The three-point shot has become a hallmark of modern hoops at all levels, including high school tournaments like The Border League in Las Vegas, Nevada. The tournament featured elite shooting talents and some of the best overall shotmakers and outside shooters in high school basketball.
Let’s dive into five shooters that impressed me throughout the weekend. These players aren’t necessarily shooting-only specialists, but their 3-point shot is undeniably a bedrock component of their offense. Excellent floor spacing should help all of these players translate to higher levels of basketball.
Adonis Ratliff│2026│Wing│6’11│Archbishop Stepinac
Who else but Ratliff could kick off this list? Ratliff has center size but plays as an off-ball shooting wing and burned down the nets against Iowa United en route to 35 points on nine made threes. He’s firing these from well beyond the high school line from unbalanced platforms on the move. These are not normal shots for any human being of his size:
6’11 wing adonis ratliff (2026) drilled NINE threes in a blowout win against iowa united, he was flamethrowing all night from well beyond the line
finished with 32 points in an incredibly impressive performance from the four star, he’s a nice shot blocker as well pic.twitter.com/xXlYx3ZVwP
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) October 4, 2025
When Ratliff’s shot wasn’t falling, he struggled on offense, often forcing difficult, long threes early in the clock. Without a refined handle or much athletic twitch, he isn’t able to drive or create with the ball effectively, but his immense shooting gravity offers easy closeout lanes.
The defense is mixed as well with Ratliff — his awareness and lack of physicality and strength are concerns, but his length also can absorb shots at the rim and let him switch on the perimeter. He’s an undeniably high-potential player as a jumbo 3-and-D perimeter player with a rare blend of shotmaking and shot blocking chops.
Bruce Branch│2027│Wing│6’7│Prolific Prep
Branch has a strong early claim on a top spot in the 2027 high school class and elite outside shooting is a major driving factor. Against a strong Mega Basket team, Branch dropped an easy 30 points and made 6-10 3-pointers. It was business as usual for the five-star wing, who is coming off of a 38.5% on five threes per game season on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.
He’s a highly versatile shooter for his size, capable of draining threes after sprinting around screens or sinking pull-ups if defenses duck under screens. While he’s not always sharp with his decisions and his handle limitations curtail his driving, Branch can get his jumper off against nearly any high school defender at will.
Excellent athleticism and length let Branch dominate on defense, nabbing him two blocks and two steals against Mega. Even with plenty of room to grow as a ball-handler, decision maker and defensive technician, Branch already dominates games with shotmaking and explosive athleticism, indicating a sky high long-term ceiling.
Miles Sadler│2026│Point Guard│5’10│Bella VistaÂ
Sadler has a real claim to the title of best point guard in high school basketball. Despite his height, especially compared to bigger handlers like Dylan Mingo or even Taylen Kinney, dangerous off-dribble shooting makes Sadler a nightmare to guard. He transitions from dribble to shot in an instant, made all the more deadly when combine with his lightning quick first step and tight handle.
He boasts excellent vision and manipulation as a pick-and-roll passer, consistently moving defenders with his eyes and body language. Without great size, Sadler can struggle to pass and create in traffic against bigger defenders, though he’s plenty skilled enough with both hands to shred most individual matchups.
The size is a larger crutch on defense, where teams at higher levels will target him with bigger players. He’s smart and quick enough to nab some steals and position himself well and shouldn’t hamstring teams at the college level. Wherever Sadler lands, his elite shooting and all-around creation package are rare; he’s a good, consistently impactful basketball player.
Jasiah Jervis│2026│Guard│6’4│Archbishop Stepinac
Jervis built on a strong shooting summer on the EYBL circuit at The Border League, highlighted by a 29 point performance against Columbus. Jervis made four of his six 3-point attempts with a majority of those attempts and makes coming off of the dribble. He’s a deep range shooter with off-dribble range out to the NBA line and he’s confident taking those shots.
He’s a willing movement shooter with the handling chops to find mid-range pull-ups when defenses run him off of the line. Threatening outside shooting fuels Jervis’s excellent off-ball game. Beyond just the shooting, he’s decisive with an advanced feel for attacking space off the catch with vision to find teammates and touch in the intermediate.
Without explosive downhill athleticism, Jervis struggles to pressure the rim at times without catching on the move. He’s at his best as an off-ball, complementary scorer who can feast off the gravity of others and add value with impressive point-of-attack and help defense.
Alex Smith│2026│Forward│6’9│Prolific Prep
Smith stood taller than most other players on the court at The Border League, but his team sent him sprinting around screens like a small guard. He hit several impressive movement threes for a power forward-sized player, flexible and coordinated enough to adjust to the basket from flare and stagger screens.
He flashed a bit of off-dribble acumen, no moments better than a deep step-back three against Mega Basket. Smith profiles as a pure off-ball player, though, which complements his versatile defensive skillset nicely. Prolific Prep had success sending Smith out on traps and hedges where his speed and size disrupt offenses.
The Ohio State commit showcased the three-and-D skills that every modern basketball team covets. Smith projects cleanly as an impactful stretch four at the college level, but improvements to his ball skills and viability on the wing could influence his ultimate ceiling.
All Stats from Synergy SportsÂ
