May Live Period Preview: More '28 Prospects To Look Out For

One of the most anticipated stretches of the spring AAU season is quickly approaching as the May live period nears, giving college coaches another valuable opportunity to get back in the gym and evaluate prospects in person. With players continuing to distinguish themselves through strong spring performances and building momentum in their recruitment, here's another look at some 2028 prospects looking to make an impact during this year's May live period.    A naturally gifted offensive weapon with natural scoring instincts and an improving feel as a facilitator, [player_tooltip player_id='2948559' first='Jayden' last='Opoku'] consistently flashes the dynamic ability of his offensive game. He uses his creativity and change of pace off the bounce to pressure the rim, finishing craftily through traffic from a variety of angles while also showing confidence and touch as a perimeter shot maker to score the basketball from multiple levels. Beyond his scoring ability, Opoku has displayed encouraging growth as a playmaker— getting deep into the paint, reading help defenders, and kicking out to open shooters while also pushing the ball in transition to create easy scoring opportunities for teammates. Defensively, Opoku takes pride in defending with strong intensity as well, using his physical tools to be disruptive and generate multiple deflections and blocks.   Opoku has flown a little bit under the radar from quite some time now however with the ideal positional size he possesses paired with a legitimate game that's developing into a translatable skillset at the next level, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him garner attention from scholarship programs over the coming calendar year.     More often than not tasked with orchestrating the offense as the primary ball handler for this 16U [program_tooltip program_id='2078573' first='NJ' last='Beasts'] squad, [player_tooltip player_id='2763609' first='Jake' last='Ellis'] consistently strikes an effective balance between facilitating for others and creating his own offense opportunities arise. With the ball in his hands, Ellis routinely puts pressure on opposing defenses—showcasing poise against defensive pressure along with a strong ability to control tempo and make sound decisions. Ellis has demonstrated a strong command of the offense as a facilitator— making patient and decisive reads in PnR situations and utilizing his court vision to create opportunities for teammates finding bigs down low and out of drive and kick opportunities to open shooters out on the perimeter. Ellis provides timely scoring by getting to his spots and converting difficult mid range pull ups with soft touch and balanced footwork, while also using his quick change of pace off the dribble to attack downhill and finish craftily in the paint. Defensively, despite his size limitations, Ellis proved disruptive by anticipating passing lanes, forcing turnovers, and turning defensive plays into transition offense.   Ellis' production and steady and dependable play make him the type of point guard that next level schools are in due time bound to have interest in.     There has always been plenty of intrigue surrounding 7-foot [player_tooltip player_id='2405359' first='Toussaint' last='Malukila'] because of his obvious physical tools but over recent months, that potential and on court production have truly begun to align. With noticeable growth in his development, Malukila seems to have be getting accustomed to the speed of the game— backed behind impressive individual production that underscore his evolution into an impactful two way presence in the paint. He shows strong instincts as a roller in PnR situations, while also running the floor effectively in transition for powerful finishes above the rim, and using his size and strength to establish deep position before turning to score. Defensively, he makes his presence felt as a rim protector with his length and shot blocking ability while consistently bringing energy and effort on the glass. More importantly, Malukila has also displayed subtle improvements that could elevate his long term ceiling even further — including softer hands catching passes, improved touch around the basket, better balance and footwork, and greater defensive discipline.   While he is still continuing to put all the pieces together, the clear leap in his production suggests a highly encouraging developmental trajectory and makes him a player to monitor closely heading into the summer with a pair of HM offers from the likes of Syracuse and TCU already on the table for him.     [player_tooltip player_id='2763627' first='Isaiah' last='Thatcher'] is coming off a sophomore season that saw him emerge as a true breakout prospect, developing into a confident and versatile perimeter shotmaker while quickly cementing himself as one of the state's premier outside shooting threats. Carrying that momentum into the spring, Thatcher has showcased not only the confidence with which he shoots the three ball with but also the efficiency and variety in his scoring arsenal from beyond the arc. A highly confident shooter with a true shooter's mentality, a quick release, and compact mechanics, Thatcher consistently excels in C+S situations, stepping into open looks with smooth footwork, balance, and a polished follow through while also thriving as a movement shooter, sprinting to the corners in transition, relocating within passing windows in the half court, and creating opportunities without the ball in his hands as well as proving capable of knocking down shots off the dribble, whether using rhythm dribbles or creating separation off the bounce.   If Thatcher continues to put up shooting numbers with the versatility and efficiency in which he's done up until this point, he'll give himself a strong opportunity to earn a scholarship.     A high motor forward who brings relentless energy and effort, [player_tooltip player_id='3140436' first='Josiah' last='Broko'] thrives through constant activity in the paint. He delivered's number of strong performances that've showcased his ability to make an impact in multiple ways without needing the ball in his hands— staying highly active around the rim, flashing his athleticism with several above the rim finishes while cleaning up the offensive glass and converting on second chance opportunities. He's also benefited from dump off passes created by penetrating guards along the short corner areas. Defensively, Broko's presence is just as noticeable, as his nonstop energy translates to that end of the floor with a clear desire to create momentum shifting plays on the defensive end of the floor.   Broko has made significant strides over the past several months, and with his overall productivity being impressive, it wouldn't be surprise to see schools at the next level begin to track what his development looks like later down the line.     Looking increasingly comfortable and productive in a role slightly different from what he's typically accustomed to, especially with extended reps as the primary ball handler, [player_tooltip player_id='2504745' first='Chase' last='Bray'] has impressed with how naturally he's handled point guard responsibilities while running the offense at times for this 16U Rens squad. An important step in his long term development, Bray's displayed a more refined all around floor game, remaining poised under ball pressure, limiting rushed decisions, creating quality looks for teammates, and dictating the game's pace and tempo. At the same time, he continued to make an impact as a scorer—getting to his spots in the mid range for difficult pull ups, knocking down shots from beyond the arc, and attacking open driving lanes effectively.   Beginning to take the necessary strides in developing a more well rounded skillset that translates more effectively to the next level, it'll be interesting to see where Bray's recruitment goes in the coming future.     A dynamic combo guard whose skillset demonstrates an ability to thrive at either backcourt position ultimately bringing much more than just playmaking and offensive initiation, [player_tooltip player_id='2631499' first='Julian' last='Hall'] has demonstrated his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. Hall is capable of functioning as a versatile floor leader capable of scoring on multiple levels—attacking the paint with creativity off the dribble for crafty finishes at the rim, showing touch on in between area shots, and confidently stretching the floor as a reliable threat from beyond the arc.   Hall's flown a little bit under the radar but is off to hot start serving as a part of the catalyst to this year's 16U [program_tooltip program_id='2078569' first='Jersey' last='Force'] group and could start to garner attention from programs at the next level if he keeps up his stellar play.

One of the most anticipated stretches of the spring AAU season is quickly approaching as the May live period nears, giving college coaches another valuable opportunity to get back in the gym and evaluate prospects in person. With players continuing to distinguish themselves through strong spring performances and building momentum in their recruitment, here's another look at some 2028 prospects looking to make an impact during this year's May live period.