The 2026 AWS G League Combine Recap

Maxwell Baumbach recaps the 2026 G League Combine, with athletic testing and notes on the scrimmages from Chicago!

Athletic Testing and Measurements

-Seth Trimble’s 43.5” max vertical jump was absurd. His standing vertical alone (38.5”) would’ve been one of the best marks in the field. Plus, he was second overall on the shuttle-run drill. Trimble’s dogged style being backed by outlier athleticism is sure to help his stock.

-Aiden Tobiason was looming around the top of the board across all of the athletic testing events, and he came in with a 7’0.75” wingspan. Given his dribble-pass-shoot skill set and effective on-ball defense, he’s checking so many important boxes for a wing prospect who turns 20 years old today.

-Jacob Cofie’s 36” max vertical was a killer number for the jumbo defensive disruptor. Throw in a 7’0” wingspan and an outstanding 3/4 court sprint time, and there are only a handful of dudes who have his combination of dimensions and athleticism.

-Rafael Castro may be a hair undersized positionally at 6’9” barefoot, but 7’1.25” wingspan and outstanding 36.5” max vertical leap should go a way in covering for that. It was going to be crucial for Castro to test well given his relative lack of height and weight, and he did just that.

-Tamin Lipsey and Noah Yaacov both came in on the short side, but they killed it at the speed-based athletic tests, which will be crucial for them in terms overcoming their dimensional limitations.

Scrimmage One

USC’s Jacob Cofie was the player who intrigued me the most coming out of the first game of the weekend. He was impactful on the defensive end, grabbing four stocks, which shouldn’t come as a big surprise given his priors. He was super communicative and disruptive on that side of the floor. But Cofie’s overall skill level, shooting, and assertiveness all impressed me. Cofie looked comfortable leading the break in transition after grabbing a rebound. While his past shooting inconsistencies were tough to forget given his 3-7 mark at the free throw line, Cofie did hit both of his three-point attempts and a handful of pull-up jumpers. His serious size, impressive athletic testing, and awesome first outing are pushing him into, “this is a stay-or-go situation to monitor” territory.

Aiden Tobiason didn’t have the biggest counting numbers, but there was a real argument to be made that he was the highest upside prospect on the floor. He was super active, attentive, and competitive. He made decisions quickly when he had the ball and showed enough of the dribble-pass-shoot elements of his game to remain intriguing on that end. Tobiason really got after it on defense, too, shutting opponents down at the point-of-attack. This class is really short on dribble-pass-shoot wings, and players who fit that criteria often don’t have Tobiason’s length or bounce. I’m getting very excited about him.

Noam Yaacov was a consistent standout throughout the course of the first scrimmage. He had 13 points on eight shots, three assists, two rebounds, and two steals, but he was so much more impactful than the numbers suggest. He routinely got into the paint, consistently generating dribble penetration through his craft and speed. Yaacov’s passing was stellar, too, he just didn’t get rewarded with as many assists as you’d hope given how many great deliveries he made. He wasn’t perfect on defense, but he put up a good fight and took accountability on the plays where he got beat.

Trey Kaufman-Renn continues to make me question what I should do with him. The big man put his power to use to collect 12 rebounds. He made some nice passes, which is to be expected with him at this point. What was new, though, was his three-point shot. TKR sunk both of his attempts from beyond the arc in this game. His lackluster defensive impact and subpar functional bounce are terrifying issues for a big man to have, but he might be too productive to keep out of the league.

Melvin Council Jr. had some ups and downs. On the positive side of things, he made some great passes, hyped up his teammates, and scored with solid efficiency. Unfortunately, he also posted five turnovers, whipping passes to where teammates were instead of where they were going. Still, his size and relative poise were notable.

Scrimmage Two

Aaron Nkrumah was impossible to miss in Game Two. The 6’6” Tennessee State standout was dead set on showing that his production this past season wasn’t simply a product of him facing inferior opposition. Nkrumah was active with his hands guarding the ball and grabbed an impressive passing lane steal, two of his hallmarks at the college level. His jumper looked both pretty and fast, which is a delight to see. He was also awesome at getting downhill, utilizing his bend, potent first step, and shiftiness to attack closeouts and get to the rack. Nkrumah’s 22 points are eye-grabbing on the stat sheet, but the way he went about producing his points was all the more intriguing. He’s looking like a surefire call-up player.

