Preseason Watch List: 2028 Notables To Know

With fall preseason play now wrapped up, the focus turns to the quickly approaching high school season. As teams prepare in the coming week and an exciting winter of basketball begins, it's a perfect time to highlight several prospects—specifically from the 2028 class—who deserve attention, whether they're chasing a breakout and more exposure or looking to solidify their stock in the months ahead.    A true combo guard who is productive both as a confident and versatile shot maker as well as a strong ball handler who can make sound decisions, [player_tooltip player_id='2194627' first='Tyree' last='Thorp'] is expected to provide reliable production at both guard spots for Camden High this season. Thorp excels as an outside shot maker as a spot up shooter as well as in opportunities when he creates efficiently off the dribble in the mid range area. Thorp also thrives handling defensive pressure as a ball handler with poise and displaying strong court vision. Expected to see a lot of reps both on and off the ball, look for Thorp to prove he can initiate offense and manage playmaking duties while also posing as a reliable scoring threat in Camden's offense.     Transferring in earlier this summer, [player_tooltip player_id='2631499' first='Julian' last='Hall'] is expected to provide nice depth at both guard spots for Elizabeth this season. Quick off the bounce, Hall utilizes different change of direction and hesitation dribbles to score in a different ways— particularly in the in between area with an array of smooth pull ups and soft touch floaters from different angles. Pair his quickness off the bounce with his solid court vision and Hall should string together strong moments of divvying up his production between steady scoring and reliable facilitation.     A welcoming addition to Paramus Catholic's front court that'll provide both an interesting layer to the offense as well as much needed size, [player_tooltip player_id='2628239' first='Yu' last='Lyu'] will look to showcase his versatility with strong finishing around the rim, particularly with his low post game along side his unique ability to stretch the floor through his perimeter skillset, knocking down shots from beyond the arc. Lyu leverages his length and physical frame to often times impact the game on both the offensive and defensive boards. Defensively, his combination of size and mobility enable him to contest shots and disrupt passing lanes effectively.     A fundamentally sound point guard who thrives in a interesting role that highlights facilitation with dead eye spot up shooting, [player_tooltip player_id='2397968' first='Connor' last='Junker'] will look to pick up right where he left off coming off a freshman season that saw him turn heads all year. A true sharpshooter with deep range and precise accuracy coupled with a quick trigger release, Junker repeatedly punishes defenders for late contests and poor closeouts. Confident and versatile from the perimeter, Junker often shows that he can also excel as a movement shooter. As Junker embarks on the start of his sophomore season, look for him to continue to showcase his lights out shooting ability alongside his ability to be a reliable facilitator of the basketball and getting his teammates the ball in the right spots.     Coming off an intriguing freshman season that saw him flash his long term upside, [player_tooltip player_id='2700396' first='Ahmad' last='Cook'] will look to showcase the strides he's taken in his development as a physically imposing, two way impact post player. Cook is capable of not only being a force on the offensive glass, consistently generating extra possessions but also catching the ball in the low post and making a move to finish around the basket. A little further along defensively, Cook will look to continue to demonstrate his ability to protect the paint— using his length to alter and block shots at the rim while also cleaning up on the defensive boards     [player_tooltip player_id='2786649' first='Avery' last='Cano'] is a legitimate two way impact guard for Lyndhurst, contributing both as a scorer and as a strong and scrappy on ball defender. Offensively, he excels at playing off the ball—converting on open catch and shoot threes and smooth pull up jumpers. He attacks closeouts well, getting into the lane where he shows soft touch on floaters and the strength to finish through contact, frequently earning trips to the line. Defensively, Cano holds his ground— containing drives, contesting shots, rebounding at a high rate for his position, and demonstrates sharp anticipation as an on ball defender.     A potent perimeter threat, [player_tooltip player_id='2504899' first='Chase' last='Pettiford'] stands out for the many ways he can influence the game as a three point shooter, both as a spot up shooter and off the bounce. With a smooth and compact release, he provides valuable floor spacing as a reliable spot up option. Pettiford should capitalize off the plenty looks that St. Joe's different actions create for its open shooters throughout the course of the season. Pettiford also flashes creativity off the bounce—getting into the paint and finishing with craftiness in traffic around the rim.     A physical forward who leverages his size in combination with his insanely high motor to impact the game on both ends of the floor, [player_tooltip player_id='2833843' first='Owen' last='Wucherpfennig'] thrives as an effective interior paint presence. Wucherpfennig thrives not only on the offensive glass, generating extra possessions, but also as a rim runner in transition. As Wucherpfennig gets further along in his development, look for him to flash his improving perimeter shooting ability. Defensively, Wucherpfennig consistently crashes the glass with determination and secures rebounds.

With fall preseason play now wrapped up, the focus turns to the quickly approaching high school season. As teams prepare in the coming week and an exciting winter of basketball begins, it's a perfect time to highlight several prospects—specifically from the 2028 class—who deserve attention, whether they're chasing a breakout and more exposure or looking to solidify their stock in the months ahead.