2026 Draft Watch: Thoughts on the 2025 Jordan Brand Classic

May 6th, 2025

By Alan Lu

This time around, I took the time to watch the 2025 Jordan Brand Classic that was held on April 18th, as I was able to see it with thanks to YouTube via NBA.  This game featured some top prospects for the 2026 draft in AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Kiyan Anthony, and this turned out to be a really high scoring affair.  Here are my thoughts on how all of the players fared in this game. For the box score of this game, here is the link, via Syracuse.com.

Strong Performances (12)

BYU’s incoming 6-9 freshman forward, AJ Dybantsa put forth a strong performance in this game.  He is a tremendously athletic player that had a great all-around game, and he especially thrived as a scorer and playmaker.

Dybantsa did a great job of scoring on quick, strong drives to the hoop.  He would go in to score on powerful, two-handed dunks, and he also managed to score on a fadeaway jumper while getting fouled.  He has a very quick first step, and he also showed that he can effortlessly score in traffic.

He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  He ran the floor to get the ball, and he was able to score on a strong, windmill dunk.  He also caught a lob off of a cut to score on a powerful alley-oop dunk.  He also did a decent job of knocking down outside shots.  Dybantsa showed that he can ably make long-range jumpers off the dribble, and he also drew free throws on a corner three another time.  However, he struggled to make spot-up threes off the catch.

He also showcased strong playmaking skills.  He is a gifted playmaker that can easily create his own shot, and he excelled at making passes off the dribble and in transition.  He also was able to make a deft, no-look pass to find a corner shooter to notch an assist.  Dybantsa is a really good ball handler, and he did a good job of setting up scores for his teammates and taking care of the basketball.

He also did a good job of rebounding the basketball.  Plus, Dybantsa also defended well.  He would poke balls away to get steals and deflections, and he also would often contest threes to force misses.  Every once in a while though, he would occasionally play too aggressively, which would get him into trouble on the defensive end.

Overall, AJ Dybantsa played very well to help lead his team in this game, and he put forth a terrific performance when he was on the court.  He is a gifted prospect that has a wealth of skills and a lot of upside, and he is a contender for the top pick in the 2026 draft.

Syracuse’s incoming 6-5 freshman guard, Kiyan Anthony also had a terrific showing to help lead Team Air to a win over Team Flight in this game.  Anthony is a very athletic playmaker that did a superb job of making shots, and he also rebounded and defended very well.

Anthony did an excellent job of shooting the basketball, as he showed expert footwork and a tremendous shooting touch to make a plethora of threes off the dribble.  He also would score quickly on hustle plays, and he would get the ball on fast breaks to score on high-flying, two-handed dunks.  He also has a quick first step that allows him to split double teams, and he would effortlessly score around the basket. 

Also, he is a gifted shot creator that can easily get his own shots up at will.  He also was able to throw an accurate outlet pass to a teammate on the break once.  On the downside, sometimes he would make careless mistakes that would lead him to commit turnovers.

Plus, Anthony did a good job of rebounding the basketball.  He also defended well.  He would stay in front of his man and contest jump shots to force misses.

In general, Kiyan Anthony had a superb showing to lead his team to a win, and he is a very athletic, sharpshooting combo guard that has a lot of range on his shot and can score at will.  He is a gifted shot maker that has star potential, and he could end up being a lottery pick in the 2026 draft.

North Carolina’s incoming 6-9 freshman forward, Caleb Wilson also played very well in the 2025 Jordan Brand Classic, and he did a tremendous job of scoring the basketball.  He is a very athletic combo forward that provided superb scoring skills, and he had a strong all-around game.

Wilson did a great job of scoring on hustle plays.  He would often run the floor to get the ball to score on high-flying dunks and layups, and he also drove up court to throw down a thunderous jam.  Plus, he also would score on athletic tip shots around the basket.  He also can score quickly off the dribble, and he has solid shooting touch, athleticism, and dribble moves that allow him to easily score out of the post.   On the downside, he didn’t quite shoot as well from the outside, but Wilson was incredibly efficient at attacking the basket to consistently score on offense.

He also excelled as a playmaker in this game.  Wilson did a good job of making passes on the break, and he was able to throw a nifty, behind-the-back pass to find a teammate ahead in transition to set up a score once.  He passed and handled the ball well, and he took very good care of the basketball.

Plus, he also rebounded and defended well.  Wilson showed a knack for blocking shots, as he was able to swat a three as well as a shot off the dribble, both to teammates due to possessing very good length, athleticism, and timing.  He also managed to intercept a pass to get a steal.  On the downside, sometimes he would struggle to defend opponents off the dribble, which would lead him to allow scores.

In summary, Caleb Wilson had a strong showing in this game, and he played his best game yet out of all of the high school all-star games he’s played this year.  He’s an immensely athletic, energetic combo forward that has star potential, and he will likely be a lottery pick in the 2026 draft.

