The 2025 Lethal Shooter Showcase Recap
Jam recaps the fourth annual Lethal Shooter Showcase, an invite only event that assembles top high school talent for a day of hoops and fellowship.
The 2025 Lethal Shooter Showcase brought together many of the top players in the DMV and featured numerous top 100 high school prospects. Held at The St. James, a state-of-the-art facility located in Springfield, VA, the fourth annual event once again paired elite-level talent with a superb coaching staff that had experience either coaching or playing at some of the highest levels of the game.
The instruction wasn't just focused on basketball; the staff took a holistic approach and often looked to drop words of wisdom about navigating life off the court. A couple of key themes were the importance of giving back and staying locked in on your craft. Kudos to Chris Matthews (Lethal Shooter) and Brian Inge for organizing another tremendous event that’s becoming a must-attend each summer. I encourage coaches and evaluators to watch film on all of the invited players. There are ten prospects that I want to focus on, leading off with someone who’s high on the radar of NBA scouts and decision-makers.
Jordan Smith Jr. | 2026 | Paul VI (VA) | Team Takeover
Jordan Smith Jr. is the name that most in the NBA draft community are familiar with. The five-star guard is largely considered a Top 5 player in the 2026 class and has brought home gold twice over the past couple of summers at the FIBA Basketball World Cups as a key member of the USA’s U19 and U17 teams.
He continues to look every bit the part of a two-way college star and potential NBA lottery pick. It was on display all day, from station work to the games. At 6’2ish, Smith Jr. already possesses a mature and projectable NBA frame. His shoulders are broad, his calves are defined, and his wingspan is a definite plus.
Alongside his frame, he’s a day one NBA athlete with translatable defensive chops. He effortlessly threw down multiple big dunks with the ease of a big man and gave a windmill tease on a fast break after the whistle where his head was at the rim. My top two sequences of the day came courtesy of Smith Jr. First, he utilized those long arms and quick hands for a point of attack steal, then gave it up to catch and hammer down a lob. Later, he converted an offensive rebound into a soft jumper, then swatted a shot at the rim as the helper.
Will he shoot it well enough from three? That’s the biggest long-term question that evaluators will be looking to answer. His shooting was a bit up and down throughout, but his confidence never wavered. A rip through into a smooth middy pull-up highlighted some of his burgeoning self-creation and shotmaking in the halfcourt.
Obviously, Smith Jr. is wanted by every top program in the country, with rumblings of Duke leading the way. Will the recent PVI to Duke pipeline continue (Jeremy Roach (2020), Trevor Keels (2021), Darren Harris (2024), Patrick Ngongba (2024)?
Chase Foster | 2026 | IMG Academy (FL) | Team Melo
Chase Foster, a top 50 player in the 2026 class, impressed all day. Listed at 6’8”, he brings an exciting blend of size, length, ball skills, athleticism, and shotmaking upside that screams long-term NBA potential.
His production and competitive fire shone through alongside a couple of enticing self-creation scores: a fluid euro finish in traffic and a quick right-to-left crossover into a bump rim finish. There is still so much untapped potential in Foster. A big senior season at IMG is on the horizon.
Anthony Brown | 2026 | Archbishop Carroll (DC) | Team Durant
CONFIDENCE. Anthony Brown just straight up oozes it in every setting that he’s in, and it’s what you want from your lead guard. It was clear why he’s a four-star prospect that’s coming off a standout summer on the EYBL circuit.
Brown showcased his tricky handle, self-creation, multi-level shotmaking, and playmaking feel to consistently generate offense for himself and teammates. He delivered a pinpoint pocket bounce pass out of the pick-and-roll and later dished the assist of the day with a behind-the-back drop off in traffic. His marriage of scoring and playmaking will significantly help any program. Brown is down to ten schools: Maryland, Mississippi State, Villanova, VCU, UCF, Tennessee, Memphis, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Vanderbilt.
Darius Bivins | 2026 | Bishop O’Connell (VA) | Washington Warriors
Darius Bivins has long been one of my favorite players in the class. I honestly don't even think I’ve ever seen him sweat. The four-star guard plays with such poise and calm as he navigates the floor via craft, shiftiness, and feel alongside his dynamic shooting and playmaking.
