Tyran Stokes, A.J. Dybantsa and Boogie Fland lead top performers at USA Basketball minicamp

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — There were 84 of the top high school players in the country taking part in the USA Basketball minicamp over the weekend with several NBA scouts and executives in attendance for the five training sessions where the players competed in 3-on-3 drills, pick-and-roll option, defensive rotations and 5-on-5 scrimmages. General managers from the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards also made the trip to see some of the premier talent coming up with scouts from all 30 NBA teams as well as the G League Ignite and Overtime Elite lining the two gyms at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Noticeably absent from this year's camp was the No. 1 player in the 2024 class, Cooper Flagg, and the No. 1 player in the 2025 class, Cameron Boozer, but there was still plenty of talent on the court and a couple young players who made great first impressions on the USA Basketball coaching staff and NBA scouts.

Yahoo Sports takes a look at eight players who shined at the minicamp and players to keep tabs on heading into the high school season.

Tyran Stokes

Stokes, one week shy of turning 16 years old, is one of the most physically dominating players in high school basketball. He got stronger over the summer and is now 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds. The other aspect of his game that stood out immediately was his improved 3-point shot. For a player who can get to the rim whenever he wants, he's really focused on extending his game past the 3-point line and becoming more of a three-way threat on offense. Most recruiting experts have Stokes and A.J. Dybantsa as the No. 1 and No. 2 players in the 2026 class, and the duo will be hard to stop on the court this year during the high school season.

"Almost every practice, me and Tyran play on opposite teams so we're pushing each other to get better every single day," Dybantsa told Yahoo Sports. "He's so strong and it's helped me step up the physical part of my game."

Stokes, originally from Louisville, Kentucky, has early offers from Kansas, UCLA, Texas, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Louisville, Florida State, Auburn, Xavier, Arizona State and Alabama.

A.J. Dybantsa

When Dybantsa is on the court, particularly in 5-on-5 action, it's hard to focus on anyone else. He has great length with his 6-9 frame and has long strides with the ball in his hands, covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time. He's moving better off the ball and since he's such a proficient scorer, it opens up the spacing on the court for his teammates.

Dybantsa transferred to powerhouse Prolific Prep (Napa, California) and joined the other top player in the 2026 class, Stokes. The pair won a gold medal for Team USA over the summer at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship and both played up two divisions on Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League. Dybantsa led all players at Peach Jam with 25.8 points, shooting 47% from the field and 30% from 3-point range.

"USA is always competitive, and I love coming out here and getting in the gym with these other players," Dybantsa said. "There is no pressure for me, I just come out here and hoop. You're going to have bad days, everyone has bad days but I'm just coming out here to play through everything and get better."

It's still very early in the recruiting process but Dybantsa picked up two recent offers from Texas and USC and holds other offers from Michigan, UConn, LSU, Auburn and Alabama.

Boogie Fland

The thing that stood out the most about Fland at the minicamp was his improved shot and how confidently he was getting the ball off whether it was in catch-and-shoot situations or off the dribble. Fland, a 6-2 point guard out of Archbishop Stepinac High School (New York) was making great reads in the lane and players seamlessly elevated their game when playing alongside him in drills.

"I just want to show NBA scouts that I'm a leader and that I can stand out while playing with great players," Fland told Yahoo Sports. "I feel like when you're playing with good players, your mindset is to score, but there's more to it than that. Being a good teammate, helping get other players involved, doing the little things. When you go to the NBA, are you going to be the one scoring or is it going to be someone that's already been there? So you have to show more of the little things and that's what I'm trying to do."

Fland is uncommitted and down to a final three schools of Kentucky, Indiana and Alabama and doesn't have a time frame yet as to when he plans on committing. "It could be next week, next month, three weeks, I'm not sure, so stay tuned," Fland said.

Dylan Harper

Harper looked physically stronger from the summer season and used it to his advantage while posting up smaller guards during a two-man option off the wing. His passing in transition and the way he advanced the ball after missed shots are what make him one of the best guards in the country. Defensively, he was very active on the boards and was shooting the gaps for steals off the weak side.

