The annual USA Basketball junior national team minicamp saw 76 of the top high school players assemble in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this past weekend, and it was an event that was heavily watched by NBA scouts and executives.
The depth of talent and competitive nature of the drills and scrimmages during the three-day event created an intense atmosphere, with players ranging in age from 14 to 19 attempting to position themselves for coveted FIBA event roster spots, future camp invites and a ticket to participate in the Nike Hoop Summit in April.
This year's event wasn't as top-heavy with ranked players as previous iterations, with the top six prospects of ESPN's class of 2025 (and eight of the top 10) all declining invites, as well as three of the top six eligible recruits from the class of 2026 not present.
Like college, the world of high school basketball has undergone significant change in recent years, and USA Basketball is still trying to find its footing. Players have more places to showcase their talents, with more games on television or streaming services and social media providing a significant platform. Also, there are new leagues and pathways in place for players, such as the EYBL Scholastic league, the Grind Session and Overtime Elite (which was well-represented this past weekend), allowing more opportunities to display their skills. This has all created more revenue streams and NIL opportunities that didn't exist in recent years, as well as a much more crowded schedule for players.
Despite those challenges, USA Basketball is considered the gold standard of scouting platforms, with an alumni list dotted with NBA All-Stars and Basketball Hall of Famers, including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and many more. This is why the gym was packed every day with prominent stakeholders from around the country, including representatives from nearly all 30 NBA teams.
That allowed for lesser-known prospects to take advantage of the USA Basketball platform and begin to build their candidacy as 2026 NBA draft prospects, including the No. 1-ranked center, Chris Cenac Jr., and the No. 1-ranked point guard, Darius Acuff. More players of note in the 2026 ESPN 60 include California-based wings Nikolas Khamenia, Brandon McCoy and Christian Collins.
Let's take a look at those players and recruits who dropped significant glimpses of potential as members of the 2027 and 2028 high school classes, setting themselves up to be heavily scouted in coming years.
Note: Measurements included in this story are the official stats from this camp.
Jump to a class:
2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028
2025 recruits
Darius Acuff, PG
Stats: 6-3, 183 pounds | IMG Academy (Florida)
2025 ESPN 100 rankings: No. 8
Committed: Arkansas