Top Prospect For Each Team in GEICO Nationals

The GEICO Nationals are back and it’s about that time to crown a new champion. With over ten five-star prospects playing in this tournament, there are a ton of potential future NBA players that we’ll get to watch play. Let's dive into each team's top prospect.

No. 1: Montverde Academy

Cooper Flagg is only a sophomore but is the best prospect in the entire tournament. He’s 16 years old and is one of the best defensive prospects in the entire world. On the season he’s averaging a ridiculous 1.6 blocks and 2.2 steals per game which makes him the team leader in both categories. He’s the most versatile and impactful underclassman in all of high school basketball, undoubtedly.

Not only does he have incredible defensive tools, but he has an advanced understanding of fundamentals defensively with his rotations, help-side defense, and defensive playmaking. Flagg shows great feel as a defender and on offense with his secondary playmaking ability. He’s still developing on offense but with his advanced understanding of the game, I expect his offense to continue to get polished as he gets older.

No. 2: Long Island Lutheran

VJ Edgecombe is the most underrated player in this tournament. He’s an elite athlete with two-way ability. He’s easily one of the most explosive slashers in the entire junior class as he can finish through contact and well above the rim. Edgecombe is more than just an athletic slasher offensively as he has shooting potential and plays under control for his archetype.

Defensively, he’s a high level on-ball defender that plays with a ton of energy and intensity. He has versatility on that end with his great tools. It’s really hard to imagine recruiting sites will leave him at a four-star rating for much longer due to his impressive two-way ability.

No. 3: Prolific Prep

Aden Holloway is one of the most skilled undersized guards in all of high school basketball. He's a super shifty with the ball in his hands that plays with great pace and craftiness needed for him being 6-feet tall. He’s a sharpshooting guard with impressive shot-making ability that’s wired to score. Holloway is much more of a scorer than a playmaker at this stage but he has looked much better as a creator for others this season.

He’s an underrated finisher at the rim due to his height but he has real touch and creativity as a finisher. There's obviously defensive limitations and he will need to be an outlier shooter and shot-maker to get legitimate NBA looks, but he’s comfortably one of the most skilled guards in this tournament.

No. 4: Link Academy

Ja’Kobe Walter is one of the most talented scorers in this entire tournament. A smooth shot-maker with three level scoring upside but mostly loves to operate from the mid-range area. His scoring instincts are impressive and you can just tell he’s wired to score. He doesn’t have ideal shot mechanics but he’s still a good, consistent shooter from three.

Walter has nice defensive tools and should be a more versatile defender as he continues to get older and learns more on that end. Outside of scoring the ball, he’s not major impactful elsewhere which could be concerning when the shot isn’t falling. Adding a tighter handle will go a long way with his shot-creation skills and would make him so much scarier as a scoring wing.

No. 5: Paul VI Catholic

DeShawn Harris-Smith is one of the toughest wings I’ve seen in the high school game. He has a college-ready frame that plays with a ton of physicality as a slasher and defender. He’s a left-handed dominant finisher that’s able to finish through defenders and does an impressive job of drawing fouls and pressuring the rim. On defense, Harris-Smith has a ridiculously high motor and seems to always play with a chip on his shoulder.

He moves well laterally to contain ball-handlers and plays physical enough to defend post players in small spurts. The versatile wing projects to be an impactful, versatile defender at the next level. He’s not much of a scorer or shooter, but he doesn’t need to score to make an impact on the game. He could be a nice role player in the NBA if he continues to improve his shot mechanics.

No. 6: IMG Academy

Bryson Tucker is an incredibly polished scoring wing that’s oozing with potential. He loves to operate in the mid-range area. He has a great understanding on how to get to his spots and when to be aggressive scoring the ball. There's a legitmiate chance he could be the top scorer in his draft class due to how polished he already is and how much better he’ll continue to get.

He can create offense with the ball and has underrated passing ability for a wing due to his advanced feel for the game and impressive processing speed. I’d like to see Tucker utilize his tools more on the defensive end but the potential to be a two-way player is evident. He’s one of the top junior prospects and has a chance to lead IMG to a championship.

No. 7: AZ Compass Prep

Mookie Cook is a super intriguing prospect due to his blend of high level athleticism, physical tools, and two-way flashes. He has the potential to be a very good versatile defender that can be disruptive on the ball and in the passing lanes. The potential to be a defensive playmaker is there for him to take. Cook is an impressive finisher around the rim in traffic and can utilize his elite vertical pop to finish above the rim.

He has an underrated feel for the game and has shown encouraging passing flashes. Overall, he still needs to tighten up his handle and polish up his offensive game but the potential lottery pick has some tools that you simply can’t teach.

No. 8: Sunrise Christian Academy

Matas Buzelis is the early fan favorite to be the number one overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft widely due to his elite offensive talent at 6-foot-10. He’s an advanced shot-maker that has guard-like skills as he has a tight handle, serves well as a secondary playmaker, and can put up points in a hurry. He’s such a fluid mover with good athleticism. Buzelis not only one of the most intriguing prospects in this tournament, but in the world.

He’s a bit streaky as a shooter but you have to respect the jumper. Still needs to add frame and continue to get stronger which’ll help improve some of his struggles on the defensive end. With him heading to the G League, I expect him to clean up a lot of his weaknesses.

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