Unheralded upperclassmen moving the needle late this fall

With the fall season coming to a close and after taking in a pair of events last weekend in the Hoop Group Fall HS Showcase and the Rare Footage Classic, a handful of lesser-known upperclassmen have begun moving the needle with standout performances. Keep reading for a look at several 2027 and 2028 prospects on the upswing.    Buzz has been brewing throughout the fall about Egan's splash of an addition up front and an initial viewing at Adedeji served to confirm that he should elevate the Eagles into the thick of the PCL playoff hunt. A skilled big transferring in from Canada by way of his native Nigeria, Adedeji is an imposing two-way paint presence who impacted things consistently across Egan's pair of Sunday afternoon games. He showed soft hands and touch around the basket with some passing ability out of double teams and hints of a faceup scoring arsenal. Defensively, he was a consistent deterrent at the rim with good timing and verticality as a shot-blocker and some comfort stepping away from the rim to corral smaller ballhandlers. He looks to still be working into peak shape and is on the younger side of his grade, pointing to some real upside left to tap into as Egan continues working him into the fold. Adedeji is a name D1 coaches in the region should know immediately and his upcoming debut in the 2028 rankings will reflect that.     In a nip-and-tuck matchup with Conwell-Egan at the Rare Footage Classic, Vrettos made a strong case for a bump up in the rankings while showcasing his alluring blend of size and perimeter playmaking ability. Vrettos impressed with natural ball skills whether slashing from the perimeter or initiating offense with nice composure against ball pressure. He's not the quickest or strongest but uses his size and pace to navigate to spots in the halfcourt, showing some polish as a midrange scorer with nice feel as a facilitator for others. He should improve as a finisher as he adds strength to his frame and is already a capable perimeter threat off the catch. The finished product may still be a bit of a ways away but Vrettos' abilities as a jumbo ballhandler present real long-term upside for him to tap into.     Stone started to put himself on the radar throughout last season with his energetic contributions up front for Abington, but he's shown he's due for a bump up in the rankings with his gradual expansion out to the perimeter throughout the fall. Previously more of a presence from the dunker spot or crashing the offensive glass, Stone has become increasingly comfortable stepping out to the corners and knocking down open 3s off the catch. In similar fashion on the defensive end, he's shown promise as a wing defender and even switching onto guards, chopping his feet swiftly in open space before quickly getting a hand up to contest. With his size, athleticism, and increasing ability to shape-shift and contribute in confined roles without needing to hear his number called, Stone should be emerging as a priority for small-college programs across the region with scholarship-level programs potentially starting to take note into the winter.     A seldom-used reserve on last year's state championship team, Shiery looks ready to splash into the rotation in a real way as part of the quest to repeat in Hershey. Despite CD returning the bulk of its production from a year ago, his growth (both physical and otherwise) has him looking like an important X-factor heading into the season. Shiery has added multiple inches to his lanky frame without compromising on his mobility and while continuing to blossom as an overall athlete. He provides the Rams with consistent activity around the rim on both ends and also shows some ability to function with the ball in his hands out to the perimeter. Part of a family of college hoopers, Shiery has begun receiving D2 attention as of late and could prove to be a worthwhile late-bloomer at that level.     Roman is undergoing a significant rebuild while replacing its entire starting lineup from a year ago, opening up opportunity for Scipio to step into a key role as the Cahillites' starting lead guard. A deep reserve last year, he shows impressive composure given his lack of experience, operating smoothly and unselfishly as a table-setting floor general. Scipio shows a dependable handle with nice quickness attacking in either direction and a reliable perimeter stroke if given time and space. He isn't the most dynamic overall playmaker and may have a hard time packing strength onto his frame, but Scipio should earn some fans at the small-college level with his ability to run the show and make others better. He'll make his debut in the impending update to the statewide 2027 rankings.     Linden suffered a nailbiting loss to St. Benedict's at the Hoop Group Fall HS Showcase but the game came down to the wire in large part due to Cisse and his dynamic exploits in the backcourt. Stepping into a key role as a more prominent ballhandler and scorer with the graduation of the Tigers' starting backcourt, Cisse put on a shotmaking clinic with his pullup shooting ability, highlighted by a one-legged 3 off a pump fake that sent the crowd into a frenzy. He also showed slick finishing ability using either hand to punctuate knifing drives, with deceptive strength allowing defenders to bounce off of him on his way to the cup. It was as explosive a performance as we've seen in recent weeks and showed Cisse could be deserving of a notable bump in the next rankings update.     Aylmer took a bit of a back seat over the past year after making a splash as a freshman in the PCL, but looks ready to generate some buzz around his name once again if his showing at the Rare Footage Classic is any indication. Despite a narrow loss to Conwell-Egan, Aylmer was seemingly impossible for the Eagles to contain for extended stretches of the game. He boasts a shifty handle to navigate to spots downhill but really impressed with his deep range and polished footwork getting into pullup and stepback 3s off the bounce. Overall, he played with a mature blend of confidence and poise, stepping up when it mattered most with a handful of crucial second half shots to keep the Bucks in the game. Aylmer should have a chance to emerge as one of the best guards in the Philly suburbs last year and will find himself within the top-100 when 2028 rankings are next updated.     It didn't generate much fanfare with Egan finishing outside of the playoff picture, but Dorsey actually led the PCL in 3-point percentage last year while knocking down more than 48% of his attempts from long range. He's back to lead a cadre of snipers across the Egan rotation but impressed at the Rare Footage Classic with his added ability to mix it up off the bounce. Dorsey brought a steady ballhandling presence while splitting time on and off the ball, showing an ability to generate downhill paint touches and finish acrobatically among the trees. He's on the smaller side but is broadly built and ripe with compact strength, allowing him to put up a fight against bigger players on either end of the floor. Dorsey has shown to be deserving of a spot in the next rankings update and could emerge as a small-college priority particularly with more mature decisionmaking as a fulltime lead guard.

