Preseason Watch List: More 2029 Names To Have An Eye On

With fall preseason action wrapped up, the focus now turns to the fast-approaching high school season. As teams ramp up preparations in the coming week and an exciting winter of basketball looms, this is the perfect time to highlight a group of prospects—especially from the incoming 2029 class—who deserve early attention and are primed to make an immediate impact in their debut campaigns.    An intriguing combination of glaring athleticism and eye popping length, [player_tooltip player_id='2969733' first='Tysean' last='Scott'] possesses the necessary physical tools to be an immediate impact not only as an explosive slasher but a versatile, highlight making defender. An aggressive downhill attacker who finds ways to manipulate driving lanes, Scott's explosive first time off the bounce allows him to put a massive amount of pressure on the rim. Scott's athleticism is often times on full display in the open floor as well, sprinting the floor in transition and exploding for loud above the rim finishes. With so much of basketball ahead of him and plenty of room for growth in his skillset, look for Scott to show more consistent flashes of his perimeter shooting ability to complement his dynamic driving ability.     A strong and confident ball handler with a potent feel for the game and a keen understanding of manipulating angles both as a driver and facilitator, [player_tooltip player_id='2884564' first='Seth' last='Dozier'] figures to provide steady offensive production both as a scorer and a decision maker. A strong penetrator, both out of his perimeter face up game and attacking closeouts off the ball, Dozier attacks driving lanes with purpose to get to the rim and finish from different angles. Possessing a compact shooting release, Dozier is also a threat from three point range. A strong and confident ball handler, Dozier manipulates different angles and coverages in different PnR actions to often times make the right read and get his teammates the ball in the right spots. Expected to be a key piece of Paul VI's guard rotation, Dozier should have plenty of opportunities to highlight his scoring and playmaking abilities.     An impressive guard with confident skill and good feel for the game, [player_tooltip player_id='2194733' first='Naziel' last='Hilario'] will look to provide not only high IQ decision making as a strong ball handler but also some crafty scoring from the guard spot for St. Benedict's throughout his freshman season. Possessing the ability to score from different levels, Hilario is capable of catching fire from deep and getting into a crazy rhythm as a versatile shot maker while also possessing the creativity off the bounce to break his defender down coupled with a keen sense of attacking driving angles to put pressure on the rim. Possessing the skills to be an adequate playmaker and capable of picking apart different PnR coverages, Hilario is also an unselfish passer who does a great job of pulling help defenders and locating the open man. What is in line to be a seamless offensive fit schematically, look for Hilario to be a versatile piece to Benedict's rotation with a lot of the different things he does offensively at a high level.     A young guard with legitimate ball skills, [player_tooltip player_id='2633990' first='Clint' last='Martin'] is expected to be a big time contributor for this year's Rumson Fair Haven team— thriving in a role that should highlight his ability to be a reliable ball handler while also finding different ways to score the basketball. Impressive against opposing ball pressure, Martin does a good job of being poised and confident as a ball handler and rarely ever getting too sped up. Martin's also effective in scoring the basketball without necessarily breaking the offense— attacking driving lanes off the bounce and finishing strong at the rim. A capable threat from three point distance, Martin also impacts the game from the perimeter as a potent outside shooter. On the defensive end of the floor, Martin leverages his long arms coupled with his quick hands to get his hands on passes to generate deflections and force turnovers.     Expected to thrive in a unique role that features not only reliable ball handling and facilitation but also steady shot making, [player_tooltip player_id='2964306' first='Jacob' last='Wilder'] is a point guard who's decision making ability will be a catalyst for Paterson Charter's offensive success this season. Wilder effectively sets the table on offense— controlling the pace and tempo of the game while also getting his teammates the ball in the right spots. Wilder also provides timely scoring, effectively making shots when the offense calls for it— knocking down mid range pull ups, converting on open catch and shoot threes, and even finishing around the rim with creativity despite being undersized.     A powerfully built guard with strong shoulders and standout athleticism who thrives at being a physical driver and getting downhill, Assad McLean possesses the ability to consistently put pressure on the rim. His explosiveness is clearly evident— particularly when driving lanes open up attacking closeouts, while also making his presence felt on the offensive glass as a rebounder and in transition for loud and explosive above the rim finishes. As McLean embarks on his freshman season, look for him to further showcase his offensive versatility by knocking down perimeter shots off the catch, offering a dynamic counter to his aggressive and powerful slashing ability.

With fall preseason action wrapped up, the focus now turns to the fast-approaching high school season. As teams ramp up preparations in the coming week and an exciting winter of basketball looms, this is the perfect time to highlight a group of prospects—especially from the incoming 2029 class—who deserve early attention and are primed to make an immediate impact in their debut campaigns.