The JUCO Files Part 12
JUCO hoops are the backbone of college basketball. The JUCO files highlights underclassmen ready to make the D1 jump while improving their NIL and portal value through playing time in the NJCAA.
Why JUCO?
Take Jimmy Butler—he put in work at Tyler Junior College before making a name for himself at Marquette. Turns out, he’s not alone. Guys like Dalton Knecht, now with the Lakers, and Jonathan Mogbo with the Raptors, came up through JUCO too, sharpening their games before hitting the NBA.
That’s what got me thinking about JUCO basketball. It’s not glamorous, but it’s real—fundamentals, toughness, and raw development. It’s a quiet pipeline for players ready to step up to Division I. So, I started The JUCO Files in my newsletter to dig into these prospects, the ones who often get missed but have the tools to make an impact.
The goal? Shed light on how JUCO builds players who can handle the jump—whether that’s to a small program, a mid-major, or a power-five school.
Prospects
1. Preist Ryan — Howard College
Wing — 6’6” — Sophomore — Pittsburgh, PA
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X Profile
At 16 points per game, Ryan had an efficient sophomore year at Howard. He’s a does-it-all scoring wing who’s interchanging creativity in the post of both shoulders to attacking closeouts or using his good athleticism to utilize straight-line drives with dunks at the rim. However, his game is not scalable at the next level. Despite an efficient 50-40-80 season, Ryan’s reliant on the open floor, which he’ll have less at the Division I level.
His pull-up jumper from the midrange is another strong suit. That’s the base for the leverage of his athleticism to get both feet inside the painted area. However, defensively, Ryan’s motor needs some work. He’s playing hard, but it almost looks like he’s choosing the possessions where he’s intensely chasing a winning play to some possessions where he looks uninterested. Regardless, he’s a high-energy wing who needs to increase his aggressiveness. At less than two fouls per game, Ryan can afford to play tougher than he already does.
Defensively, Ryan’s average at best. That’s not what college coaches are buying. As a team defender, I can see him getting accustomed to the team’s schemes. However, I don’t expect Ryan to be a standout defender at the next level. His additions are mainly to the offensive rating. However, with his verticality and pop, Ryan could utilize and grow into a role as a weak-side helper when playing as a four in smaller shooting-heavy lineups. Regardless, I expect Ryan to garner interest from low-major Division I programs where he can be a good rotational piece off the bench.
2. Marcus Zeigler — Cowley College
Point Guard — 6’1” — Sophomore — Wichita, KS
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X Profile
Zeigler is a pesky on-ball defender who thrives in serving as a shooting-heavy guard. He’s crafty, has good handles, and despite being undersized, he’s out-toughening opponents, even impacting his team on the offensive glass. Zeigler’s a testimony to hard work being unmatched. His shot selection is off at times, and when he has a good angle, he’ll not make the extra pass. He can be a selfish shooter and scorer, which his next coaching staff has to help him improve.
He’s best in a limited role off the bench, where he can play more freely, getting to his accustomed field goal attempts. Zeigler’s motor and active hands make him an accomplished defensive playmaker at the JUCO level. While averaging an offensive rebound per game, Zeigler doubles the amount of steals and compensates for his lack of size with a consistent and good motor.
He’s tough and hunts opponents down. The other side of the coin is him averaging close to three fouls per game, but that’s context-related and a testimony to him not making life easy for the opposing team. His role at the Division I level will consist of playing as a spot-up shooter off the bench who’s making plays and showing creativity as a passer alongside a more ball-dominant guard. If Zeigler can improve his footwork when generating paint touches, he’s much better capable of drawing fouls. That’s his major area of development he can work on next season.
3. Will Lobor — Western Texas College
Wing — 6’7” — Redshirt Freshman — Portland, ME
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X Profile
Lobor is a potential high-major wing. His strong build and well-filled frame allow him to scale his game up from a ball-handling wing to playing as a bruizer-typed four or a five. Lobor’s versatility should make him a much-wanted commodity among college coaches. What immediately stood out was his crisp footwork, using his shoulders and elbow well to create angles and space by attacking his defenders in the chest.
