Diamonds In The Rough: Going Up
Jayden Xu Photo
Ethan Butler, St. Francis Prep--The 6-foot-6 Class of 2026 guard/forward has improved his power, agility, and has steadily become more explosive.
Butler, who brings a workmanlike presence around the glass, has an adept feel for the game with his passing and how he sees the floor.
Butler has rapidly evolved into a floor spreader. Playing for the Gauchos, he has turned in multiple games with four 3-pointers or more. He has hit timely treys on some considerable stages this AAU season.
Butler has the potential to create a formidable tandem with Oesoemana Sacko, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound mountain man with an inside-outside game.
Sacko, who has college-ready physicality in the Class of 2026, has been a stabilizing influence at SFP under Jimmy Lynch and has also been an adequate rim protection threat.
Sacko erupted for 31 points and 13 boards during SFP's convincing 72-52 trouncing of Nazareth HS during the CHSAA "AA" Brooklyn-Queens championship.
He holds offers from Old Dominion, Florida International University, St. John's, Manhattan, and several others.
Sacko scored 32 points and Butler chimed in with 25 during Prep's most recent game against Greenwich Country Day at Fordham University.
Since the clock struck midnight on June 15th, the first official day of the live contact period, the NCAA has permitted programs to make contact with 2026 prospects.
Butler has heard from the likes of Quinnipiac, Stony Brook, Marist, Iona, Manhattan, Stonehill, Fairfield, and several others.
In a CHSAA "AA" in which there once again will be very few easy outs, Prep returns a seasoned, high-octane point guard in Class of 2025 Vere Anthony.
A quick, gritty point guard who creates opportunities off the dribble, Anthony has a fluid touch from mid-range.
He's emerged as a pesky, confrontational on-ball defender.
Anthony is instinctive guarding on the ball and off the ball, melting away the passing lanes.
Ben Manuel, Knox--All the way from Arkansas, Manuel plays with sustained relentlessness and a seemingly irremovable chip on his shoulder that plays into his toughness.
He's shown some burst and sneaky explosiveness, with a knack for challenging rim protectors and defenders on the run.
Manuel, who has re-classified into the 2025 class, has been a steady shot-maker with considerable range.
The 6-foot-5 off guard averaged 17 points per game at Rogers Heritage HS last season, shooting it at a blistering 54 percent from the floor and 82 percent from the free throw line.
Manuel shouldered the burden of end-game deliverer and big-shot maker numerous times at Rogers Heritage last season.
It was particularly evident during the team's dramatic come-from-behind victory over Springfield Parkview.
Every time Rogers Heritage needed a vital 3-pointer and sprayed the ball around looking for the right shot, it was Manuel who stuck that vital 3-pointer.
He buried a trio of loud 3-pointers down the stretch in that one.
Knox, which has built up the basketball program this season by hiring former Division-I head coach and Quinnipiac point guard Jared Grasso as head coach, has added intriguing and Division-I attractive recruits such as Basti Williams and Christian Smiley.
Shane Pendergrass, Mount Zion Prep (Md)--The 6-foot-9 Class of 2026 prospect has been a major presence on the glass, with a knack for tracking down boards and triggering the break.
He brings uniqueness with his versatility. Pendergrass is able to space the floor out with long-distance shooting. He's an acrobatic above-rim finisher who can really finish in extravagant fashion above the rim.
Pendergrass is hearing from Georgetown, George Mason, West Virginia, Maryland, Marquette, Norfolk State, Quinnipiac, and others. He is slated for an unofficial visit to the University of Maryland on June 20.
Jayden Xu, Santa Monica HS: The 6-foot-6 high-scoring guard returns with a wealth of experience. The Class of 2025 prospect has proven himself as one of the deadliest shooters in the Southern California area.
Whether it is on the move, spotting up and firing in transition, or creating his shot off the dribble, Xu is a perilous threat as a shot-maker.
The four-year varsity player also inherits some ownership of this Santa Monica HS team.
“I remember as a freshman I looked up to guys on the team at the time like AJ Economou (Hawaii) and Gus Salem (Central Michigan), who really set the tone for me in what an elite HS basketball player looked like,” Xu said.
“Since then it’s been three seasons of hard work and sacrifice. While our last season came to an early and unfortunate end, I’m excited for what’s to come for my final year.”
Rutgers, Princeton, Yale, Penn, Rice, and various others have reached out to Xu, he of the high academic pedigree.
He recently visited Rutgers unofficially.