After a bit of a slow start in the first game, Bivins just started to roll per usual. He dazzled with his pace, pull-up shooting, multi-level shotmaking, and sound decision-making. The touch and craft Bivins continues to show at the rim, featuring scoops and floaters, is ideal from any guard at this stage, especially ones on the smaller side (he’s listed at 6'0”). Coaches shouldn't be worried about his size, though. Bivins is a no-doubt high-major caliber player who can help lead a team deep in March.
Ashton “Ace”Meeks | 2026 | DeMatha (MD) | Team Loaded (VA)
Ace Meeks is an absolute gamer. It feels like he just shows up in a big way every single time. This showcase wasn't any different for Meeks, who is ranked just outside of the 247 Sports Top 200. He won Most Outstanding Player honors and led his team to the championship. Meeks gave defenses trouble with his ability to hit pull-up jumpers on multiple levels and attack in transition.
Despite being a small guard (6’0”), I’m encouraged that his frame will translate to the college game. He’s equipped with fairly long arms and some cut to his biceps and shoulders, which should only progress and add more overall mature muscle in a collegiate weight room. Meeks has the makings of a productive collegiate guard.
Shane Pendergrass | 2026 | Hargrave Military Academy (VA) | Team Museum
The profile is so intriguing for Shane Pendergrass. A 6’8” wing with ball skills, shotmaking ability, and defensive tools. Pendergrass knocked down shots from distance and hunted for opportunities to shoot over smaller defenders all day, including a smooth one-legged post fadeaway bucket. A big one-handed put-back dunk was amongst his loudest plays.
As Pendergrass further evolves as a playmaker and more consistent defender, both his floor and ceiling will elevate. Via his twitter/X, the four-star wing has narrowed his college choices to nine schools: Virginia Tech, Cal, George Mason, George Washington, Boise State, La Salle, East Carolina, Louisiana Tech, and Duquesne.
Finley Billy | 2026 | Bullis (MD) | Washington Warriors
Finley Billy is becoming one of my favorite area sleepers in the 2026 class. This was my third time scouting him in person this summer, and his collection of size (6’7”), knockdown shooting, and connective passing consistently pops.
Across the different stations, including 3-on-3 play, Billy buried standstill and movement jumpers from midrange and deep. His footwork is excellent, and he routinely gets his feet underneath him with a solid base before firing. A quick touch pass assist from the corner to a teammate with great low-post positioning provided more evidence of his connectivity. More college programs should be in on Finley Billy.
Brandon Woodard | 2027 | Bishop McNamara (MD) | Team Durant
Brandon Woodard’s tools remain incredibly loud. A long, fluid, and bouncy 6’8” wing equipped with ball skills and shotmaking upside. Woodard flashed his vertical pop with several above-the-rim finishes as well as his self-creation upside with glimpses of a tight handle into downhill scores, with the most notable being a high gather pickup into a hanging finish.
There were times when Woodard settled a bit for some tough shots and gave up his size/athleticism advantage. Learning not to settle generally comes with time, and when that clicks for the four-star prospect, it’s going to be scary.
Parker Robinson | 2026 | Overtime Elite (GA) | Team Melo
Parker Robinson was another one of the numerous Top 100 prospects at the showcase. His intersection of a projectable frame (6’5”, long arms, stout build), shooting, and vertical pop is fascinating. Robinson had a stretch where he hit a beautiful hesitation pull-up three, then came down the lane to power home a huge one-handed slam. When coaches and scouts tune into OTE this season, Robinson will be a top name to watch once again.
Bol Wieu Thet | 2026 | Springdale Prep (MD) | Global Squad
This was my first time getting eyes on Bol Wieu Thet, and I can’t wait to see more. Standing at about 6’9ish, he’s a play finishing big with length and fluidity that plays with energy. We’ll see how the shot develops, but there was some comfort and repeatability in his mechanics during stations, even if the results weren't really there.
Norfolk State gave Thet his first Division I offer this past July. More offers should be rolling in soon after Thet’s strong summer.