Formula Zero Reactions
Formula Zero, one of the top rising events in the country when it comes to future NBA Draft prospects, featured big-time prospects from both the collegiate and high school ranks.
The peak of draft season is a wonderful time of the year. The vibes are immaculate. Basketball buzz is floating throughout the air. Every incoming message or phone call you get seems to want to passionately discuss the sport you love so dearly.
After the draft takes place, the basketball gods continue to reward us with Summer League hoops. With its growing popularity skyrocketing the event over the years, Summer League has become a way to “avoid” the realization that is quickly looming around the corner.
To say it bluntly, August is the time of the year to take a deep breath. You’ve successfully challenged yourself to find another level of basketball consumption that you thought was mentally impossible heading into the year. Now, though, that means you need something to ignite the engines slowly for the upcoming cycle.
Personally, I like to joke that I’ll sleep in August when it comes to getting through a draft cycle. However, it’s not just the draft evaluators that need a breather. NBA team writers have just gotten a firehose of chaos thrown at them in preparation for the NBA Draft—especially the ones that are experiencing a quick turnaround from the NBA playoffs to the draft.
It’s understandable. Evaluators have finally gotten over the vicious grind of a draft season that features everything being turned up to supersonic speeds over the course of the previous 90 days.
When the August slowdown hits, that’s where one event that is rapidly becoming one of my favorites in the draft cycle saves the day.
Last year, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the Formula Zero camp hosted by NBA Skills Trainer Phil Beckner and superstar Damian Lillard. The event features some of the top collegiate and high school prospects in the country. This year, the invite couldn’t have come at a better time.
Personally, Formula Zero puts gas back in the tank. It takes about five minutes in the gym before I quickly find myself foaming at the mouth, and the “itch” starts to come back.
When the Formula Zero team announced the rosters for this year, you could see why the event has continued to blossom in popularity each year. Each year, this event continues to drop the hammer with firepower, with a stacked combination of talented players both in the collegiate ranks and the high school prospects. Last year, the event featured numerous big-time prospects with names such as VJ Edgecombe, Asa Newell, Rasheer Fleming, and 2026 NBA Draft prospects Darryn Peterson and Mikel Brown Jr.
The invite-only camp continues to shine. It became evident this year right out of the gate, when you could tell an increase in NBA scouts and evaluators in attendance compared to the previous year. While there were PLENTY of players who had impressive showings during the week, here are some notables that caught my attention.
Let’s start with the college prospects, then we can get a look at some big names for down the road…
COLLEGE STANDOUTS
TOUNDE YESSOUFOU, G, BAYLOR
Year: Freshman
Listed at: 6’5”, 215 (via Baylor Team Site)
High School Ranking: 9th (ESPN)
One of the biggest names on the slate for the collegiate prospects at Formula Zero was Tounde Yessoufou. He’s been a popular name, and he has continued to buzz in the scouting world since last year. Yessoufou was invited to the camp last year but was sidelined with an injury. He had another strong high school season, and I was also able to get an extended look at Tounde during my time at Nike Hoop Summit.
Tounde continued to showcase exactly what I wanted to see from him as a prospect. He’s got the tools to be a bit of a sleeper in this 2026 NBA Draft class when it comes to a potential push for the Top 10. Tounde’s frame always jumps out when you see it in person. Going back to last year, I was always impressed with the combination of strength and overall physique that Tounde has when he steps on the court. This event was no different, as Tounde immediately showcased his physically mature frame.
I always take team website measurements with a grain of salt (history shows us they are usually very “favorable”). However, Tounde being listed at 215 pounds definitely checks out when you see him in person.
On the court, Tounde continued to showcase what you want to see. He’s got the ability to get downhill with bad intentions quickly. The outside shot looks solid, but it will be the swing skill for him. From watching Tounde in scrimmages, I continue to like how he battles. Even if he takes a while to get going, Yessoufou is like a heavyweight boxer who is built on endurance. He might go toe-to-toe with you in the opening rounds. But he keeps coming after you and gets stronger as the game goes on.
I really thought that the playmaking showed some strong development, when it came to Tounde just looking like he’s playing at another speed. One thing I am curious to see Tounde develop at Baylor this year is his finishing ability. He’s an athletic leaper who often looks to use his frame and power to create an advantage when getting downhill. Much like last year’s Baylor freshman wing VJ Edgecombe, there are times when you’ll have to start to get creative with how you finish instead of just relying on your athletic ability.
