The summer evaluation “season” now is in full swing, with the first live period taking place over the weekend. Coaches from around the country had a chance to watch potential recruits play in person.
Numerous Power Five coaches were in Council Bluffs, Iowa, for the second Adidas 3SSB session of the month. Here are 12 prospects – all from the 2026 class except as noted – who stood out from the event.
G Caleb Holt, Game Elite
It was really hard for defenders to stop Holt, a 6-foot-5 guard, when he got going. A consensus national top-five prospect from Loganville (Ga.) Grayson, in the Atlanta suburbs, Holt showed off his entire skill set. He is one of the best downhill drivers in the class, has a deep mid-range bag, including floaters and fadeaways, and can knock down shots from beyond the arc.
But what sets him apart is his defensive versatility. Holt can handle point guards and battle in the post with big men. He defended four-star forward Sebastian Wilkins for most of their game. For the weekend, Holt averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 57.1 percent from the field. He’s a big reason Game Elite remains undefeated at 8-0 in 3SSB play.
So far in his recruitment process, Holt has visited Ole Miss officially, along with Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Tennessee unofficially. Several head coaches saw him play in Iowa, including Alabama’s Nate Oats, Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, Georgia Tech’s Damon Stoudamire and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson. Other programs involved in his recruitment had assistants present.
G Taylen Kinney, Wildcat Select
If there’s one thing to know about Kinney, it’s that he gets buckets. The 6-foot-3 guard, a five-star recruit who is a top-20 prospect, scores with ease at all three levels and uses his length and athleticism to finish around bigger defenders. He was the leading scorer at 3SSB Session 2, scoring 20-plus points in each game and averaging 25.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 58.7 percent from the field.
Kinney plays high school basketball at Overtime Elite in Atlanta and was the face of RWE as a junior. Oats, Pearl, Kentucky’s Mark Pope, Louisville’s Pat Kelsey, Purdue’s Matt Painter, Texas’ Sean Miller and UConn’s Dan Hurley were among the coaches watching him play.
Kinney, originally from Newport, Ky., has officially visited Purdue and took an unofficial visit to Kentucky. He said he’d like to travel to Arkansas, Louisville, Kentucky and Texas for officials this summer and fall. He also has an official visit set for Oregon on Sept. 6.
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G Deron Rippey Jr., New Heights
Rippey, a 6-foot-2 five-star prospect, is your classic tough, hard-nosed New York guard. His first-step burst is unmatched by anyone in the class, and Rippey uses that speed to get downhill to make plays for himself and teammates all weekend. His father, Deron Rippey Sr., played college basketball at East Carolina, and you can tell Rippey has a strong feel for the game, which he said comes from his father’s teachings.
At Session 2, he averaged 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He also had two games with four steals and was 10-of-23 (43.5 percent) from three-point range. His recruitment is wide open at the moment, per his father. Duke’s Jon Scheyer, Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland, Hurley, Kelsey, Pearl and Miller, plus assistants from 25-plus schools saw him over the weekend.
Louisville was the first official visit for Rippey, who attends Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J. He’s also taken unofficial trips to Rutgers, St. John’s, Syracuse, Villanova and UConn. He’ll be looking to take several more trips this summer.
SF Abdou Toure, BABC
Toure, a 6-foot-6, 185-pounder, might be the best athlete in the 2026 class. The five-star prospect is super explosive and can impact the game in almost every way imaginable. He has length to guard multiple positions and can get off his shot over taller defenders. His leaping ability makes him a menace defensively. Really, there’s nothing Toure, who attends West Haven (Conn.) Notre Dame, can’t do.
Hurley was front and center to watch Toure play in Council Bluffs. He and other coaches saw Toure average 15.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 blocks over the weekend. Toure’s BABC squad went 4-0 during Session 2 and is one of two remaining undefeated teams on the 3SSB circuit, along with Game Elite. Other schools involved include Arkansas, Louisville, Tennessee and Syracuse. Toure hasn’t taken any visits but plans to take some in the fall.
PF Cam Williams, Compton Magic
Williams is a great example of a modern-day power forward. The 6-foot-11, 200-pound four-star prospect is a consensus top-30 prospect who showed off his versatility in Iowa, averaging 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks while shooting 7-of-14 (50 percent) from three-point range.
Williams, who attends Phoenix St. Mary’s, said right now he plays like Evan Mobley but wants to become more like Cooper Flagg. That’s apropos, as Duke is a major player in his recruitment; Scheyer watched him play Friday. Other schools involved include Arizona, Purdue, Notre Dame, Stanford, Texas and USC, but he said he’s open to all.
Williams has unlimited upside, though he’s still working on all areas of his game.
PF Sebastian Wilkins, Mass Rivals
The recruiting services haven’t truly recognized Wilkins’ talent. The 6-foot-8, 215-pounder is a consensus four-star recruit and top-30 prospect. But he is one of the most complete and college-ready players in the class, and it’s why he may be enrolled in college this summer. Wilkins said in Council Bluffs that graduating high school early and reclassifying certainly is on the table. Wilkins announced Monday that he’ll be making his college decision Friday at 4 p.m. ET.
Duke and Maryland are leaders of the pack. Scheyer and new Maryland coach Buzz Williams were among those who watched him play in Council Bluffs, with Maryland also having three assistants in attendance.
