The tipoff of The Border League in Las Vegas, Nevada, signals an unofficial beginning for the high school season. Plenty of the country’s best prospects, especially on the West Coast, played at the preseason event and matched up with each other. While it’s only a small sample of early-season games, Border League play can offer a solid benchmark for the year.
Let’s discuss the five best players I’ve seen at Border League so far, only considering their performance over the weekend, not future college or NBA projection. As I’m consuming Border League games remotely, I haven’t had access to film from all of the games I’ve wanted to see, so this piece is solely based on the contests I saw and evaluated.
Deron Rippey Jr.│2026│Point Guard│6’2│Blair Academy
Rippey Jr. was easily the most dominant player I watched throughout the weekend, imprinting himself on both ends in each game he played. He’s a surgical passer who threw several high-level, tight-window layup passes, his elite handle unlocking more passing delivery options than the majority of high school points.
i still can’t believe this deron rippey pass after 10 watches, he’s smothered and effectively falling over while he rips this into a nonexistent window with two defenders in the paint
absolute madman pic.twitter.com/kg8OwI2Qqc
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) October 4, 2025
That elite handle allows Rippey Jr. lanes to the rim at will. He’s explosive and sudden enough to get downhill at will in straight lines but has the creative, controlled handle to shake defenders in all directions. Rippey Jr. was also dominant on defense, ripping around ball screens and flying over the floor to intercept passes and even protect the rim all weekend.
He hasn’t shot the ball consistently from deep, but Rippey Jr. laced the nets at The Border League, sinking multiple impressive off-dribble jumpers. His performance from the weekend, especially after the way he scored the ball, positioned him well to keep rising up rankings. At this stage, he’s the clear best true point guard in the class.
Maximo Adams│2026│Forward│6’7│Notre Dame
Few high school wings are as complete offensively as Adams, who carried the load on that end for his Sierra Canyon (CBC) squad, especially considering his star teammate Brandon McCoy’s offensive struggle. He’s a dynamic shotmaker with more than basic spot-ups in his bag, comfortable sprinting off of screens and organizing his feet quickly to shoot.
Adams doesn’t need to string dribbles together to score like many high school wings, rather, he’ll find leverage and angles to knife to the rim. When they needed a bucket, Sierra Canyon runs actions for Adams to touch the ball in the post. He’s a comfortable enough passer to punish hard rotations, making him a nightmare to stop on offense.
On the defensive end, his hands are constantly moving which result in steals and deflections. Adams isn’t a nuclear athlete and he won’t often isolate and break down defenders. His positive impact on the game is as consistent as any player in high school, though, which often translates to higher levels of basketball
Marcus Spears Jr.│2027│Forward│6’8│Dynamic Prep
Spears Jr. makes a strong case as the most impressive defensive prospect in his class and across the country. He’s a phenomenal off-ball defender who squeezes every last drop from his frame, athleticism and instincts to make life a nightmare on opposing offenses. Against St. John’s Bosco (The Tribe), he logged five blocks and two steals, flying all over the floor.
marcus spears jr is a special defensive roamer and he’s annihilating offenses in border league. incredible size, movement skills, instincts and vertical pop, flies around like he’s kyle hamilton
synergy logged him at 5 blocks and 2 steals in this bosco game (might be low still) pic.twitter.com/H6FxIhOdL8
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) October 8, 2025
Like the best modern perimeter defenders, Spears Jr is a phenomenal rim protector, spiking and altering shots with his excellent speed, explosiveness and instincts. He’s quick enough to slide with some guards and athletic enough to bang with most high school bigs. On the offensive end, that athleticism and physicality fuel his scoring.
At the moment, Spears Jr is a limited, power driver who loves facing up and barging through players. It’s an effective strategy at this level, but he’ll need to tighten his handle and improve his outside shot to thrive at the next levels. Even without those advanced skills, he’s smart and physically gifted enough to be the best player in any game he plays at this level.
Caleb Gaskins│2026│Forward│6’8│Columbus
Gaskins flexed his scoring muscles in Las Vegas, showing scouts and coaches what he can do when he heats up. And he was scorching against Archbishop Stepinac (NY Crusaders), pouring in 39 points on 68.7% true shooting. The senior forward could not miss and he had to carry the offensive load on a night without star teammates Jaxon Richardson or Felipe Quinones.
Without a true point guard healthy on the roster, Gaskins often ran pick-and-rolls and initiated offense. While those possessions resulted in plenty of tough off-dribble jumpers from his bread-and-butter mid-range (and 5-5 on off-dribble threes), he worked downhill to the basket a few times, maintaining his handle deep into drives to draw fouls and shoot at the rim.
caleb gaskins dropped 39 points on 69% TS against archbishop stepinac and he couldn’t miss from outside
i appreciated the number of drives he had in this game where gaskins held his handle deep into slashes for finishes or fouls. big swing skill for him pic.twitter.com/hfkLKaXSu4
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) October 8, 2025
Some of his decision making and passing warts still popped up, especially in a heavy on-ball role. But Gaskins put special shotmaking and solid defensive playmaking on tape at The Border League. With a hopefully healthier roster down the line, he won’t have to carry as much of the load and can hone in on optimizing his scoring package.
Quincy Wadley│2026│Guard│6’4│AZ Compass
Despite missing much of his high school career due to lower body injuries, Wadley was as spry and explosive as any player I watched in Vegas. At 6’4 with great strength, Wadley has nuclear burst and explosiveness, capable of levitating when he leaps off of two feet. He nabbed a few ridiculous blocks in help and thunderous dunks, showcasing NBA-caliber athleticism.
Beyond his open-floor entertainment, his athleticism functions to add value in the half court. Sensational burst and sudden change of speed let Wadley live at the basket, constantly pressuring the rim and collapsing defenses. When he got there, he generally made sound decisions on his kickout passes or going up strong to draw fouls while hanging in air.
Wadley had a number of wild moments with the balls, taking poor shots or looking a bit sped up with his handle. But the high-end talent was clearly on display from Wadley all weekend. He’s athletic and skilled enough to function as an occasional creator with the instincts and frame to defend on and away from the ball. If Wadley continues this level of play throughout his senior season, he’ll fly up rankings by the end of the year.
All Stats per Synergy unless otherwise notes
