Grassroots Glimpse: Standouts from John Lucas Elite versus Vegas Elite (17U)
The opening of the grassroots season is like a holiday for many of us and we’re finally here! With Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) opening weekend in Atlanta underway, there will be countless highly competitive battles and stock rising performances. In the first game for each, I assessed the standouts of Vegas Elite’s clash with John Lucas Elite (JL3).
Juni Mobley | Vegas Elite | Lead Guard | 2024
Welcome to the Juni Mobley show. The Ohio State commit paced Vegas Elite with 21 points and drained 5-of-9 of his shots from beyond the arc in their 88 to 82 win. Mobley illustrated why his fearsome fusion of laser shooting, tough shot-making and creative handle is the best in the country. He drained threes with range, off the bounce, on catch-and-shoots and handoffs, showcasing his some of his elite shooting versatility and shotmaking.
Additionally, he had moments as a playmaker, which has become an underrated aspect of his game. Mobley found teammates on a couple of drop-off passes, a lob to a Nwuli dunk after playing the passing lane and a nifty off hand pick-and-roll find to the roller that was blocked by McDermott.
Although rankings generally don't matter, Mobley is a consensus top 50 prospect who I believe should be in the top 30. Don't be surprised if he’s one of the biggest summer risers.
Aiden Sherrell | Vegas Elite | Big | 2024
Sherrell’s near double-double of 14 points and a game-high tying eight rebounds, was pivotal to Vegas Elite’s win. Effectively utilizing a long and projectable 6-foot-11 frame, he finished a Nwuli drop-off with a dunk, affected shots at the rim and got a defensive stop in space.
His history of shooting touch was reinforced by a corner catch-and-shoot three and going a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. It’s a truly valuable blend of touch and tools for a blooming stretch big that can block shots.
Kayde Dotson | JL3 Elite | Lead Guard | 2024
Dotson’s game-high 24 points (9-of-17 from the field, 3-of-5 from deep) featured confident shotmaking and pull-up shooting. My favorite bucket was his pull-up three out the Miami action (dribble handoff into a ball screen) after chasing and effectively contesting Mobley’s 3-point attempt. At the end of the opening weekend, Dotson should be amongst the leading scorers.
Chris McDermott | JL3 Elite | Wing/Big | 2024
McDermott’s combo of size (6-foot-7), length and activity popped with a two-hand put back dunk, pick-and-roll block as the tagger and free throw line jab jumper leading the way. He scored 13 points, corralled a game-tying eight rebounds (4 offensive) and came away with a game-high four stocks (steal plus blocks).
Chris Nwuli | Vegas Elite | Wing | 2025
The wiry 6-foot-7 wing’s presence was felt from the jump with a contact dunk via a Mobley drop-off pass on the opening tap. His usual high motor led to rim finishes, second chance opportunities, smart cuts and a big off ball block at the rim. Nwuli also offered playmaking and correct processing moments on slashes and closeout attacks.
Despite his glaring need to further his development as a shooter, 21.8% on 32 3-point attempts through 47 games tracked by Cerebro Sports, Nwuli’s display of tough shotmaking on a couple of fadeaways is at the very least, an encouraging sign that he can develop into a reliable shotmaking threat. Nwuli finished the game with 12 points, and seven rebounds (two offensive) on 6-of-8 from the field and missed his lone 3-point attempt.
Tyran Stokes | Vegas Elite | Big Wing | 2026
Stokes is widely considered one of the best underclassmen in the country. Fresh off of his freshman campaign, the five star big wing dropped an efficient 18 points (5-of-8 from the field) while grabbing 6 rebounds and being active with his size and length defensively.
At 6-foot-7 and over 200 pounds, Stokes leveraged his college-ready body and ball skills to be a play finisher that consistently got downhill to attack the rim and draw fouls (8-of-11 from the free throw line).
He flashed a couple of advanced dribble moves that brought a smile to my face, one leading to a drawn foul and the other to a bit of a wild shot. His upside as a potential two-way, big wing primary handler makes him not just a high major college prospect, but a fascinating long-term NBA prospect too.
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