MATTHEW ABLE, G, NC STATE
Year: Freshman
Listed at: 6’5”, 190 (via RealGM)
High School Ranking: 24th (ESPN)
The 2026 NBA Draft class is drawing plenty of attention when it comes to the firepower at the top. The realization that many will reach soon is that after that, it’s open season when it comes to finding some names that can make some noise in the ranks. Personally, I think there are a lot of questions about the incoming freshman class when it comes to who will be “ready” to make a legit march up the ranks throughout the year.
However, that’s the beauty of the evaluation process. There’s always going to be some names that start to make a statement early on in the regular season.
Matt Able had been drawing some buzz heading into the preseason, and he was a player I was excited to watch while attending Formula Zero. Throughout the event, I continued to find myself getting hyped about Able as an incoming freshman at NC State.
At first glance, the outside shot became evident from Able. He’s got a consistent stroke from outside and can really get hot in a hurry. In shooting drills, it looked relatively easy for Able. He was one of the standouts that I saw in those drills, making it look relatively easy when it came to stretching the floor.
Usually at Formula Zero, scrimmages are fullcourt 4-on-4, so I was excited to see what Able could do. At first glance, I found myself wondering if Able was simply going to be a catch-and-shoot weapon. As the games went on, the NC State freshman continued to pop with some eye-opening flashes. At one point, Able had a drive off the bounce before an absolutely VICIOUS poster. Once that happened, you saw the confidence start to take over. There was some serious athleticism that started to come alive, and I even wrote down in my notes: “has some shit to his game.” He’s going to be one I’m circling on my list to watch out for early in the year.
TYRONE RILEY IV, G, SAN FRANCISCO
Year: Sophomore
Listed at: 6’6”, 180 (via San Francisco team site)
Throughout last year, there was a name that many of us at No Ceilings were circling as a potential sophomore leap candidate. That was San Francisco wing Tyrone Riley IV. He averaged 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds as a freshman in 28.2 minutes last year, but the flashes got you extremely excited. Riley has continued to buzz throughout the offseason, especially when you talk to scouts as a name that is firmly on radars.
At first glance, I came away impressed with Riley’s frame. He was listed last year at San Francisco at 6’6” and 180 pounds. From seeing him in person, it looks like Riley has put on some good weight with room to spare. He’s got broad shoulders, and I thought the upper body had some more meat on it than I was expecting at first. From the days I was there, Riley didn’t play in scrimmages. It’s not a surprise, as some players might be dealing with some injuries and are trying to play it safe.
Still, Riley participated in some on-court activities, including shooting drills. Although he was a popular transfer portal candidate, Riley decided to stay put at San Francisco for his sophomore year. The shot looked good to me, and Riley should be preparing for a potential breakout year with the Dons. If he can showcase some consistency from outside, he can be a name that makes some noise as a returner in this class.
ACADEN LEWIS, G, VILLANOVA
Year: Freshman
Listed at: 6’2”, 180 (via Villanova team site)
High School Ranking: 32nd (ESPN)
Last year at Formula Zero, Acaden Lewis was one of the names that got my attention from the crop of high school talent. Going back to my notes from last year’s event, I referenced Lewis as a player who simply has “it.”
This year was no different. Lewis is just a heck of a guard who plays the game like a crafty floor general. He understands how to play the game with pace and can make some beautiful decisions on the court when it comes to setting up defenders or making the right reads to get teammates easy looks.
Regardless of the pace or flow of the game, it seemed as if Lewis was always someone who was looking for any opportunity to strike on both sides of the ball. The question I have moving forward with Lewis is the overall upside. He’s one of those players that you can find yourself falling in love with, due to the overall impact and feel he brings to the court. The million-dollar question, though, is the shot. Lewis has a solid-looking stroke from outside, but I wanted to see it a little bit more consistent during the event. He’s listed at around 6’2”, so if he’s going to be an upside swing…the shot is going to need to come around.
BLAKE HARPER, G, CREIGHTON
Year: Sophomore
Listed at: 6’8”, 210 (via Creighton team site)
Throughout a draft cycle, I’ll often find a player that I’ll make note to keep a serious eye on moving forward. Last year, after tumbling down a rabbit hole, I found myself watching Howard freshman Blake Harper. Immediately, I found myself on the edge of my seat. It wasn’t that Harper was just putting up impressive numbers for Howard; it was also the fact that I absolutely loved the way he played the game.
