Basurto, a 2028 prospect, was playing up with Drive Pro Select ‘s 17U team throughout the weekend and was a bulldog on Saturday afternoon against Waukee JAM CR. A tough, physical 6-4 forward with great hands, he’s fantastic on the glass on both ends of the floor. He has a real nose for the ball, makes strong contact on his box outs, and isn’t afraid to tussle it up with bigger bodies. He showed that he can step out and stretch the floor, looking comfortable from the 3-point line off the catch.

Mario was one of the hardest working players I saw all weekend, and also one of the strongest. He would go up against guys 3-4 inches taller than him in the paint, and come out on top consistently. Every time he caught on the block Mario was instantly going to work, bullying his way into deep post position and finishing strong through contact. On either end of the floor he seemed to come up with any rebound remotely in his area. High effort player who simply won’t be beat for a loose ball.

An active, physical 6-4 big man with great hands, Basurto was probably the best rebounder of the four teams that I was tasked with covering. He does a great job making strong contact on his box outs, rebounds both in and out of his area, and is relentless on the offensive glass, routinely getting easy buckets by cleaning up misses. He runs the floor well, beating his defender in transition, and he’s a good enough ball-handler that he can lead the break after pulling down a defensive board.