Tennessee’s incoming 6-9 freshman forward, Nate Ament quietly played very well to help Team Air get the victory over Team Flight in this game.  He is an athletic, skilled forward that turned in a strong all-around performance.

Ament was very efficient as a shooter and scorer in this game.  He was able to dribble back to make a dribble three-pointer smoothly, and he also showed a strong ability to score off the dribble, as he especially excels at going to his left to do so.  He was a free throw merchant that would regularly get to the foul line.

Plus, he also excelled as a playmaker in this game, and he showed a knack for making crisp passes off the dribble and in transition to set up a wealth of scoring chances for his teammates, and he also threw an accurate lob pass once.

He also rebounded and defended really well.  He would contest a variety of shots to force misses, and he also intercepted a pass to get a steal another time. Overall, Ament had a strong showing at the 2025 Jordan Brand Classic, and he is a smooth, skilled forward that could end up being a likely lottery pick in the 2026 draft.

Baylor’s incoming 6-6 freshman swingman, Tounde Yessoufou also played very well in this game.  He especially thrived as a scorer and defender in this game.  He showed a knack for scoring on quick, strong drives as well as on fast breaks, and he was able to throw down numerous thunderous dunks.   He also managed to make a smooth, step-back three to showcase his range, and he also excelled at scoring on hustle plays.

Plus, he also generally passed and handled the ball well, and he was fairly active at crashing the boards.  He also defended very well, and he would often contest threes to force misses.  Overall, Yessoufou is a strong, very athletic swingman that could be a star in the league, and he could end up being a sure-fire lottery pick in the 2026 draft.

Arkansas’ incoming 6-3 freshman guard, Meleek Thomas also played very well in this game, as he was absolutely terrific on offense, and he also defended very well. Thomas is an athletic sharpshooter that did a great job of making threes, as he did so both off the catch and dribble, and he also showed a knack for scoring on strong drives to the hoop.  He also was able to drive down the lane to score on an impressive, thunderous dunk in traffic. 

Plus, he also passed the ball well, as he excelled as a passer off the dribble and in transition, and he also threw an accurate lob pass to notch an assist once.  He also defended well, and he would often rotate to poke balls away to get steals and deflections.  Overall, Thomas did a great job of making plays on both ends of the floor, and he is a very athletic point guard that will likely be a lottery pick in the 2026 draft.

Kentucky’s incoming 6-4 freshman point guard, Jasper Johnson also played very well in this game.  He is a very athletic playmaker that excelled on offense, especially with the ball in his hands, and he also did a great job of rebounding the basketball.

He showed off versatile scoring skills, as he showed off a fairly solid three-point shot, and he also really excelled as a scorer on fast breaks.  He drove up court to score on a thunderous dunk, and he also ran the floor to get the ball to score on a quick jam another time.  Plus, he did a very good job of distributing the basketball to rack up assists in transition.  He also rebounded the ball really well.

Overall, Jasper Johnson had a solid showing in this game, and his skill set and upside could enable him to be a high first round pick in the 2026 draft.

Duke’s incoming 6-9 freshman forward, Cameron Boozer quietly had a solid showing in this game.  He did a very good job as a scorer, rebounder, and defender when he was on the floor.

He showed a knack for drawing free throws in one-on-one situations, and he also was able to make a smooth, step-back mid-range jumper from the baseline.  Boozer also would run the floor to score on powerful dunks.  On the downside, he missed both of the three-pointers he took from beyond the arc.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills.  He did a good job of making interior passes to find teammates on the move, but sometimes he would throw inaccurate passes that would go astray, which would lead to some turnovers.

He also rebounded and defended very well.  Boozer would often use his length and stay in front of his man to contest jump shots to force misses, and he also got his hands on a pass to help his team get a steal.  Sometimes though, he would struggle to defend opponents off the dribble, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Boozer played well in this game, and he is an athletic, skilled forward that has a variety of skills that could enable him to be a lottery pick in the 2026 draft.

Notre Dame’s incoming 6-7 freshman swingman, Jalen Haralson played fairly well in this game.  He especially excelled as a scorer on fast breaks, and he also was able to make a nifty pass off the dribble to find a cutter to notch an assist.  He also defended well, as he was able to poke a ball away to get a steal and he also contested a three to force a miss.  He is an athletic, skilled player that will likely project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level, and he could end up going in the late first to the second round range of a future NBA draft.

Florida’s incoming 6-3 freshman guard, Alex Lloyd also played well in this game.  He is an athletic combo guard that did a great job of making shots and defending when he was on the floor.  He showed a knack for finishing plays around the basket, as he excelled at scoring on fast breaks.  He was able to score on a speedy drive in transition, and he also scored on a magnetic jam early on.  He also made a smooth three-pointer to showcase his shooting skills.