Rafael Castro was my top ranked prospect coming into the game, and he looked the part. His athleticism and passing chops were on full display. He looks as good when he gets out on the run in transition as any big man in this class. But what impressed me most with Castro was his defense. If you look at his counting numbers at George Washington this past season, they’re super impressive. However, he was allowed to gamble like a madman in a roamer type of role. Here, the context was far different. Castro held down the fort in drop coverage, effectively calling out every screen and the location of it to his guards before deterring shots at the rim. There were a few times where he left his feet to easily inside, but this level of polish was both impressive and surprising given how he’d been utilized at the college level. I remain bullish on him as a second-round target.

Bryce Hopkins looked great, too. The local prospect, who played high school ball at nearby Fenwick, showed out with both his skill and toughness. He’s always been able to bully his way to spots, and even with his slimmer, quicker frame, he still had no issues using his power to his advantage. Hopkins was super physical on the glass, too. His blend of size and craft remain intriguing.

Nate Bittle and Tucker DeVries both had quiet, effective performances. Bittle used his size well in drop and didn’t force anything on offense. DeVries kept the ball moving and used his frame well on the glass. Jaylin Sellers scored 20 points, but it felt like he was intent on shooting it every time he touched the ball, and he also fouled out. He got impressive buckets at each level of the floor, but that’s never been the question with him—it’s the other stuff, and we didn’t see it. If we see that in his next outing, though, he’d be a call-up favorite. Michael Ajayi’s massive frame, rebounding, and shooting touch were hard to overlook, too.

Scrimmage Three

Noam Yaacov was back at it again in game three. He continued to get into the paint at will, make excellent dishes, and use his touch to loft high-arching shots over interior players for finishes. Again, his defensive effort was up to snuff. His efficient 21-point performance showed that he was truly one of the best guys in the field.

Quadir Copeland had a great bounce back performance after he came out flat on day one. He dished out six assists to only one turnover. He made great deliveries in transition, and his manipulation in the halfcourt was a sight to behold. He’s an athlete with the tools to bend defenses, but his knack for looking off his feeds takes things to another level. Throw in his four takeaways, and there was a lot to like on both ends of the floor.

Seth Trimble was a menacing force on defense yet again. There was a player where he went under a ball screen against DJ Armstrong, which is a huge mistake on paper. Armstrong is a flamethrowing shooter who himself had a great outing. Even worse, Trimble was way too far off of him. Still, when Armstrong went into his shot, Trimble quickly covered ground and flew off the floor to swat it. It was one of those, “oh yeah, this guy is just physically different” type of plays.

Keba Keita had a monster game, posting 19 points on 11 shots while grabbing ten rebounds and nabbing three steals. He had a pick-six steal on the perimeter, and he was still one of the most physically imposing interior players on the floor. While Keita’s lack of a jump shot and subpar ball skills are concerning, the fact that he still found success with his hard-charging style in this context was encouraging.

Scrimmage Four

Rafael Castro had another great game. Once again, he was extremely communicative on the defensive end. His presence around the basket forced several opponents to alter their shots to no avail. Offensively, he made some great passes in a variety of context. He also finished consistently inside. Everything you could want to see from the big man, he showed.

Aaron Nkrumah was at it again, too. He and Castro had a marvelous two-man game sequence to set up a big time dunk for Castro. He also showed off his comfort from deep again. Plus, he got it done inside with a nice spin and finish, and he hit a pull-up jumper. His defensive dynamism and versatile scoring made him a standout all week long.

Aiden Tobiason was a standout yet again. He looked comfortable spacing the floor and hit a few threes. He also used his quickness and shiftiness to get deep into the paint on a consistent basis. While he didn’t end up with any assists, he made several great passes that went unrewarded. Defensively, he was competitive and in the right spots, but did get outmuscled a few times. While Tobiason is on the young side, I thought he was consistently one of the best players on the floor.

Jaden Henley got back on the horse, using his physicality to get to his spots and convert. Tamin Lipsey was much more assertive, getting downhill and making good deliveries. Jacob Cofie had a tougher one in game four, forcing some bad shots and having a rough turnover. Still, he hit a nice turnaround jump and had a big time swat on Jaden Henley. He should be in the call-up mix.

My Top Performers of the Weekend

-Rafael Castro

-Noam Yaacov
-Aaron Nkrumah
-Quadir Copeland
-Seth Trimble
-Aiden Tobiason
-Trey Kaufman-Renn
-Jacob Cofie