Princeton is a summer standout for me and this is the second straight summer where I went into the season with high expectations for him. This year however is where I feel that the switch has come on. He’s just a dawg. He’s aggressive and looks for contact, he’s gotten his motor and body together and is running the floor and finishing and he knows where to be to get boards in bunches and go right up. We saw him a few times in our events with Rocky Mountain Rebound and he was a standout each time out. Princeton has a back to the basket game, he seals defenders on the block and gets to the FT line if he doesnt finish. I like how often he’s being used in the screen where he sets hard ones and creates room for him to finish. We got to see him at a showcase this past weekend as well and he was one of the premier bigs at the event. He’s starting to stack solid performances in a row and he might be the most physical big in Denver Prep League this year. He just has to do it when it matters. He makes a jump in the rankings and there’s no better time than now for him to show what he’s made of.

Princeton is a player who we’ve seen in the offseason for a few years and was impressed then by his play but he was very good in spurts at the showcase. He’s a bruiser and certainly looking for contact on every play and when he got the ball on the block on seals, he delivered by creating room with his shoulder and went and finished through contact. He also had some tough and-1 finishes in transition as he ran the break as well. Princeton also showed more than I thought he had as well. Later in games he started shooting the 3-ball and trying to create on catch and shoot shots and that’s not something he had a year ago. He’s trimming down, showing versatility from the big position and he battled at the event and that shouldn’t go overlooked. I’m ready to see this Princeton during the HS season as it will make Northfield that much better. Very solid day who might’ve pushed for one of the top bigs on the day.

Princeton is full of promise and has upside, but we are at the point of needing to see it when it matters and showing consistency. There’s a stretch every Summer I feel that Princeton puts together solid games where he dominates in the paint, he grabs boards and goes right back up and is a nightmare on the block. If we got to see that for longer, Northfield would be a different team. He really can be that impactful as he moves guys and does not shy away from contact. He could be a force at the showcase that gets him ready for the season. If he came in and set hard screens, finished on the block, altered shots and defended at a high level, that would show us enough of him being ready for a season that he could take over in. We’d like to see him bring it all together this year and this could be a start.

James continues to be one of the more intriguing big men we evaluate because the flashes are impossible to ignore during grassroots season. Every summer, he reminds you of the upside that’s there. He’s physical around the basket, not only embraces contact but looks for it, attacks the glass, and challenges bigs down low. Now it’s about carrying that same game into the high school season. Northfield is going to need him to shoulder a much larger workload, and I think he’s capable of doing exactly that. A strong summer earns him a rise in the rankings, but there’s still another jump available if he starts putting complete games together consistently. We think it’s finally coming.

James was a matchup problem all weekend thanks to his size, length and versatile skill set. He has the frame to compete inside, but what really stood out was his ability to step out and knock down shots as a legit shooter. Defenders had to respect him on the perimeter, which opened up even more ways for him to impact the game. His length helped him rebound, contest shots and create extra opportunities on both ends. James brings the kind of versatility every team wants, able to play multiple roles and produce in different ways. His upside is exciting and still growing

James is built like a bruiser and plays with that mindset. He’s a powerful forward who rebounds with force and finishes through contact. He controlled the paint all weekend as he was tracking boards, finishing inside, and drawing fouls. What stood out was his feel. He was catching tough passes and finishing without bringing the ball down. He’s still developing off the bounce, but the physical tools are real. Princeton is definitely one of the most intriguing forwards from the weekend.