Fast forward to the end of the regular season, and I thought Harper was a player who should have been one of the top transfer targets for big-time programs. Howard made the decision to take the challenge, as he transferred to Creighton for the upcoming 2025-26 NCAA season. So, to say I was excited to see what he could do at this event would be a bit of an understatement.
I thought Harper did some great things at this event. Sometimes during Formula Zero, you can see that players are trying to work on their craft during some of the scrimmages. Some players will have a clear “alpha” mentality and try to take over games with their scoring. Others look like they are trying to let the game come to them. I thought Harper did a great job of working on playing the game composed. He didn’t force the issue and instead, he looked like a player who was trying to find ways to set up his teammates.
With all of that in mind, Harper also had some instances where he showcased that he can be a bucket as well. He’s a serious dark horse to keep an eye on this year. Harper can fill up the box scores in a hurry. It’s going to be fascinating to monitor early in the season how he handles the challenge of going up in competition.
Quick Hitters
Miami Hurricanes freshman Shelton Henderson continued to draw my intrigue throughout the duration of Formula Zero. Henderson is a stocky presence on the basketball court. He’s listed at 6’6” and 220 pounds, but he plays the game like an undersized four. There’s some floor-spacing upside, but Henderson is a force who can overpower defenders with his strength. The more I watched Henderson at this event, the more I got fascinated by the potential. Unlocking some versatility off the bounce will be key, but Henderson has the tools to be a fun talent to watch, especially as a freshman with the Hurricanes.
Mackenze Mgbako was one of the older prospects at this event, but I thought Mgbako continued to do a good job of showcasing the offensive weaponry he had with his game. He struggled a bit the first day, but continued to get better as the event went on. That became evident when Mgbako got red hot from deep in scrimmages and single-handedly took over a game with his three-point shooting. These types of events are always interesting, due to the fact that some players might have to play a role in scrimmages that they aren’t used to. In 4-on-4 scrimmages, Mgbako was often called upon to be his team’s big man. I thought he did a great job of battling in the paint, but it’s going to be interesting to see if his versatility can take a step forward this year.
HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECTS
There’s been a weird buzz in the air that after the 2026 NBA Draft, basketball fans could be in for a rude awakening with the upcoming class. It’s often a joke evaluators like to throw around. Once you catch a heater of talented draft classes, there seems to always be a class that “levels” reality. The truth, as always, is that there’s talent in EVERY draft class.
Personally, I came away more than excited about the upcoming crop of basketball talent in the high school ranks. There are some SCARY fun upside players who are taking the next step in their respective basketball journeys. That became evident at Formula Zero, which featured A LOT of exciting players to keep a close eye on moving forward.
BABATUNDE OLADOTUN, F
Listed at: 6’8”, 180
High School Ranking: 1st (ESPN, reclassified to 2026)
One of the biggest names on the Formula Zero invite roster was “Baba” Oladotun. The lengthy forward was ranked as the number one prospect in the 2027 class heading into the event. That was until the morning of the first day, when Oladotun announced he was reclassifying to join the 2026 class.
Obviously, I was more than excited to get a look at the latest “party crasher” for next year’s class. At first glance, I was extremely impressed with the combination of size and fluidity that Baba had. He’s a stretched-out forward who is still extremely raw in his physical development. At first glance, I wondered if Baba would even be physically ready for the collegiate game. Then, I started to see him go to work on the court.
Baba is impressively smooth for a player with his overall length. Despite needing the body to mature (as is the case with most high schoolers), the fluidity that Baba has at this point in his development is jaw-dropping. Then you see him start to go to work on the offensive side of the ball, and you can clearly see why he was considered the top prospect in the 2027 class. The outside shot is beautiful, and he can stretch the floor from well beyond the line. I’ll be fascinated to see how the rest of the game comes around, because the tools are ridiculous.
CAMERON WILLIAMS, F
Listed at: 6’11”, 195
High School Ranking: 7th (ESPN)
This was one of my guys throughout the entire Formula Zero event. I wanted to make a point to talk about Cameron Williams right after Baba Oladotun (above). On the first day of 4-on-4 scrimmages, Baba was giving everyone the business in the first couple of games. Then he went up against Cameron Williams. It became evident quickly that Williams was ready to go to battle. Williams is another lengthy big with impressive fluidity. His frame is still skinny, but he plays like he wants to seek out contact and physicality. That last sentence is one of my favorite things to see when evaluating a young player who is waiting to physically mature. It’s one thing to have size and athleticism. It’s another thing to play like you’re 50 pounds heavier than your listed weight.