Over the weekend, Wilkins – who goes to powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H. – averaged 12.0 points and 4.0 rebounds across four games, and opposing defenses consistently double-teamed and face-guarded him. Wilkins has a pure looking three-point stroke and easily rises up over defenders. He has great footwork and can score with his back to the basket. The best part? You don’t have to call his number for him to be productive.
PG Darius Bivins, Washington Warriors
Bivins is the best setup man in 3SSB, leading all 17u players in assists per game (7.5). He makes finding his teammates look easy and has a high basketball IQ. Some of the passes he makes are just ridiculous. That part of his game is college-ready, but he can score, too. In Iowa, Bivins, a 6-foot, 165-pounder, averaged 14.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.5 steals. He finished with a 26:6 assist/turnover ratio and had a points/assists double-double against Power 5.
Bivins, a four-star prospect from Alexandria (Va.) Bishop O’Connell who ranks just outside the consensus national top-100, has 25-plus offers. He has taken visits to Georgetown, Harvard, Rutgers and Virginia (before Tony Bennett retired). He also named BYU, Maryland, Notre Dame, Purdue, Seton Hall, South Carolina and Texas Tech as schools he’s considering.
G Brandon Bass Jr., Austin Rivers SE Elite
As the son of 12-year NBA veteran Brandon Bass, the 6-foot-5 four-star prospect has great knowledge of the game and knows what it takes to play at the highest level. His dad played with Kobe Bryant, and the “Mamba Mentality” is something Bass tries to carry into his games.
While Bass – who attends Windermere Academy in the Orlando suburbs – is a little raw as a prospect, he’s still one of the best shooters in the class. He hit four key triples to take down Compton Magic on Saturday. Across four games in Iowa, Bass averaged 14.0 points and shot 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) from deep.
He has taken an official visit to Purdue and unofficial visits to LSU (his dad’s alma mater) and hometown UCF. Alabama, Florida State and USC are a few other schools involved. Bass still could add some height: His dad is 6-foot-8.
F Colben Landrew, Game Elite
It might be hard to stand out on a team featuring Caleb Holt, but Landrew had averages of 13.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.8 steals at Session 2 while shooting better than 50 percent from the field. And he made big plays when Game Elite needed it most. Sunday against Iowa United, Landrew had the game-winning and-one in double overtime, and he also had several huge buckets down the stretch in an eight-point win over Mass Rivals, when he finished with 21 points.
Landrew, a four-star prospect who attends Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler, used to be a wide receiver and just recently decided to focus strictly on basketball. Landrew is physical and excels at finishing through contact, and he said football taught him “how to be a dog.” (That “dog” mentality helped Wheeler High beat Holt’s Grayson High team in a state semifinal in March.)
He has visited Clemson, Georgia, Mississippi State and Ole Miss, and he’ll be tripping at Purdue from June 23-25. Other schools involved include Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Michigan, Purdue, Texas A&M and Xavier. All those programs were represented in Council Bluffs.
C Arafan Diane, Iowa United
Diane, a 7-foot-1, 260-pounder, might be the most physically imposing player in high school basketball. He dominated the paint and averaged 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in Council Bluffs. Diane leads the circuit in rebounds per game after two sessions. He also has shooting touch, going 3 of 5 from three-point range and 14 of 18 (77.8 percent) from the line.
But what stands out most about the big man is his leadership. Diane was vocal and always the one to get his team huddled together before free throws. He plays with a ton of passion and has a relentless motor.
Diane came to the United States at age 14 from Guinea, a country of 14 million in West Africa, to play for what is now Iowa United Prep. The program originated in Canada before moving to the Des Moines area. Several coaches watched Diane courtside in Council Bluffs, including Kelvin and Kellen Sampson of Houston. The big man said Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville and Michigan are some of the programs involved in his recruitment.
F Bo Ogden, ASAK
After Session 1, the 6-foot-5, 185-pound Ogden was the leading scorer on the 3SSB circuit at the 17u level. He still remains at the top after a productive weekend in Iowa, where he averaged 18.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. Shooting is one of Ogden’s strong suits, and he knocked down 40.1 percent of his shots from deep on 27 attempts at Session 2.
But Ogden – from Austin (Texas) St. Michael’s Catholic – is much more than just a shooter. He also rebounds well for his frame, can guard multiple positions and is a crafty finisher. He has taken an official visit to Purdue, and also has schools like Providence, SMU, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia interested. All those programs were spotted courtside to watch Ogden.
Ogden is the son of Texas general manager Chris Ogden, who remained on the staff after Miller moved over from Xavier. His father played four seasons at Texas (2000-03) and is the winningest player in program history (97 victories).
SF Bruce Branch III, Compton Magic, Class of 2027
One coach who attended 3SSB Session 2 said Branch, a five-star recruit, is the best prospect in high school basketball, regardless of class.
Branch is 6-foot-7 but is as fluid as a point guard. He frequently runs the offense for Compton Magic, and can score from anywhere on the court. He averaged 14.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in Iowa while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 10-of-24 (41.7 percent) from deep. His best game was a 23-point outing vs. Indiana Elite that included five triples. Those shots proved huge in Compton’s seven-point win.
Branch’s parents were athletes at Northern Arizona (dad played football, mom basketball), so he comes from an athletic family. Branch said he’s not really focused on the recruitment process yet, as he’s “just playing basketball.” Still, Houston is a school that recently offered and Branch said he loves the Cougars’ defensive mentality.
Branch attends Gilbert (Ariz.) Perry, in the Phoenix suburbs.