His touch around the rim is fluid, and he can finish with both hands. On top of that, he’s a good enough shooter to get to a few attempts per game. His role consists of playing as a closeout attacker on the perimeter while actively cutting and changing to an inside-out option by immediately backing down and hunting mismatches. He’s a good passer but looks to finish plays by himself. While taking good care of the ball, the confusing part of his profile is that he’s not getting to the charity stripe often.
He’s also committing less than a personal foul per game. His game is purely focused on substance and fundamentals rather than fully using his physicality and tools to be more of a bully on the floor. Lobor has three years of eligibility left, and it’s imminent that he’ll reach the high-major level in a few years. He should have collected quite some offers so far. Regardless, his physicality, versatility on offense, and good enough shooting give him a clear role to start at the Division I level.
4. Josiah Sabino — Garden City Community College
Combo Guard — 6’4” — Sophomore— Jacksonville, FL
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X Profile
Sabino is a strongly built combo guard thriving on producing in a reduced role. He’s the optimal teammate-improving option, as he doesn’t rely on ball touches to be productive. He has a strong build and filled his frame in the last few years, bulking up to 205 pounds. His physicality and size make it possible for him to rotate between the two and three positions as a defender.
As a result, Sabino is good at navigating through screens, showing the potential to defend in the pick-and-roll. However, he doesn’t have the foot speed to fully engage in the point of attack. On top of that, his game is more built to play physically and make the right decisions rather than using athleticism or flash to create advantages or scoring opportunities.
His shot is the main area of development. Despite shooting under 40%, fundamentally wise, Sabino is an above-average shooter. He’s quick at setting his feet and has a decently high-arcing release. His powering up for the jumper is slow and needs work. Regardless, Sabino can grow into a volume shooter at the next level. The feasibility of his role translating is fueled by not demanding many ball touches. His teammate-first approach is also visible on the boards, where he’s boxing out hard while averaging six rebounds per game. Sabino is a clear starter at a low-major program, where he can be a rotational piece for mid-major programs. Regardless of his decision, he should garner interest after graduating from Garden City.
5. Bubba Leveall — Butler Community College
Point Guard — 6’0” — Sophomore — Hopkinsville, KY
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X Profile
Leveall is a quick and twitchy guard with unlimited range. He’s a 39.0% three-point shooter while averaging over eight attempts per game. Despite being a six-footer, Leveall doesn’t leverage his downhill drives and paint touch generation as leverage to score. Instead, he’s thriving on spacing the floor for others to shoot while coming both off screens and by relocating to find his spots away from the ball. His jumper is the main selling point.
However, to make it work at the Division I level, Leveall has to combine his shooting prowess with involving his teammates more. I’ve seen him make incredible passes and execute reads, but when he’s finding a shooting angle, he’s shooting it. Leveall has to scale his role down to have his game translate to the Division I level. His active hands fuel his steals, but the slim frame is an issue for a program’s defensive rating.
His main values are offense and shooting. As a passer, he can earn enough room to keep the ball in his hands while potentially scaling his role down to be an extra shooting and closeout scorer. The lack of size is worrying, but the level of his offensive production and the value of his jumper will convince one program to acquire him this summer. If Leveall can keep his efficiency with fewer threes while actively seeking to create for others as well, he’ll see his game translate at the low-major level next season.
Why Subscribe?
My newsletter, Ersin’s NBA Draft Notebook, zeroes in on two under-the-radar pools: international talent and JUCO kids. Both are goldmines for college teams looking to find their next contributor. I break down what these prospects bring to the table—their fit, their game— so coaches can lean on us as an extra set of eyes. It’s straightforward scouting, focused on real, actionable info.
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