Harper is down to five schools (Duke, Rutgers, Indiana, Auburn and Kansas) and has taken three official visits (Duke, Rutgers and Indiana). Many believe it's a two-way race between Duke and Rutgers, where his older brother, Ron Harper Jr., played, but Harper said he's still considering all five schools.

"All five schools are great programs and places where I could see myself play next year, so I'm just going to watch the teams closely this season and really take my time in making my decision," Harper told Yahoo Sports.

Ian Jackson

Jackson, a 6-6 guard committed to North Carolina, was one of the best players on the Adidas Nations AAU circuit over the summer and continued his scoring dominance at the minicamp. No one gets a shot off quicker than Jackson, and he uses his quick footwork to his advantage on the perimeter when bigger players step out to guard him. He's an elite passer and finisher and is a hard-nosed player who loves to compete and win.

There were rumors circulating over the summer that Jackson was considering decommitting from North Carolina and going to St. John's. Jackson put those rumors to rest, telling Yahoo Sports, "I'm 100% committed to UNC and will be playing for coach Hubert Davis next year. I don't know where those rumors came from."

Khani Rooths

There's nothing NBA scouts love more in young players than length and versatility, and Rooths has both. He's not a particularly flashy scorer, but he can get hot from the perimeter and has the size at 6-7 and skill set to play multiple positions and impact the game from a variety of spots on the court.

During 3-on-3 drills, he looked more settled in the pick-and-pop situation and was patient, waiting to see what the defense would give him instead of forcing things inside.

Rooths has an upcoming official visit to Michigan and visited Georgia, Florida State, Maryland and Virginia Tech.

Xavion Staton

Out of all the players in the 2024 and 2025 classes who participated in the minicamp, Staton was the biggest surprise and left a lasting first impression on NBA scouts. Staton, a 7-foot center out of Las Vegas, is a relatively unknown recruit after playing on the New Balance AAU circuit this past spring and summer.

He didn't back down from anyone and challenged every player at the rim. His timing as a shot-blocker is elite, whether he's bodying up with his man off a one-on-one situation or sliding over on the weak-side block for some help. Staton has great hands and a good touch around the rim. He showed some promising signs of developing more of an outside game.

Staton, a junior, holds offers from UNLV, Xavier, Texas A&M, TCU, Stanford, Iowa, Illinois, Creighton and Arizona State.

Morez Johnson

Johnson did a lot of little things really well over the course of three days. The Illinois commit didn't overthink things or try to be too flashy and is a player who just plays the right way. He was making stops in the lane consistently, making the right pass out of double-teams and creating second opportunities for his teammates on offense in the way he fought to get inside position for rebounds.

Johnson, a 6-8 senior forward out of Chicago, chose Illinois over Florida, Iowa, Ohio State, Texas, Nebraska and Providence.

Younger players on the rise

On Sunday evening, the younger group (Team Red) defeated the older group (Team Blue) in a head-to-head scrimmage. JJ Mandaquit, a 2025 point guard, was fantastic and a true floor general, leading Team Red and facilitating everything on offense.

Kiyan Anthony, a 2026 point guard, grew a couple of inches since the summer season and is now 6-4. His added length gave him the advantage in mismatch situations. He didn't hesitate to get his shot off in traffic or catch-and-shoot situations in transition. Dad, Carmelo, was present on the sidelines all weekend, dishing out advice to Kiyan and other players on the court.

One of the youngest players at the entire minicamp, 2027 wing Babatunde Oladotun, is a long wing (already at 6-6 as a freshman) and showed a natural feel for the game with ease and good decision-making.

Brandon McCoy, a 2026 combo guard, gets better and better every time he hits the court and showed more confidence in his playmaking as the primary ball-handler. McCoy, a top-five player in the sophomore class, holds early offers from UCLA, Rutgers, Louisville, Washington, Washington State and Arizona State.

Tajh Ariza, a 2026 wing, had a breakout summer and followed it up with a strong showing at the minicamp. His handle has improved and his footwork in the paint looks better as he's able to get his feet planted with more balance when shooting off the dribble. Ariza holds early offers from UCLA (where his dad Trevor played), Kansas, Washington, USC and Arizona State.