Border League: Best Slashers

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Border League has become one of the premier fall high school and prep school basketball events in the country and the 2026 event lived up to the hype. More than 150 teams from across the country made the trip to Southern Nevada to participate in the three day event. We were in the gym from morning until night at the Henderson Sport & Social and Coronado high school locations and below is our takeaways of the event's best slashers with a mix of SoCal and National prospects.    Walcott brought a high level of energy, effort and athleticism that had him flying around and making things happen on both ends of the floor. The wiry 6-foot-5 wing was a lob threat finisher in transition, a guy who rebounded the defensive glass and pushed the break himself and an off-ball cutter and finisher around the rim. Walcott's multi-positional defensive ability caused disruption to ball handlers and in passing lanes.     Pur has a blend of a throwback power forward skill-set with the mobility of a wing and quick-twitch athleticism to go along with it. The lengthy 6-foot-9 forward/center has multiple ways he can score in transition: rim-runs, drives from the top of the key when trailing the play and in early side ball screens. Pur brought energy and effort when crashing the offensive boards and spacing to attack the rim from the short corners.     Coleman looks to be back fully healthy after battling a knee injury last season because he was on the rim consistently during Border League. The 6-foot-4 wing made a concerted effort to get out and run the floor hard and it led to multiple transition dunks where he showed improved vertical pop off the floor. Coleman cut and slashed his way to easy baskets in half-court offense and showed great timing and awareness off the ball.     Page used the Border League not only to showcase his talents but also announced which college program he will be taking his talents to. The rangy 6-foot-6 wing, who pledged to UConn, is as high motor of a prospect you'll find in the country and is drawn to the rim as a driver, cutter and when filling the lane in transition. Page's speed, strength and agility allow him to blow-by defenders on the perimeter, power through bumps and be quick off the floor when attacking the rim.     Lowery continued to show why he's the perfect fit for Sierra Canyon's fast-paced offense as one of the best downhill guys in the state. The 6-foot-4 wing is a rebound and push threat whose speed, physicality and relentlessness to the rim allows him to initiate contact, stay on balance through those bumps and score at the rim with efficiency. Lowery is constantly putting pressure on defenses with his quick rips and burst in half-court situations and his willingness to be a off-ball mover and cutter.     Jenkins is a guy who brings endless motor and energy to the floor and the result of those intangible traits, combined with his explosive athleticism, led to countless above the rim finishes in transition and half-court offensive settings. The 6-foot-6 wing is an aggressive downhill driver who covers ground quickly and doesn't shy away from contact or challenging rim protectors around the basket. Jenkins was also effective on the offensive glass and when cutting along the baseline for dump-off passes and finishes.     Patton is one of the best all-around athletes in Southern California's 2028 class and his combination of vertical explosiveness, open court speed, half-court burst and elite body control make him an efficient paint finisher. The 6-foot-2 guard used his quick first jump to beat shot blockers to the basket, showed his value as a lob threat in transition and called half-court sets and got to the rim with straight-line drives to his strong hand where he finished with power and finesse.     Smith-Bey is your prototypical power wing whose well-built 6-foot-5 frame makes him a multi-positional perimeter defender and high percentage finisher in the paint. Smith-Bey's combination of physical strength, ability to power through contact and finish with finesse or authority were on full display at Border League where defenders had a difficult time keeping him out of the lane. Smith-Bey not only powered his way to the rim but showed confidence in his mid-range jumper.     Simpson was an active transition rim-runner and lane filler whose ability to side-step defenders with euro-steps or quickly elevate into an above-the-rim finish made him one of the more effective open court scorers we watched. The wiry 6-foot-5 wing didn't shy away from the intangible things as his effort on the offensive glass led to easy second chance points and showed his ability to impact the game without dominating the ball. Simpson seemed to be in constant motion on both ends of the floor which led to him flying around and making plays on both ends.     Grieg continues to evolve as a multi-positional offense threat for Coronado. The long, wiry 6-foot-6 wing has the ball skills, fluidity and body control to play as a primary ball handler where he creates in isolation for himself and teammates. Grieg was most effective when breaking down his defender, punching his way into the lane and scoring through contact or drawing contact to get to the free throw line. Grieg's three-point shooting has improved over the last few months which has made his slashing ability much more effective.

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Border League has become one of the premier fall high school and prep school basketball events in the country and the 2026 event lived up to the hype. More than 150 teams from across the country made the trip to Southern Nevada to participate in the three day event. We were in the gym from morning until night at the Henderson Sport & Social and Coronado high school locations and below is our takeaways of the event's best slashers with a mix of SoCal and National prospects.