One of the most physically dominant players in the middle school circuits over the last two years, Nunez continues to expand the range on his jumper. For the bruising big man, it’s a welcome next step in his development- and further range and consistency there make his game less dependent on needing to grow into a true center in the long run. He has good passing chops out of the high post, and as he refines his decision making will be all the more dangerous.

Jayden was another player where I left the weekend thinking there was more to his game than the obvious.

Everybody is going to notice the size first. But my Day 2 notes weren’t just about that. I had good positional size and rebounding, but I also liked what I saw from him as a shooter and passer.

He showed the ability to stretch the floor and create space with his shooting, and that matters when you’re evaluating a young big. If he can give you something away from the basket while still using his size on the glass, the evaluation becomes much more interesting.

We’ve already seen Jayden produce offensively in other settings.

Boog’s Take: I’m not trying to put a ceiling on Jayden right now. The physical foundation is there. I’m watching to see how much the shooting, passing and overall skill package continues to grow around that size.

Nunez brought a physical presence to the floor that is difficult to overlook. His size gives him natural advantages around the basket, particularly when competing for space, rebounds and finishing opportunities. What makes his development worth tracking is how much his game can expand beyond those interior responsibilities. If his mobility, face-up ability and perimeter skill continue to progress, he has the potential to become a much tougher matchup as the game gets faster and more positionless.

Nunez has a strong argument of being the most physically imposing freshman in the 2030 class for the DMV area as a whole. He’s all of 6’7″-6’8″ with a powerful frame that he knows how to use as he bulldozes his matchup inside the paint. Nunez has shown impressive instincts in establishing and winning the leverage game even when he’s going against upperclassmen, which is apparent as the ball swings offensively as he slowly but surely gains ground to put himself in position for offensive boards. Typically with players Nunez’s age, dependable hands haven’t exactly surfaced especially when playing with high-level guards, but the Team Durant anchor has proven that if the ball is in his reach, he’ll snag it in small windows and quickly adjust his touch to finish amongst the trees.

13p 7r (6/8 FG) vs Nightrydas

-Nuñez was an absolute matchup nightmare on the low block as an uber-physical forward prospect that does his work early to seal and score from good positions around the rim. His ability to come up with tough catches above his head or below his knees before quickly getting into jump hook or drop step moves made him a tough cover throughout the game for the Nightrydas. If he can add in some counters to accentuate his physicality and size around the rim- he has a chance to cement his status as the top big in the local 2030 class in addition to a national profile.