guard spot this season.     Possessing eye popping length and spectacular athleticism coupled with legitimate upside in terms of his ball skills, [player_tooltip player_id='2364684' first='Aven' last='Diamond'] is a shooting guard who will be looking to capitalize on a change of scenery, transferring to The Pennington School this season. Quick and shifty off the bounce, Diamond is capable of scoring with efficiency and creativity from different areas on the court. Extremely effective in the open floor, Diamond possesses coast to coast speed pushing the break and is more than capable of exploding for emphatic above the rim finishes in transition. Diamond has the necessary physical tools paired with glaring upside so it'll be interesting to see that potential get unlocked as he embarks on his first year at The Pennington School.     An aggressive playmaker who possesses excellent court vision paired with a knack for creating open looks for his teammates, [player_tooltip player_id='2763616' first='Abdullah' last='Parramore'] consistently impresses with his facilitation and decision making as a true floor general. Parramore often times makes the right reads, especially out of different PnR actions— taking what the defense gives him and divvying up between delivering timely passes to rollers and spraying out to open shooters. He also excels at finding cutters when attacking gaps off the bounce. Parramore keeps defenses honest as a timely scorer too— converting on soft touch finishes in traffic and knocking open looks from three. Defensively, Parramore brings great and contagious energy— applying constant full court pressure and being disruptive at the point of attack against opposing ball handlers.

With fall preseason play now complete, attention now shifts to the fast-approaching high school season. As teams gear up over the next week and an exciting winter of basketball gets underway, it's an ideal moment to spotlight several prospects—particularly from the 2028 class—who merit recognition, whether they're aiming for a breakout and greater exposure or looking to solidify their standing in the months ahead.