CBG JUCO/Prep Showdown: 2030 eye-catchers

Commonwealth Basketball Group hosted its annual JUCO/Prep showdown this past weekend, bringing in some of the best junior college, prep school, and high school programs both from Virginia and across the East Coast and Midwest. After taking in the entire weekend of action, we came away with a handful of freshmen who impressed with their play.    Among the more promising long-term prospects we saw all weekend, Churchwell is a budding young wing with clear two-way potential on top of impressive present-day impact. He has a long, limber frame with eye-catching size and fluidity to go with controlled ball skills off the bounce and flashes of self-creation instincts as a pullup shooter. He also shows advanced defensive instincts and a consistent nose for the ball on both ends. The emerging swingman also happens to be the son of a former pro and longtime coach. Churchwell has apparently developed quite the reputation as a track star as well, but with youth and bloodlines both well in his favor, his future on the hardwood appears quite bright.     Part of a dynamic core of young guards looking to take the reins of the TES program immediately, Nelson showed precocious poise, toughness, and skill while running the show for the Titans as a freshman. He has a robust skillset as a ballhandler with the ability to handle pressure against bigger, older defenders. Nelson impressed with his polished footwork and tough shotmaking ability from the midrange despite a slightly unorthodox stroke. The young guard may not immediately pass the eye test but as the son of a former pro and longtime D1 coach, Nelson has the skillset and intangibles to be among the better 2030 guards in the state.     Potomac looked to be in midseason form with a new-look lineup in a win over St. Anne's-Belfield, giving Franklin the opportunity to show his substantial long-term promise in his role off the bench. A long and wiry wing, he thrives as an athletic lane-filler in transition with a clear nose for the rim in the open floor. Franklin also showed encouraging flashes as a creator and shotmaker from the midrange. With brother Miles a budding star at Columbia and Tristan among the fastest-emerging prospects in the state's 2028 class, Franklin looks like he shouldn't have any problem stepping up to carry the mantle as the next in line within the family of talented swingmen.     The most physically advanced freshman guard that we saw all weekend, Keita has all the tools to develop into a high-level prospect over time. He stands out immediately with elite size and length for the backcourt to go with twitchy athleticism. Keita looks to possess promising ball skills and body control as a slasher in the halfcourt and showed his dynamic abilities in the open floor on a runout dunk in transition after jumping a passing lane. As his skillset continues to refine, Keita and his natural gifts could blossom into one of the region's more promising backcourt prospects.     Another piece to a deep young TES backcourt that will be thrown right into the fire this year, Wimmer impressed with his polished skillset and tough-nosed approach against a bigger, older, and more athletic Mt. Zion Prep (MD) lineup. Wimmer is quick and crafty as both a primary and secondary handler, with a tight handle and a willingness to take appropriate chances with the ball as a playmaker. With a slight frame, Wimmer may need time to add strength as he ages but even so the southpaw looks ready to contribute right away for the feisty young Titans.

Commonwealth Basketball Group hosted its annual JUCO/Prep showdown this past weekend, bringing in some of the best junior college, prep school, and high school programs both from Virginia and across the East Coast and Midwest. After taking in the entire weekend of action, we came away with a handful of freshmen who impressed with their play.