LAS VEGAS — The Border League has become the premiere event of the fall, serving as a benchmark for where players are at in their development, and last weekend more than 100 high-major college coaches and NBA scouts flocked to Sin City to get eyes on some of the top high-school talent in the country. The main event: A head-to-head matchup between the No. 1 players in the junior and senior class, which saw Tyran Stokes, the No. 1-ranked senior, claim the win over Marcus Spears Jr., the No. 1 ranked junior, in a comeback victory.
“I’m just trying to set the tone for my senior season and play the right way,” Stokes told Hoops HQ afterwards. “This is my last season and we want to go out on top and even though it’s preseason, it starts right now.”
There were plenty of other players that shined under the bright lights and some younger players that are making names for themselves early on. Here are the biggest takeaways from Border League, including recruiting notes and where the top players stand after fall visits.
Tyran Stokes backs up No. 1 ranking
Some might have expected Stokes to be a little rusty on the basketball court after he elected to play football this fall for Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.). Stokes, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound senior, played wide receiver Friday night and flew to Las Vegas Saturday morning for his first game against Blair Academy (N.Y.). Stokes made everything look easy and appeared more fluid as a primary ball-handler as he started the break throughout the game. He is so dangerous in the open court and manipulates the defense with ease, converting on buckets when he is double or even triple teamed. His passing is the most underrated part of his game and he’s becoming a true positionless threat that NBA teams can see working at their level in the next two years.
Stokes told Hoops HQ that he is done taking visits and focused on his top schools. He’s visited Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky, USC and Oregon. A big thing to note is Stokes just signed a lucrative NIL Nike shoe deal last week and that could seal the deal for one of the Nike schools involved (Nike, USC and Oregon). Many in the recruiting world believe Kentucky and head coach Mark Pope have the slight edge, as Stokes would be returning to his home state where he was born and raised.
Bruce Branch III and Nasir Anderson make up dangerous backcourt for Prolific Prep
Prolific Prep made the move from Napa, Calif. to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and didn’t skip a beat on recruiting and putting together a team full of potential. Kansas guard (and potential No. 1 pick) Darryn Peterson led Prolific Prep last season and this year is loaded with talent in the junior and senior class. Five-star senior guard Caleb Holt is still sidelined with a broken wrist and will return to the team in the next two to three weeks, which has opened the door for junior point guard Nasir Anderson to lead as the floor general, and college coaches and scouts saw the No. 1 player in the junior class, Bruce Branch III, go off for 30 points against Mega Mis (Serbia) and look very comfortable as the first option.
Anderson has a bit of flair to him and he’s a bully guard that loves to get downhill and finish at the rim. Branch is more of a finesse player and his outside jumper looks the best it’s been his entire high school career. Anderson is coming off a recent visit from Georgia and has offers from Kansas, Florida, North Carolina, Louisville, Tennessee, Alabama and others. Branch’s recruitment has been kept under wraps but programs like Duke, BYU, Kansas, Houston, Arizona, NC State and Louisville are all in the mix.
7-footer Adonis Ratliff goes off, shooting 9-for-11 from three on night one
There was no other player that raised eyebrows (in the best way possible) like Ratliff did. He and his twin brother, Darius, are back on the court after dealing with injuries all summer long and they were incredible. Theo Ratliff’s twin boys inherited his length and have added so much versatility with the way they have expanded their game. While Darius is a better rim protector in the lane, Adonis let it fly from all over the court and put on one of the most impressive shooting performances of the weekend, finishing with 35 points and hitting nine three-pointers.
“That was a record for me, for sure,” Adonis said after the game. “Once I get hot, the rim just gets bigger and my teammates did a great job finding me.”
There is some overlap in the programs that are recruiting the twins but they have yet to say if they’re a package deal. The pair took an official to Alabama on Sept. 19, and Arkansas is the latest to offer with USC, Pittsburgh, Texas, Louisville, Rutgers, Cal and Stanford all in the mix.
The battle of the point guards: DeRon Rippey vs. Taylen Kinney
Kansas commit Taylen Kinney is the best offensive point guard and DeRon Rippey Jr. is the best on-ball defending point guard in the senior class. The pair faced off in one of the first games of the weekend and it was Rippey leading a 20-point comeback in the second half, showing he is more than a one-way threat. His three-point jumper looked solid and he was instrumental in the final minutes, getting steals and making tough shots. Kinney (the man, the myth, the legend responsible for the 6-7 explosion on social media) can get a bucket whenever he wants and looks very strong with the ball in his hands.
