The first AAU live period in nearly two years took place this past weekend at venues spread out all over the country. Our Pro Insight team blanketed our coverage from coast-to-coast, including Adidas 3SSB, which was held at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, just outside of Birmingham, Alabama.
The event was filled with well-known four and five-star prospects, but for the majority of this article, we’re focusing on the class of 2022 through 2024 “non-household names” that were either unranked entering the weekend or, in our opinion, under-valued due to limited exposure throughout the global pandemic. We’re also including two standout 2025 prospects who we project will become household names sooner rather than later.
In the latest edition of ‘P.I. Pulse’, we cover a number of unsigned prospects that caught our eye in Alabama, organized alphabetically by class:
2022
Jamarques Lawrence | Guard | NY Jayhawks
The Roselle Catholic (NJ) combo guard was a straight-up flame-thrower throughout the entire weekend. Not only could he seemingly not miss from deep, he was a major overall catalyst in his team’s 5-1 showing in Birmingham. Standing at 6’3, Lawrence displayed the ability to play comfortably both on or off the ball and while he wasn’t tossing in 23-footers, he did a nice job finding teammates with an array of smart entry passes, kick-outs and drop-offs once the defense ran him off the line or collapsed on him. There’s always value in high IQ players that can put the ball in the basket, so it’s no wonder high majors are beginning to take notice of Lawrence’s abilities.
Latest offers: Virginia Tech, Quinnipiac, Wichita State, Fordham, California, St. Bonaventure, UMBC
Ven-Allen Lubin | Forward | Southeast Elite
With Southeast Elite teammate Ernest Udeh, Jr. absent this weekend due to illness, Lubin took full advantage of the spotlight for Southeast Elite. Displaying his electric athleticism, Lubin thrived in transition and finished everything around the basket with authority. His strength and length made it easy for him to finish through tough defense. However, our staff knew he possessed those traits before this weekend. What we were most impressed by from the 4.0 GPA student was his new-found touch and shooting ability, which had previously been improvement areas for Lubin. Throughout the weekend, he showed off a variety of mid-post and face-up jumpers, and even knocked down a couple threes. Combine an improved skillset with his elite defensive and transition ability, and it’s no surprise he has picked up multiple Power 5 offers in recent days.
Latest offers: Georgia, Auburn, Miss. State, Pitt, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, West Virginia
Honorable Mentions: D’Ante Bass (Atlanta Celtics), Fats Billups (Team Loaded VA), Ryan Dunn (NY Jayhawks), Elijah Saunders (Compton Magic), Enkhiin-Od Michael Sharavjamts (Midwest Basketball Club)
2023
Gabe Cupps | Guard | Midwest Basketball Club
Like many, our first exposure to Gabe Cupps was watching him go shot-for-shot with LeBron on Instagram in 2019. Two years later and the viral video has subsequently propelled his following to over 360,000. We didn’t put much thought into him as a prospect until seeing him live in Alabama and let us just say — he put everyone in the gym on notice. Cupps is much more than just a shooter with 25-foot range. He’s as tough and competitive as they come, a fundamentally-sound combo guard with a tight handle, quick processing speed and sharp court vision. Though smaller in stature compared to some opponents, he makes up for it by working his tail off on D, maximizing his athletic ability and playing angles to cut off penetration. We feel confident writing this in ink: Cupps will no longer be unranked by the end of the summer.
Latest offers: Indiana, Kansas State, Clemson, Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio State
Tyler Harris | Wing | Dream Vision
Quite simply, Tyler Harris is a name that deserves more attention. He spent the weekend playing with Dream Vision 16s and didn’t produce gaudy numbers, but had plenty of incredibly intriguing flashes offering a glimpse of what he can become as a player. Off the top, at 6’7, he brings very good positional size on the wing. He’s a superb athlete with excellent body control, a functional handle and secondary playmaking upside due to his smart, swift decision making. He’s currently flying under the radar mostly due to limited exposure throughout COVID, but that won’t be the case for long.
Latest offers: UTEP, Cal Poly, Eastern Washington
Honorable Mentions: Truman Claytor (Team Loaded NC), Khali Horton (Wildcat Select), London Johnson (Game Elite)
2024
Paul McNeil, Jr. | Wing | Garner Road
Standing at a long and lean 6’7, McNeil Jr. is already beginning to generate a palpable buzz during the live period. He displayed an impressive ability to shoot both off the catch and off the dribble this past weekend. His size and high release make it tough for opposing closeouts to alter his shot. He gets great rotation on his ball and scores with touch. When defensive attention is locked in on him, McNeil Jr. can easily see over most defenders his age to find open teammates. As he continues to develop his ability to attack the rim, the sky will be the limit. He earned his first two offers on day two of the event, and will earn many more over the next three years.
Latest offers: Tennessee, Western Carolina
Jacob Theodosiou | Guard | Wildcat Select
The Canadian PG had a strong showing in his first experience playing in a shoe circuit environment. The Team Canada U16 national team hopeful is a heady, tough, confident lead ball handler that makes everyone around him better. Theodosiou has terrific positional size for a rising sophomore, an advanced handle, ambidextrous passing ability and impressive lateral agility on the defensive end. He routinely cut off penetration while guarding the ball and clearly prides himself on getting stops. Expect his offers and interest list to grow considerably as we get deeper into July.
Latest offers: Lehigh, South Carolina
Honorable Mentions: K. Annor Boateng (Arkansas Hawks), Isaac Davis (Utah Prospects), Vazoumana “Zoom” Diallo (Team LaVine), Drake Powell (Team Loaded NC), Kur Teng (Mass Rivals)
2025
Koa Peat | Wing | Compton Magic
It will be a while before we see Koa Peat in a college uniform, but the high major offers are already piling up. Standing at 6’8 as a rising high school freshman, Peat is really a big guard at this point. Consistently bringing the ball up and utilizing his functional handle, Peat can get his shot off with ease. Combine that with his high-level touch, size, and fluid movement ability, and it becomes apparent why we labeled him the “unicorn” of the weekend in our superlatives assessment. Peat will no doubt be a Top-10 prospect in his class.
Latest offers: Oklahoma, UCLA, Texas Tech, Texas, Kansas, Washington, Arizona
Darryn Peterson | Wing | Wildcat Select
Darryn Peterson is another name to remember from the 2025 class. The 14-year-old plays up with the 16U group for a Wildcat Select roster that is full of talent. Even so, Peterson was able to stand out in a big way with his ability to create separation from defenders and score at all three levels. He confidently handles the rock and can run the show or score in bunches. Sadly, his weekend ended early due to a minor foot injury. Once back in action, Peterson will be a must-watch prospect for high major college programs.
Latest offers: Maryland, West Virginia, LSU, Pitt, St. John’s
Honorable Mentions: Kaden Magwood (EAB Tennessee), Maper Maker (Team Harden AZ)
