UA Next Combine: Top Wings
Bellflower, Ca. — St. John Bosco high school hosted the west edition of the Under Armour Next Combine series Saturday featuring many of the top prospects from the class of 2022.
The mix of players included eighth graders from the local Southern California area, along with others from Northern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Nebraska.
Among the most highly-regarded prospects in attendance were 6-foot-10 forward/center Dylan Anderson out of Arizona, Nevada-based point guard Richard Isaacs, Jr., Utah forward Jaxon Kohler and future Sierra Canyon wing Ramel Lloyd, Jr.
Here are the top wing/forward performers from the event:
Chris Bunch, Diablo (CA)
Bunch was one of the highest motor prospects in the gym Saturday. At 6-feet-4 with good strength and length, he gets a ton done on both ends due to pure activity in the paint. Bunch is a good rebounder on both the offensive and defensive glass, he runs the floor with purpose and can power-up and finish through contact in the paint.
Kristian Jemerson, Los Alamitos (CA)
Jemerson is a quick twitch athlete complete with quick first and second jumps. The 6-foot-3 wing has impressive length which he uses to his advantage on the defensive end where he contains smaller guards on the perimeter, gets into passing lanes for steals, and rebounds well for his size and position. Jemerson is an adept finisher in transition settings.
Ramel Lloyd, Lakewood (CA)
Lloyd has a tremendous combination of size, strength and ball skills for his class. Those attributes, coupled with his basketball IQ and vision, allow him to play both on or off the ball. Lloyd can initiate offense at 6-feet-5, but operates well off the ball in both half-court and transition opportunities.
Elijah Saunders, Phoenix (AZ)
Saunders is a strong downhill athlete who is best when attacking the basket in transition. The 6-foot-4 wing has a strong frame for his class, which allows him to overpower defenders en route to power finishes in the paint. Saunders has scoring dexterity with either hand around the basket.
Pejan Slater, Lancaster (CA)
Slater was one of the best pure shooters at the combine. The 6-foot-3 left handed wing can hit deep 3-pointers both off the catch and with a handful of crafty rhythm dribbles. Slater can also attack hard closeouts and get paint touches where he can finish with a floater or kick out to an open 3-point shooter.