National Prep Championships Honorable Mentions

Last week, I attended the National Prep Championships at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut. 16 of the best teams from all over the country attended, and the Newman School came out on top. I'll have a first team, second team, and honorable mentions from the event.   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/03/national-prep-championships-first-team/">National Prep Championships First Team</a>   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/03/national-prep-championships-second-team/" id="https://prephoops.com/2026/03/national-prep-championships-second-team/">National Prep Championships Second Team</a>   Below are my honorable mentions.    Bollin is such an important piece for Newman, whether the box score stats show it or not. The 6-foot-6 wing was a relentless force on the offensive boards all week, consistently bulldozing his way to the front of the rim and completely discarding boxouts on his way there. His hands are like magnets to the ball, and he's strong and tough enough to get it when he wants it. Bollin also has an excellent feel for how to screen and read the defense offensively—he did an excellent job slipping screens on switching defenses all week, and he makes great decisions with the ball when he drives to the hoop. He's an awesome player who will probably be difficult for Brown to keep off the floor next year.     If someone else deserves a spot on my first or second team, it's probably [player_tooltip player_id='2101863' first='Kamai' last='Samuels']. The 6-foot-2 guard was electric all weekend and showed the ability to score consistently from all three levels. He has incredible quickness with the rock in his hands and takes contact so well in the air, so he's lethal as a driver and scorer. He has touch, skill, and athleticism, and it's difficult to put a finger on his offensive weakness. Samuels is going to land somewhere at the D1 level, but I'm still surprised his recruitment isn't buzzing a bit more—he's better than a lot of guys you'll find in the portal.     Egbuna normally takes the backseat to [player_tooltip player_id='2553499' first='Adama' last='Tambedou'] in Putnam's front court, but I was extremely impressed with what he did offensively last week. The 6-foot-9 forward showcased some excellent footwork in the post and looked significantly more comfortable and balanced than I've seen him in the past. He doesn't consistently score from the post offensively, but a handful of the flashes he showed against Newman and other top teams should be enough for some mid-major D1 to give him a hard look. Egbuna is really interesting and I wonder what he would look like if given more offensive responsibility. Perhaps we'll find out at the next level.     Rosta is going to be really, really good one day (not that he isn't already). He had his moments this weekend while also remaining relatively silent at times, but his positive plays were extremely intriguing and impressive. He's 6-foot-9 with really long arms, but he moves with fluidity and had some finishes in transition and at the rim in the half court that showcased some special body control and touch for his size. He's skinny right now and needs to gain some weight to reach his full potential, but I bet he'll do that—Rosta is only a junior and possesses some MAJOR upside moving forward.     Wells and his Link Academy squad came all the way from Missouri, and they did not disappoint. They got to the elite 8, and Wells was a big reason why. The senior guard has excellent quickness but also knows how to change speeds and leverage his low center of gravity to burst by defenders. Off the dribble, he can pull-up and hit shots from anywhere on the court but can also finish with athleticism and touch at the rim. Wells also has excellent vision and phenomenal hands defensively. His height is probably limiting his recruitment, but he'll be a good mid major player as a freshman if he gets the chance in my opinion.     Cuffle shoots the leather off the ball and does everything the right way even though he isn't a ridiculous athlete. He has excellent footwork when coming off screens and is therefore able to fly into shots with little balance and still find a way to get a good threes off, but he can also drive closeouts and play in the mid range if the defense overplays his shot. He's 6-foot-6 and strong-bodied, so he can defend multiple positions and be a threat rebounding the ball as well. Cuffle's size combined with his shooting ability should make him a scholarship prospect, and he definitely shot the ball well enough last week to get some looks.     Sylla was incredibly impressive this week and impressed against some excellent front courts. He is a force when fighting for position on the block offensively—he has a big body and knows how to park himself in the right areas of the floor—and he has great post moves and touch once he gets the ball. A post touch for him is really solid offense because most defenders will either allow a decent shot or foul him, and he hits a high percentage of his free throws. Sylla could enter a new stratosphere if he gets in even better shape and is able to beat bigs up and down the floor for rim runs, but he's going to be a really interesting piece for UMASS next season regardless.     It's unfortunate Bridgton ran into Blair Academy so early, because they really could've made a run with what they were getting out of Sylla and Crowdis. Sylla's pick and roll partner is a 6-foot-4 maestro who has phenomenal feel and can make every read in the book. He has deep range and can make shots off the dribble, so you can't go under screens on him; but if you go over, he'll put you in jail or split the hedge and make crafty finishes and passes in the paint. I was also ridiculously impressed with the way Crowdis attacked the ball defensively and consistently got deflections, jump balls, and steals because of his aggression and good hands. He's a D1 player.

Last week, I attended the National Prep Championships at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut. 16 of the best teams from all over the country attended, and the Newman School came out on top. I'll have a first team, second team, and honorable mentions from the event.