Plus, he was able to throw an accurate lob to set up a score for a teammate on the break.  On the downside, he would sometimes make careless mistakes on offense, which would lead him to be turnover prone.  Lloyd also defended well.  He would stay with his man and contest shots to force misses, and he also managed to jump on a loose ball to help his team get a steal once.

Overall, Alex Lloyd played well in this game, and he is an athletic, sharpshooter that can make plays on both ends of the floor.  He’ll need to show NBA teams that he can reliably run the point at higher levels, but his ability to make shots and defend, combined with having solid athletic gifts could enable him to be a first round pick in 2026.

Houston’s incoming 6-11 freshman big man, Chris Cenac Jr. played fairly well in this game.  He is an athletic, skilled player that showed off versatile scoring skills, and he especially thrived as a playmaker on offense.  Cenac was able to make a smooth, step-back three, and he also excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  On one impressive play, he ran the floor and caught a lob to score on a reverse, alley-oop dunk. 

He also did a good job of passing the baasketball, especially on the break to rack up assists.  He also was active on the boards and defensively.  He would use his length, instincts, and timing to get his hands on balls to get deflections, but sometimes he would commit touch fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Chris Cenac had a fairly solid showing, and he is a very athletic big man that was able to make some impressive plays to help his team in this game.  He is a versatile player that could end up being a lottery pick in the 2026 draft.

Syracuse’s incoming 6-8 freshman forward, Sadiq White also played well in this game.  He is a very athletic, energetic player that did a great job of making shots to finish plays around the basket, and he also generally passed the ball well.  He showed a knack for running the floor and cutting to the rim to catch passes to score on thunderous dunks, and he also managed to score on an athletic tip slam.  Plus, he showed that he can ably throw long outlet passes to set up scores for his teammates on the break.

On the other hand, he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game.  He also played adequate defense.  He would get his hands on balls to help his team get steals, but sometimes he would get beat off the dribble by quicker players to allow scores.

Overall, White is a tremendously athletic forward that generally excelled at making plays on offense, and he can finish plays way above the rim.  He’ll need to add a reliable outside shot to his arsenal, and he’ll need to be a more disciplined defender in games, but White is a high-upside prospect that could end up being a first round pick in the 2026 draft.

Mixed Bag (8)

Alabama’s incoming 6-5 freshman guard, Davion Hannah is a very athletic, energetic player that excelled as a playmaker and defender, but he struggled with his three-point shot and didn’t grab many rebounds in this game.  Still, he showed great athleticism when he would score on hustle plays, primarily in transition and off of cuts, and he would often catch lobs to score on high-flying dunks.  Plus, he also showed that he can make drive and kick passes to find open shooters.

He also showed some defensive skills, as he was able to hustle back to block a shot.  Overall, Hannah will need to improve his jump shot, but he is a high-upside prospect that could end up being a first round pick in 2026.

Houston’s incoming 6-3 freshman point guard, Kingston Flemings is a tremendously athletic playmaker that did a great job as a facilitator and rebounder, but he didn’t take many shots or make enough of them and struggled to stay in front of his man defensively.  Still, he made his presence felt early on by scoring on an explosive dunk off the dribble, and he is a gifted passer that can find teammates on the break.  He’ll need to improve his outside shot, but he is a high-upside prospect that could end up being a first round pick in 2026.

Duke’s incoming 6-8 freshman forward, Nikolas Khamenia defended very well, and he was able to show some impressive skills by staying with his man on a drive to block a shot, and he also contested a three to force a miss.  He also made a three off the catch, and he also scored on a strong drive another time.  He’s also a willing passer that can make passes off the dribble to find the ope man. However, he tended to take tough, dribble mid-range jumpers that would lead to misses.  He also didn’t rebound well.  Overall, he’s a skilled, mobile swingman that likely projects into a 3 and D role at the NBA level, and with more seasoning, he could end up being a solid role player in the association.

Villanova’s incoming 6-2 freshman point guard, Acaden Lewis really excelled as a playmaker, and he did exceptional work on the boards, but he struggled to make shots consistently in this game.  He was able to use his foot speed and ball-handling moves to score a couple of times off the dribble, but he was unable to make any of the threes he took.  Still, he is a very athletic playmaker whose ability to set the table could enable him to project into a game-managing backup point guard role at the NBA level. 

SMU’s incoming 6-9 freshman big man, Jaden Toombs had a decent showing in this game.  He is a strong, mobile player that excelled as an inside scorer, rebounder, and defender.  He has the strength and scoring touch to carve out space and score out of the post.  He also is an active defender that would block shots off the dribble to help his team protect the paint, and he also was able to get his hands on a pass to get a steal.  Plus, Toombs was tremendous on the boards.

