Published Aug 27, 2023
Five prospects that dazzled this summer
Jason Jordan  •  Basketball Recruiting
Staff

Rivals.com basketball recruiting analyst Jason Jordan looks at five top prospects that ended the summer with impressive performances.

At this point, it just seems redundant to mention Flagg in all “best of” articles, but it just speaks to his consistent dominance over the last four months. He capped off a storybook summer with a dominant showing at NYC’s famed Rucker Park in the SLAM Summer Series last weekend, posting 25 points in the star-studded game. Given that the event is freer flowing and offense-centered, the waning minutes were super competitive, and Flagg showed his clutch gene draining a contested three-pointer off the curl to send the game into overtime. Flagg couldn’t have scripted it better as he further backed up his appointment atop the Rivals150 for 2024.

*****

Miller dazzled in his summer send off at the Under Armour Elite 24 in Atlanta, oftentimes looking like the top guard on the floor at practices. The game was a wash, literally since rain ended up cancelling it with just over four minutes left in the first half, but his awareness as a point guard stood out all weekend as he dueled with some of the most aggressive guards in the class. If there were an MVP award handed out for practice production, Miller, who checks in at No. 37 overall in the Rivals150, would’ve likely gotten the nod.

*****

We highlighted Jackson’s abilities as an elite point guard last week after watching him at the Elite 24, but he put on a scoring clinic at SLAM’s Summer Classic last weekend. Jackson pumped in 45 points and took home MVP honors in NYC. He was virtually unguardable for the entire game, using his unique blend of size, shiftiness, quickness and elite ball handling ability to maneuver past defenders at will. Jackson’s athleticism is nothing new, but he’s taken strides as a playmaker with the IQ to make the right reads in given situations. As it stands, Jackson checks in at No. 8 overall in the Rivals150.

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Harper didn’t show up until gameday at the Elite 24, but he wasted little time making his presence felt as the top player on the floor in the game. Harper’s greatest skill is that you always know what you’re going to get from him: Production. It’s broad, but it’s also positive. Harper, who is ranked No. 2 overall in the Rivals150, is the most poised guard in the class and coupled with his size and abilities as a scorer he’s been able to deliver some of the best performances this month and the summer as a whole.

*****

Bailey kicked off the month snagging MVP of the prestigious Steph Curry Camp then displayed why he’s always in the conversation for the top spot in the class dominating the competition at the Elite 24 all weekend in practices and scrimmages. At 6-foot-9, Bailey’s special blend of athleticism, elite ball handling ability and quickness makes him a different type of difficult as a defensive assignment. He was on-brand as an efficient three-level scorer at the SLAM Summer Classic, scoring 40 points while capitalizing on mismatches, getting to his spots effectively and knocking down shots all over the court. Bailey checks in at No. 3 overall in the Rivals150, but it’s clear he’s gunning to jump two spots higher.