CBG JUCO/Prep Showdown: Top emerging bigs

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 emerging big men who caught the eye as prospects to track closely moving forward.    Blue Ridge picked up a convincing win over Massanutten on Sunday in large part due to the work of Twitty as a two-way paint presence. The Christ School (NC) transfer looks to be an impact pickup for the Barons, possessing a lean broad-shouldered frame with impressive mobility and vertical athleticism. He changes ends with a purpose, attacks the glass on both ends of the floor, and is quick off the ground as a finisher around the rim. Twitty also showed solid hands while catching on the move and flashed some comfort in the post including an impressive baby hook with his non-dominant left hand. With his physical tools and commitment to thriving in his role, Twitty should find himself on D1 recruiting boards throughout the winter should he remain unsigned into the season.     Hargrave doesn't look to be missing a beat in the wake of a coaching transition with Dowel stepping forward as an imposing presence up front. A native of Australia in his first year in the U.S., Dowel impressed on Saturday evening with his throwback-style game around the rim. He thrived as a true low-post threat, carving out great position before showing strong hands, nimble footwork, and patience to let congestion clear out before getting into his move. Dowel embraced physicality while showing a strong motor and mature communication. He's not the swiftest athlete or a rim-rocker but looks like a clear scholarship-level prospect for programs who value size, toughness, and interior skill at the '5'.     Jakisic has generated some buzz this fall with his play on the CBG preseason circuit and showed good reason for intrigue on Sunday afternoon. A skilled Serbian forward who played last season at Hamilton Heights (TN), he showed impressive passing feel and the outlines of an intriguing inside-out skillset. He was effective as a facilitator out of double teams in the post and making reads on the move in space, showing nice ball skills for his size and hints of athletic upside despite moving a bit awkwardly. Jakisic showed intriguing perimeter ability, looking comfortable on a smooth 3 from the wing after filling up from the corner and receiving a dribble handoff. His interior game isn't the smoothest but he had no problem banging bodies and creating extra possessions with his energy on the glass.     Manning the middle for an otherwise perimeter-heavy NC GBB attack, Henriques looks ripe to be among the Hoop State's bigger stock risers upon coming over from Southern Durham and repeating his junior year. Originally from New York, he's an eye-catching physical specimen with his size, a naturally lean physique, and explosive athletic ability. He thrives as a rim-runner and working the dunker spot for momentum-swinging dunks but also showed flashes of skill as a passer, post scorer, and occasional floor-spacer. Things can still move a bit fast for him at times but if added reps can help Henriques' feel for the game improve to match his physical ability, then the finished product could be really exciting when all is said and done.     Notre Dame is turning over a new leaf as a program with a revamped rotation of both domestic and international talent, potentially none with as much long-term upside as Boodia. The native of Cameroon and transfer from Victory Rock Prep (FL) is a physically striking rim-runner with a promising blend of size, length, and athletic fluidity. He shows an inside-out foundation offensively with solid hands, workable touch, and a basic comfort while operating from the top of the key with the ball in his hands. As he gets stronger, he should blossom into an impactful rim protector who could have appealing potential as a switch option at least in late-clock situations. Potential will eventually have to start turning to production but the flashes from Boodia are more than enough to latch onto for the time being.     Brand new to the U.S. from China, Zhang made his debut with Notre Dame and is another promising long-term piece for the revamped Crusader program. He played limited minutes while still acclimating in his first couple weeks with the team, but showed clear appeal as a skilled inside-out big. Zhang brings great size with natural strength and nimble feet in space. He was comfortable providing an interior presence as a skilled finisher inside but also intrigued with his ability to catch on the perimeter and make plays putting the ball on the floor. A member of the Chinese junior national team, Zhang checks a lot of the early boxes for a future D1 prospect upon first glance.

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 emerging big men who caught the eye as prospects to track closely moving forward.