On the other hand, he didn’t take many shots on offense at all, and he also would tend to be fairly turnover prone.  He often had trouble protecting the basketball, and sometimes his passes would be inaccurate, as he committed a lot of turnovers in this game.  Overall, Toombs had a decent showing in this game, and while he’ll need to add a reliable outside shot to his arsenal, and he could project to be a solid two-way player in the league, as he could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Florida’s incoming 6-6 freshman swingman, CJ Ingram showed off strong playmaking and defensive skills, but he struggled with his outside shot, and he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game.  He is an agile, skilled player that will need time to develop his game, but he with continued development, he could end up being a versatile role player in the NBA sometime down the road.

Michigan’s incoming 6-4 freshman guard, Trey McKenney defended well and showed off versatile scoring skills, but he was also turnover prone, and he didn’t really stand out.  He’ll need to improve his playmaking skills, but his defensive disposition could allow him to project into a defensive specialist role in the NBA.

USC’s incoming 6-3 freshman point guard, Jerry Easter didn’t shoot well, as he was held scoreless, but he was extremely productive as a facilitator, as he is an agile playmaker that showed great court vision, and he is a shifty guard that can make moves and weave passes into tight windows to rack up assists.  He also rebounded and defended well.  Overall, Easter’s performance was held back by his inability to score, but he otherwise had a solid showing.  He’ll need to improve his outside shot, but he is a smart, skilled playmaker that would project well into a game managing, backup point guard role at the NBA level.

Lackluster Performances (5)

On the surface, Arkansas’ incoming 6-2 freshman guard, Darius Acuff Jr. seemed to have an okay performance, but upon a closer examination of this game, he was extremely inefficient as a scorer on offense.  He was at his best when he would drive to the hoop and score in transition.  While he did make a couple of threes, he missed too many of them, as he tended to miss often from beyond the arc.

He was inconsistent as a passer in this game, as he would throw some good passes on some possessions, and then he would throw inaccurate passes on other possessions that would lead to turnovers.   He also didn’t rebound well.  He did defend well, and he would tend to poke balls away and intercept passes to get plenty of steals.

Overall, Acuff is a high-volume, undersized scoring guard that largely projects into a shooter and scorer role, much similar to Utah Jazz’s guard Keyonte George, but Acuff will need to improve his shot selection, decision-making, and he will need to be a more efficient shooter in games.  Still, Acuff’s previous strong performances in some of the other high school all star games suggests that he has the talent to warrant going in the late first to the second round range for the 2026 draft.

Providence’s incoming 6-6 freshman swingman, Ja’Mier Jones had his ups and downs in this game.  He excelled at driving to the basket and running the floor to score around the basket.  Jones especially thrives at going to his left to score, and he also caught a lob to score on a high-flying, alley-oop dunk.   On the other hand, he didn’t show much of an outside shot, as he struggled to connect from the mid-range, and he didn’t take a single three-point shot.

He also was extremely turnover prone.  He tended to throw inaccurate, hasty passes that would get intercepted, and sometimes he would over-dribble that would lead him to commit turnovers.  He did throw one good pass once, as he threw a quick inbounds pass to a teammate on the move to notch one assist, but that impact seemed to be offset by his extreme tendency to commit turnovers.

He also rebounded and defended well.  He is a rangy defender that was able to swat a shot to a teammate, and he also ran in to intercept a pass to get a steal.  Sometimes though, he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to pick up fouls.

Overall, Jones had his ups and downs, but he will need to add a reliable outside shot and improve his playmaking skills on offense.  He’ll need time to hone and develop his game, but at the very least, he could end up being a productive player in college sometime in the future.

Arizona’s incoming 6-4 freshman guard, Brayden Burries is a fairly athletic playmaker that passed and defended well, but he did a poor job of making shots, as he missed all of his threes.  He did score on a strong drive in traffic once.  He’ll really need to improve his outside shot and will need to take better care of the ball, but he is a fairly athletic point guard that could project into being a game managing, backup point guard at the NBA level.

Duke’s incoming 6-4 freshman point guard, Cayden Boozer is a fairly athletic, skilled playmaker that showed some playmaking and defensive skills, but he struggled to consistently make shots in this game, and he was also a bit turnover prone.  Still, he is th son of Carlos Boozer and is the twin brother of Cameron Boozer, and Cayden Boozer could project into being a game managing, backup point guard at the NBA level.

LSU’s incoming 6-0 freshman point guard, Jalen Reece is an athletic table setter that defended well, but he struggled to make shots and didn’t grab many rebounds in this game.  He’ll need to improve his outside shot and scoring skills, but he could project into being a game managing, backup point guard at the NBA level.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Dybantsa, Anthony, Caleb Wilson, and others fared in this game.  Thanks for reading.