Two Days At Tark: Ani’s Final Thoughts!

I was at the Tarkanian Classic for two days and got to eval a wide range of prospects, some I laid eyes on for the first game. I was impressed by several underclassmen and the talent level in each game of the prep division that I saw. I went over my notebook one final time and here are my thoughts.

Josiah Rose Made A Statement

2028 prospects have 2 and a half years left in their high school careers so there’s plenty of time to see how that class pans out. It’s one of the deeper high school classes, reminiscent of the 2025 group. Someone that has made an early splash and could become a five star prospect is Josiah Rose of Faith Family. He’s a lefty combo with long arms and adequate vertical pop. The game has slowed down for him and he’s starting to make pin-point passes on his drives and on outlet passes. He’s not having as many possessions where he’s getting rushed. Now his shot selection could be better and he’s more of a streaky shooter right now, but Rose is a versatile two-way guard that is on a trajectory to be a 5-star prospect.

Boyuan Zhang Becoming a National Name

We talked about Zhang from his Tuesday showing here, but he was even better on Wednesday. A knockdown specialist that has an array of skills. Efficient launching off movement, standstill but he’s also tough as nails and can attack and finish through contact. He has a fairly polished skill-set and albeit concerns with his lateral mobility at this stage, I don’t think there are 50 players in the country better than him.

Other Prospects To Note

Pitt signee Anthony Felesi had 24 of the first 32 points for Utah Prep. In the second half, he was still dominant. He’s ferocious with his attack at the rim and blend that with his burst, he’s hard to stop on drives. The jumpshooting is coming along and he made a couple of them this week, but I feel Felesi should see his name shoot up even more in the national player rankings.

2027 Tyran Frazier played with high energy as RWE defeated Dream City Christian. Frazier altered and blocked shots at the rim, ran the floor and showed promising perimeter skills. A modern 4 man that strung together multiple impressive games at Tark.

Photo: Ani Umana/Athlete AI

Yousaf Ahmad Is A Name To Know

I spent some time at the Las Vegas Basketball Center to watch 2026 Canadian guard Yousaf Ahmad of King Heights Academy. A talented 6’6 combo guard that has a very high ceiling. His IQ is what stood out to me. How he used his eyes and pass fakes to manipulate the defense so he could find the open man. Seen him connect on cross court overhead passes to shooters with either hand. He would start Gortat screening to create driving lanes for his teammates. His fluid handle, imaginative play-making and adequate vertical pop stood out. I’m buying stock on this one.

Perhaps Not National Names But Ones You Should Know

Manu Manciel, 2026 6’3 SG – Wasatch Academy (Utah): A high value pick-up for Stephen F. Austin. Manu holds fine positional size and is a versatile shooter. Connecting on shots off the catch and move. Constantly moves without the ball to the appropriate spots and is a good off-ball screener. Someone that will be able to be plugged in and help as a freshman due to IQ, positional size and shooting prowess.

Trae Nunn, 2026 6’4 SG/SF – Dynamic Prep (Texas): The Columbia signee got back to shooting on Wednesday the way we are accustomed to seeing. A sharpshooting physical wing that holds a quick trigger. When he’s playing with this level of offensive assertiveness, he brings another level of versatility to a Chipotle National Contending squad.

Elliot Moskowitz, 2026 6’8 Forward – Layton Christian (Utah): A Bruising forward that impacts the game in multiple ways. Rebounding, grab and goes, finishing inside via post-ups or off straight line drives. The Utah Valley Signee is a physical presence that holds intriguing inside/out scoring talent.

Elliot Moskowitz, 2026 6’4 SG – Colorado Prep: A fearless shooter that needs minimal space to launch. Made deep threes and got to his mid-range pull with success. Impressed with his quick trigger, craft off the bounce and overall shooting chops.

Mading Kuany, 2026 6’8 SF/PF – Iowa United Prep: A versatile, pogo stick forward with long arms. He deflected passes, guarded multiple spots and excels as a cutter. One of the most bounciest prospects in the prep division that utilized size, length and athleticism to make an impact on both ends.

Jayden Cecil, 2028 6’4 PG – Utah Prep: A pure point that played well in both games I watched. A high feel playmaking pg that connected on a few jumpers from deep. That was good to see him do that because as he continues to become more of a reliable target from deep, he’ll open up more driving and passing opportunities for himself. An intuitive passer that excels in the pick n roll.

Chris King, 2027 6’4 CG – PHH Prep (Arizona): Rangy guard that can have a breakout year. Equipped with long arms, fast with the ball in his hands and holds plus vertical pop. He gets off the ground very high and is one of the most explosive lead guards in the 2027 national class.