ANDOVER, Kan. – Today in the Three-Point-Play, a look at three intriguing prospects from the Crossroads Elite Invitational. What makes Jasen Green, Demarion Watson-Saulsberry and Trevon Brazile such interesting prospects and what do they have going on?
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STARTING FIVE: Future stars shine at Crossroads Elite
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
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1. GREEN PICKING UP STEAM WITH HIGH MAJORS
A member of the 2022 Rivals150, Jasen Green isn’t one of those guys who is going to blow you away. But, if you keep watching the 6-foot-7 combo forward from Omaha (Neb.) Millard North, you will grow to appreciate how many little things, often things that don’t get measured by stats, that he does to impact winning.
Whether it be screens, making a correct switch on defense or saving a loose ball, he’s got a tendency to be in the mix making winning plays. On top of all of that he embraces what he can do as a mismatch thanks to his skill and ability to play inside and out. He’s also got a very mature outlook about what fits him.
“I feel like I would do very well at a college where I don’t want to say it is robotic, but there are sets and a true system.”
Kansas State, Nebraska, Stanford and TCU have watched enough of him with his high school or summer teams Team Factory and MoKan Elite to offer and Green spoke about each.
Kansas State: “I know that they care about me a lot. They send me stuff every day and it means a lot to me that they are thinking about me each day.”
Nebraska: “I’m just focused on building a really good relationship when I talk to the coaches. I talk to them all the time. That’s the biggest thing for me right now, building a great relationship.”
Stanford: “I talked to them on a zoom call about their structure and how they like to play. They also talk a lot about connections about how if I go there I could be set for life.”
TCU: “TCU, they talk to me quite a lot actually. It is kind of the same thing with them as Nebraska where I’m just trying to build a great relationship.”
Just preparing for his junior year of high school, Green is in no rush to make a choice but relationships and structure matter.
“It is going to be about the coaching staff and how I fit into the school,” said Green. “Also, how do they play? Are they really loose and let their players do they want or are they more strict kind of like how MoKan is?”
**Green has now added an offer from Wake Forest
2. WATSON-SAULSBERRY HAS ONE HIGH MAJOR OFFER
Playing on a stacked high school team that featured now graduated five-star point guard Jalen Suggs and five-star 2021 big man Chet Holmgren, 2022 forward Demaron Watson-Saulsberry has had to wait his turn.
This summer with Grassroots Team Sizzle and at events like the Crossroads Elite Invitational, though, the forward has been able to establish himself as a legitimate prospect. He has a dangerous pull-up jumper, he goes to the rim, he rebounds, he runs the floor and plays a solid all-around game. He deserves to be in the conversation for the Rivals150 in his class.
“I’m a two-way player and I take pride in my defense,” said Watson-Saulsberry. “On offense I use my athleticism and do the little stuff. I can hit the shot, I get the rebound. I feel like I’m an overall player.”
Missouri was the first high major to offer a scholarship.
“Missouri, even though they didn’t do as well as we wanted to last year I feel like they are a good program overall. Coach (Cuonzo) Martin and all of them there are good coaches and work hard.”
Watson-Saulsberry’s other offer has come from Morgan State.
“That’s cool because of the HBCU movement and everyone trying to go to one of those, Makur Maker did it. Morgan State is one of those schools that I could go to.”
Western Kentucky, Iowa, Iowa State, North Dakota and others including hometown Minnesota have also been involved.
“Minnesota, that’s the hometown school and I grew up as kind of a Gophers fan,” said Watson-Saulsberry. “I’ve been over there a couple of times in the last year or so and I like the campus. They have a nice facility, locker room and all of that stuff.”
Once coaches can see Watson-Saulsberry in person again, look for him to add more offers.
3. BRAZILE HAS BIG UPSIDE
By far, one of the most interesting players at Crossroads was 6-foot-7 small forward Trevon Brazile. He’s just transferred to Springfield (Mo.) Kickapoo and is actually a member of the class of 2021.
However, after a three or four inch growth spurt over the last year, Brazile is just starting to hit his stride and he could have much more room for growth.
The three-star is a fine athlete, handles the ball well and is a smooth slasher to the rim. His jump shot needs a higher release point, but it does come off of his fingertips soft and his overall instincts are good.
Brazile has all of the classic signs of a late bloomer and said that he’s strongly considering a move to the class of 2022 and doing a prep year. Should he do that, it won’t be a surprise at all if he turns into a high major prospect. Watching him play, you can just see that he’s on the verge of a major breakthrough.
He said that Cleveland State and Montana State have offered scholarships while Arkansas, Drake, Illinois, Missouri State, Wichita State and Wisconsin have been reaching out. More would be well served to do the same because he’s a potential steal for somebody.