The JUCO Files Part 14
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. Travelle Bryson — Vincennes University
Shooting Guard/Small Forward — 6’5” — Freshman
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X Profile
Bryson is a top-tier athlete who influences the game with his verticality on both ends. Throughout the years, he developed a consistent three-point shot off the catch while shooting 44.0% on close to four attempts this season. Despite his slim frame, Bryson plays tough and has an aggressive defensive style. He has good hands and positional awareness, making it more feasible to turn into a switchable defender at the Division I level.
Bryson doesn’t need the ball in his hands to contribute to winning. His shooting off the catch forms the base for his role. He fits best in a slasher’s role where he can use his good lateral quickness to attack the rim. However, an area of development is to work on his playmaking. He scarcely contributed on that end as a passer. That started changing when he earned a starting role for the Trail Blazers in early February.
The most appealing part of his profile is his rebounding. His verticality and toughness make him a difference-maker among his peers when fighting for defensive boards. He’s boxing out hard on each play while also looking to attack the offensive glass to get himself putback opportunities. Bryson immediately fits into a rotational role at the mid-major level and should draw lots of interest throughout the rest of the offseason.
2. Amari Williams — Indian River State College
Combo Guard — 6’3” — Sophomore — Dallas, TX
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X Profile
Core strength is a difference-maker on a basketball court, and for Williams, that’s the area that makes him a Division I-caliber guard. He has decent handles, good footwork, and incredibly fluid hips where his game is built on craft, decision-making instead of relying on his athleticism.
While shooting over 39% on over a hundred three-pointers, Williams shows his ability to create off the dribble while also scaling his role down to play with fewer ball touches. At 6-foot-3, he can play both guard positions while a team can fully take advantage of his skillsets as a self-creator. His core strength helps him to maintain balance when attacking the rim. He has a good last step with a reliable touch around the basket. He’s thriving on the open floor as a ‘grab-and-go’ option with over five rebounds per game.
Despite average lateral quickness, Williams shows a quick first step with his footwork, making the difference when he creates space with jab steps or ball fakes. Defensively, sliding his feet is easy for Williams, who can operate as both a defender the point of attack while defending in ball screen actions as well. With a quick release as a shooter, a low-major Division I program has its starting guard set and ready, as I expect Williams to garner more interest from high-major Division II programs as well.
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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3. Alex Harper — North Platte Community College
Combo Guard — 6’3” — Freshman — Ovieda, FL
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X Profile
Harper was a tough evaluation. At first, he looked like a selfish player before realizing he had to carry a big scoring load for his team. He's mainly struggling with his shot selection. He often falls in love with the three-ball too much, averaging over six attempts per game on a below-average 31%. Regardless, Harper stands out as a mature and reliable team defender with decent athleticism to make the right decisions when playing the passing lanes. He’s not a vertical athlete who stands out with flashy plays but someone who focuses on substance instead.
To succeed at the next level, Harper has to embrace playing as a dribble penetration and self-creating scorer rather than a volume shooter. Most of his attempts come off the dribble, where he often bails defenders out rather than his three-point shot holding the leverage. Harper has tight enough handles to get downhill, using his craft and change of pace to deceive defenders. His body control at the rim results from his decent upper body strength. Despite being a freshman, he has grown well into his body.
With around 150 free-throw attempts and interior field goal attempts, Harper gets himself to the charity stripe with ease. That’s his weapon for the next level. He’s a decent passer despite his tunnel vision when creating looks inside the lane. Defensively, he’s often struggling to keep up against quicker guards. Regardless, he shows active hands when playing the passing lanes. His strong body makes him better adaptable to pick-and-roll schemes when he comes off the bench for a low-major Division I program next season. I expect him to garner lots of interest from high-major Division II teams as well.
4. Foday Sheriff — Minnesota State Community & Technical College
Shooting Guard/Small Forward — 6’4” — Sophomore — Upper Derby, PA
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X Profile
Sheriff is a big, strong guard with broad shoulders and a well-filled frame. He’s fitting into the mold of a self-creating power wing. He has tight handles and good court vision. He rounds out his profile with a focus on playmaking to bank on his advantage creation. His handles are beyond the level he's currently playing, especially considering the good decision-making.
His role becomes more sustainable considering the 39.6% three-point shooting on over four attempts per game. On top of that, he has five assists, with the 25-second mark below showing one of the examples of his additional playmaking. Sheriff can defend against three positions, as he’s strong enough to face smaller fours while he has the strength to keep up against scoring-heavy twos.
Defensively, that’s his bread and butter. He’s embracing his switch-heavy style of play, thriving on his play as a weak-side rim protector with decent verticality while he’s quick enough to play the passing lanes. That resulted in over 2.5 stocks per game this season. The many facets of his game make it feasible for him to scale his role down to fit into any role. Role versatility is the main thing low-major college coaches try to find, and with a tight-handled wing like Sheriff, it’s imminent before he’ll become a starter at the Division I level.
5. Jafeth Martinez — Florida SouthWestern State College
Power Forward/Center — 6’9” — Sophomore — Roatan, Honduras
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X Profile
Martinez transferred to Florida SouthWestern after a solid season at South Georgia Tech. At 6-foot-9, he’s an interior presence before everything else. His game translates to the next level as a play-finishing complementary five who’ll anchor an interior defense while thriving off cutting to duck in and finish plays inside the paint. He has fluid hips and good foot speed that help him to defend in the pick-and-roll. Division I coaches can use him for more than drop coverage alone.
At seven rebounds per game, Martinez’s main task is to anchor the interior and collect rebounds. He’s an interior-only option, where floor-stretching isn’t a part of his game. Regardless, he’s operating more as a rim deterrent rather than a shot-blocker alone. Despite averaging slightly more than a block per game, it’s imminent he’ll be able to be more than that at the next level. The area of development is availability. He’s heavy-footed and foul-prone at 2.5 in 20 minutes per game. Regardless, Martinez’s interior presence and play-finishing, on top of his rebounding duties, make him an excellent backup five for the low-major Division I level.
At the JUCO level, Martinez thrived on attacking the offensive glass as a putback option. The area of development for him is to operate more as a ball-mover. For that, his processing of the game has to improve, as he’s mostly looking to finish plays rather than make the extra play. That puts a cap on his long-term potential.