With the fall season coming to a close and after taking in a pair of events last weekend in the Hoop Group Fall HS Showcase and the Rare Footage Classic, a handful of lesser-known upperclassmen have begun moving the needle with standout performances. Keep reading for a look at several 2027 and 2028 prospects on the upswing.

Jeremy Adedeji

HEIGHT 6'10"

POS C

CLASS 2028

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Jeremy Adedeji

State: Pennsylvania

School: Conwell-Egan

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John Vrettos

SF/SG

HEIGHT 6'5"

POS SF/SG

CLASS 2028

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John Vrettos

State: Pennsylvania

School: Central Bucks West

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Amare Stone

PA #162

SF #33

HEIGHT 6'6"

POS SF

CLASS 2027

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Amare Stone

State: Pennsylvania

School: Abington

Stone started to put himself on the radar throughout last season with his energetic contributions up front for Abington, but he's shown he's due for a bump up in the rankings with his gradual expansion out to the perimeter throughout the fall. Previously more of a presence from the dunker spot or crashing the offensive glass, Stone has become increasingly comfortable stepping out to the corners and knocking down open 3s off the catch. In similar fashion on the defensive end, he's shown promise as a wing defender and even switching onto guards, chopping his feet swiftly in open space before quickly getting a hand up to contest. With his size, athleticism, and increasing ability to shape-shift and contribute in confined roles without needing to hear his number called, Stone should be emerging as a priority for small-college programs across the region with scholarship-level programs potentially starting to take note into the winter.

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Johnny Shiery

HEIGHT 6'9"

POS C

CLASS 2027

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Johnny Shiery

State: Pennsylvania

School: Central Dauphin

Club: Team Pa Supernatural

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Tre Scipio

HEIGHT 6'1"

POS PG

CLASS 2027

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Tre Scipio

State: Pennsylvania

School: Roman Catholic

Club: Next Play Basketball

Roman is undergoing a significant rebuild while replacing its entire starting lineup from a year ago, opening up opportunity for Scipio to step into a key role as the Cahillites' starting lead guard. A deep reserve last year, he shows impressive composure given his lack of experience, operating smoothly and unselfishly as a table-setting floor general. Scipio shows a dependable handle with nice quickness attacking in either direction and a reliable perimeter stroke if given time and space. He isn't the most dynamic overall playmaker and may have a hard time packing strength onto his frame, but Scipio should earn some fans at the small-college level with his ability to run the show and make others better. He'll make his debut in the impending update to the statewide 2027 rankings.