The grassroots season has arrived and Adidas was the first of the three major shoe circuits to get going last weekend as every 3SSB team made the voyage to the Iowa West Fieldhouse in Council Bluffs for Chapter I of three spring 3SSB stops.
A jam-packed weekend saw some of the nation’s best as well as some up-and-comers make a statement.
3SSB Top 150
Anytime you can see Darryn Patterson play you should take advantage of the opportunity. Patterson, the No. 3-ranked player in the senior class, showed flashes of being a dominant lead guard and is as naturally gifted of a player as you will find. Patterson averaged 23.6 points in the three games he played on Saturday and Sunday while shooting 7-of-13, 8-of-18, and 12-of-24 from the field.
Niko Bundalo is ranked No. 31 in the 2025 class and it was a year ago that he emerged as a high-level prospect. Bundalo had multiple 20-plus scoring games for Wildcat Select and has shown some maturity to his game since last summer. He can score in a variety of different ways, showing a deep-range 3-point shot, post moves and the ability to move effortlessly at a listed 6-foot-11.
2025 point guard Mikel Brown for Team Loaded NC is a consensus top-15 player in the class. At 6-foot-3, Brown is an aggressive scoring point guard and one of if not the best point guards in the country. He was relentless attacking the rim and defenders struggled to stay in front of Brown all weekend.
Jacob Wilkins, the son of former high flying Atlanta Hawk Dominique Wilkins, is a highlight just about every time he touches the floor in the open court. Sunday he had a gym-rocking dunk on a fast break. The No. 26-rated player in the 2025 class is long and lean and when his 6-foot-8 frame fills out, the Georgia commit could have a big-time career ahead of him.
Chase Foster (Team Loaded VA 16U) isn’t quite the top-rated power forward in the 2026 class, just yet. His length, athleticism and ability to disrupt on the defensive end is special. The four-star prospect dunks almost everything and plays with supreme effort.
Southern Assault 17U shooting guard Caleb Steger had two great games shooting and two not great games, showing a bit of streakiness. When the composite 127th-ranked player in the senior class was hitting shots like he did in his 4-for-6 and 5-for-9 3-point shooting performances, it really opened things up offensively for his team. At 6-foot-5, his form is pure and he is OK with deferring and letting the game come to him. Steger is strong physically, has a steady pace and will benefit from a structured offense at the next level.
Next Up
Compton Magic Elite always has a star and the next one for the program is likely 2027 forward Bruce Branch III. The 6-foot-7 freshman with a 6-foot-9 wingspan played on Magic’s 15U roster last weekend. He was pretty dominant at that level and will likely move up to 16U going forward. Branch has a natural rebounding knack and has some versatility at a young age. He isn’t a true post player; the offense can run through him as a lead decision-maker in the half court.
AE5 forward Jalan Wingfield is an intriguing 2026 player that will likely be more of a household name as the grassroots season continues this spring and summer. At 6-foot-8, he isn’t fully developed physically, but his skill set is at a high level. The most impressive thing about his game is his feel as a passer. When he grabs a defensive rebound he is looking to push the ball immediately and at times connected on near full court passes to teammates for layups. He has a soft shooting touch and has quick feet on both ends of the floor.
Kosi Mgbejiofor (Team Loaded VA 16U) isn’t rated nationally, but the 6-foot-10 center from Virginia Beach should be on the cusp of being a nationally-rated player. He is a natural athlete that is the true definition of a rim runner. His feel for the game isn’t quite there yet but that should come the more he plays high level games on the 3SSB circuit.
D1 Minnesota 17U guard Mason Klabo.
D1 Minnesota 17U has a pair of players that impressed. Totino Grace forward Tyler Wagner was one of the most impressive 3-point shooters in the gym. In the four D1 games Wagner combined to shoot 50% (13-of-26) from distance and averaged 13.2 points per game. Wagner’s frame at 6-foot-5 allows him to shoot over the top of wing defenders and every time a shot went up you thought it was going in. He is a catch-and-shoot forward that is also physical enough to defend in the post. Mason Klabo is the best player in the state of North Dakota and recently has picked up an offer from Omaha to go with North Dakota State, North Dakota and Northern Iowa. Klabo is a solid point guard that doesn’t get sped up and has a maturity to his game.
Jamal Holden (Arkansas Hawks 15U) is a long, rim-running, high-motor prospect. At this point in his development the 6-foot-6 2027 prospect is an explosive athlete. As he continues to grow and develop he will likely add to his game.
Locally
ETG Midwest as a program had an up and down weekend with the 17s going 1-3, 16s 2-2 and 15s 2-2.
For the 17s Derek Rollins (Millard North) and Ben Johnson (Kearney) had impactful weekends.
ETG 17U forward Derek Rollins
Rollins stepped up in big moments scoring 17 points on 5-of-10 from the field including 3-of-5 from 3-point range in a 66-59 loss to Compton Magic Elite. In the Sunday win against Southern Assault, Rollins had his most productive game of the weekend scoring 25 points on 10-of-14 from the field (3-of-5 from 3) and 2-of-2 from the foul line with eight rebounds. Rollins’ ability to stretch the floor has continued to grow in the last year and his timing on the glass helps him against high-level, longer post players.
Johnson was a stat stuffer and as the weekend went on things seemed to slow down for him. In the three games after a hand injury sidelined Bryson Bahl, he stepped up to average 11 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists while shooting 52.4% from the field and 8-of-14 from 3. Against Southern Assault, Johnson finished with 17 points including a near half-court catch and shoot 3-pointer in rhythm, nine rebounds and five assists while shooting 5-of-6 from the field (4-of-5 from deep).
Kearney junior Jacob Webber’s scoring ability is elite. He was clearly ETG 16U’s best scoring threat. The term three-level scorer seems to be an overused buzzword in basketball vernacular now, but Webber is the true definition of just that. He can score at the rim, create space with his mid-range shot (including a turnaround fadeaway jump shot) and is more than just a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter.
Major Mosser (Millard North) has turned a corner from just a long corner 3-point shooter that struggles on the defensive end to someone you can trust to battle physically against much bigger post players. He’s kept that elite shooting ability and as his body matures physically he will be a prospect to keep an eye on as a true forward that can stretch the floor.
Lee Robinson is still in middle school but playing up on ETG 15U wasn’t too big of a task for him. The 2028 point guard slated to go to Omaha Central for high school in the fall has a comfortability to his game. He doesn’t get rattled in big moments and has some former Bellevue West guard Chucky Hepburn maturity to his game. As he continues to develop he could be the next big name in high school basketball in Nebraska.
Jackson Smith (Staley, MO) played up for ETG 15Us last grassroots season. That and playing for one of the better programs in Missouri only helped him be a standout over the weekend. Smith has an edge to his game. His physicality and ability to tip balls or offensive rebound was impressive. In a few key moments he finished with contact around the rim and lived at the foul line all weekend.