Rippey is currently on a visit to Kentucky and has taken official visits to Syracuse, Texas, North Carolina and Miami. Duke is also involved and Tennessee has had a recent in-home visit. He is going to be one of the top targets for all schools involved, especially after how well he played at Border League and his consistent play from the summer AAU season.
The era of Caleb Gaskins and Jax Richardson begins at Columbus
Both Gaskins and Richardson played with Cameron and Cayden Boozer last season and won a Florida state championship and the Geico National Championship. The two five-star seniors have big shoes to fill but look great playing together as the first and second option offensively; they especially show out in transition, flying high for lobs at the rim and using their athleticism to get to the lane. Four-star point guard Felipe Quinones is a great connector and long-distance shooter and the three of them are quickly finding their chemistry. Gaskins and Richardson dealt with different injuries over the summer and looked to be back to full strength at the Border League. Richardson took recent visits to USC and Alabama while Gaskins has been to Miami and has an upcoming visit this weekend to Texas A&M.
Brandon McCoy and Maximo Adams are a duo to watch
Sierra Canyon has a new elite tandem and the first on-court look at McCoy and Adams was very promising. Adams is one of the breakout stars from the summer and his recruitment has blown up. He’s taken official visits to USC, Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan State and Texas and has gone from a top 75 recruit from last spring to a top 20 player in the senior class.
McCoy opted to take the spring off and not play AAU basketball; instead he made the team for Team USA for the U19 FIBA World Cup. He was one of the youngest players on the team as the USA took home the gold medal. After the tournament, he joined Arizona Unity for Nike’s Peach Jam and was the leading scorer of the prestigious summer tournament. Like Stokes, McCoy also signed a NIL shoe deal with Nike. He has taken official visits to Miami, Arkansas and USC with the two Nike schools favored to land the five-star guard.
Marcus Spears Jr. forming more complete game
Spears had a great summer with Drive Nation (Texas) and is ready for a more prominent role on Dynamic Prep. Spears came off the bench last season as a sophomore and played behind four-star prospects Jermaine O’Neal Jr. and Jaden Toombs, who are both freshmen at SMU this year. Spears has taken on more of a leadership role and was incredibly consistent at Border League. He made the right passes out of double teams and finished through contact, and on the other end he defended positions one through four and has added some strength to his frame.
Spears comes from a family of athletes that have played at the highest level. His dad, Marcus, played football at LSU before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 20th overall pick in 2005. His mom, Aiysha, played basketball at LSU and was the No. 7 pick in the WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics in 2003. His older sister, Macaria, is a freshman outside hitter at Texas and was the No. 1 volleyball recruit in the nation. “My family keeps me grounded,” Spears said. “My parents have played at the highest level and my sister has gone through the pressure of being the No. 1 player in the country for volleyball, so just seeing her go through everything and just knowing the work will speak for itself, that’s what I’m doing now and just putting in the work each and every day.”
Spears took an official visit to LSU and has recent offers from Baylor, Arkansas, USC and Kentucky.
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Aden Diggs, Cayden Gaskins are underclassmen standouts
A lot of attention and focus were on the juniors and seniors and how well they played, but a few freshmen and sophomores provided bright spots by playing varsity and holding their own. Cayden Gaskins, Caleb’s younger brother, came off the bench for Columbus and does not look like your typical freshman. He’s already 6-foot-5 with broad shoulders and has the physicality to match players three years older. He had some great highlights alongside his older brother in transition and played with good pace and patience.
Diggs is one of the older players in the 2028 high-school class, turning 17 this month, but his skillset matches those in the senior class. He pairs poise with an explosive first step, and he and Millennium High School (Ariz.) teammate Cameron Holmes are a star-studded duo that drew big crowds of college coaches and NBA scouts. Already listed as a 6-foot-5 guard, Diggs holds offers from Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cal, Creighton and UCLA. It will be interesting to see if he decides to reclassify up to 2027 because of his age, but he proved he’s more than ready with the combination of size, shot creation and defensive versatility.