Williams has some serious stuff to his game. There’s some floor-spacing upside, and he had a couple of vicious slams that took the air out of the gym. He’s currently ranked #7 in the 2026 high school rankings (via ESPN), but he’s a name firmly on my radar. Williams has the potential to be a 7-footer with floor spacing upside and fascinating offensive skills. That’s something you don’t take lightly.
TARRIS BOUIE, G/F
Listed at: 6’6”, 180
High School Ranking: 32nd (ESPN)
I couldn’t stop finding myself intrigued with the long-term potential of Tarris Bouie throughout the Formula Zero event. Bouie immediately grabbed my attention due to his length and fluidity on the perimeter. He’s fearless on the attack and plays with some toughness that surprises you, given his thin frame. There’s a raw ball of clay waiting to be untapped with Bouie. He looks to have the tools to develop into a fascinating wing with some two-way potential. Things are going to need to fall into place, but you can see a player whose best basketball is still waiting to be reached.
In a weird way, Bouie gave me some early flashes of Devin Vassell when he was a prospect at Florida State. There’s a long way to go, and the outside shot needs to come around consistently, but I left the event making note to keep an eye on Bouie’s development over the next couple of years.
BRUCE BRANCH III, G/F
Listed at: 6’5”, 180
High School Ranking: 6th (ESPN, 2027)
The talent was undeniable from the jump when it came to Bruce Branch III. He’s a smooth wing who glides around the court; there’s no denying that Branch was one of the most talented players in the entire Formula Zero event. It seemed as if each time you watched Branch, you found another part of his game that left you excited about what the future could hold.
He’s ranked as the #6 overall prospect for the 2027 class, which was a remarkable realization when you saw how impressive and skilled he was as one of the youngest players at the event. The tools are there for Branch to develop into a legit talent, but time will tell if the pieces can fall into place.
JALEN DAVIS, G
Listed at: 6’2”, 160 (via 247Sports)
High School Ranking: 33rd (247Sports)
Honestly, this might have been one of my favorite players overall that I saw at the entire Formula Zero camp. Throughout the various competitions at the camp, I kept saying to myself: “who the heck is this kid?” Davis was lightning in a bottle on the court. He played the game with great competitiveness and feel. He’s an absolute blur with the ball in his hands and has a scary couple of gears he can reach when he wants to. But the most impressive part was that Davis understood how to set defenders up to use his ridiculous quickness.
There’s bucket-getting potential with his game, and he has a quick release from deep that can make defenders look slow at the snap of a finger. Every time I would try to focus on getting an evaluation on another player, Davis would refuse to stop making impressive plays that had me watching obsessively. The frame has a long way to go, as Davis was listed at 6’2” but is still extremely thin. But if that frame does fill out, Davis has the goods to be a highlight machine as a floor general.
Quick Hitters
Just like Jaden Davis (above), another guard continued to light up the gym in surprising fashion: Luke Ertel, who is ranked 98th by ESPN (!), was flat-out awesome during Formula Zero. He’s already committed to Purdue, and his favorite player, per his questionnaire, is Steve Nash. During one of the scrimmages during the first day, I was trying to zero in on a couple of prospects before rapidly asking myself: “who is this little white guard that’s just demolishing people?” It wasn’t a joke for long; Ertel is a joy to watch on the basketball court, and he has some SERIOUS shit to his game. Ertel plays the game like he’s spitting out venom from his mouth. He’s crafty as heck and does a great job of changing gears with some awesome playmaking ability. He’s got a smooth lefty stroke from outside and doesn’t take a play off. Just as impressive, Ertel is aggressive on the defensive side of the ball and would NOT stop making big-time plays. He’s going to be a FUN one for Purdue fans to root for.
I have a soft spot for absolute DAWGS on the basketball court. Insert Ikenna Alozie (ranked 16th), who basically captured my heart with his play during one game. I might have counted four or five times in which Alozie just flat-out fully extended dove on the floor for a loose ball. It wasn’t just the effort that got my attention, though; Alozie has some serious fun swagger to his game. He’s got a good-looking shot and hit a couple of impressive sequences on the offensive side of the ball. He’s another player I’m keeping a close eye on, because he has the goods to be a possessed pitbull in the backcourt for years to come.
Had never heard of Formula Zero until I read this article, thanks for the info!