The JUCO Files Part 9
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?
Did you know Jimmy Butler played JUCO before Marquette? He did this at Tyler Junior College. Recent NBA draftees like Dalton Knecht (Lakers) and Jonathan Mogbo (Raptors) also came from JUCO, now key role players in the league.
That's why I've launched The JUCO Files in my newsletter, focusing on prospects ready to leap to Division I. JUCO basketball, often underrated, emphasizes fundamentals, toughness, and principles - perfect for young talent growth.
This section aims to spotlight JUCO's value, helping prospects adapt and succeed at higher levels, whether low-major, mid-major, or power-five conferences.
Prospects
1. Marquise Delahaye — Baltimore City Community College (#0)
Combo Guard — 6’4” — Sophomore — Hyattsville, MD
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X
Delahaye is a terrific athlete with good verticality. His burst and first step help him to blow by opponents even without a ball screen. He’s an automatic paint touch who’s still struggling to make the best decisions once he’s getting downhill. Despite being a 45% scorer, the numbers are inflated, as most of Delahaye’s scores are dunks at the rim. Some of them come in transition while showing his defensive playmaking, but others are the results of his excellent burst and first step. The 22-second mark shows an example. Just like most NBA scorers, Delahaye has an excellent change of pace when he’s attacking the rim.
Defenders know he gets paint touches whenever he wants. Thus, when they drop their coverage, it opens up Delahaye’s scoring opportunity on the third level: the perimeter. At 41.3% on 46 attempts so far this season, he’s showing good returns. Most of his attempts are due to his gravity of being a paint touch generator. However, the other side of the coin is Delahaye’s focus on getting his own buckets. He has tunnel vision and doesn’t involve his teammates enough. Regardless, that’s fixable as his next program won’t ask him to score 30 points per game. His ability to break down defenses will benefit a team’s offensive rating as he constantly forces help defenders to collapse on him, and thus can find open spot-up shooters with kick-out passes.
If Delahaye develops his playmaking game, it’s clear he can reach the high-major level. However, his tendency to play for himself doesn’t do him many favors in the long run. That has to change to fully bank on his potential. Defensively, Delahaye hasn’t shown consistency. His motor is good, but his screen navigation takes away the two-way value he has for the next few years. Regardless, his offense is the clear buy for programs. If his passing and understanding of rotations improve next season, I think Delahaye can eventually reach the power-five level.
Projection for next season: Starter for a mid-major program with serious high-major potential.
2. Charles Okafor — Hill College (#14)
Wing/Forward— 6’7” — Sophomore — London, England
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X
Okafor is one of the best face-up scorers I’ve evaluated at the JUCO level. His handles are a bit loose, but his combination of footwork, physicality, and composure allows him to find good looks at the rim. He keeps defenders on their heels by using his shooting gravity. At over four three-point attempts per game, he converts these at about 32%. The numbers are less relevant, as Okafor has to work on his shot selection. Most of these are forced shots off the dribble. He tends to bail defenders out with his shot selection, considering how easily he generates paint touches for himself.
At under two assists per game, involving teammates is another area of development. Regardless, Okafor’s ability to make plays out of closeouts while showing good touch at the rim opens up the opportunity to be a volume scorer at the Division I level. His two years of experience led to him entering a mid-major program as an immediate starter. However, it’s unlikely his volume shooting will continue at the next level. Okafor has a consistent shooting form while using his strength and keeps the ball high after catches. But his unorthodox low and slow release makes it easier for quicker defenders to close out on him.
The England-born has quick hands, using these while switching actively on defense. He has a good feel for rotations, helping him to impact passing lanes while piling up steals. His quick feet and lateral quickness help him to defend against guards while he’s strong enough to decently protect the rim against bigger opponents. But his best value is when he’s defending closer to the rim. His positioning and consistent box-outs made him a double-digit rebounder in conference play this season. Okafor’s face-up scoring and rebounding while understanding rotations well are the sell for a starting role at the Division I level next year.
Projection for next season: Starter for a mid-major program.
3. Rony Mbandou — Moberly Area Community College (#33)
Forward— 6’8” — Freshman — Montréal, Canada
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X
Mbandou is a strong and athletic play-finisher. He has quick feet, decent footwork, and good mobility. That makes him a feared face-up scorer. The value for the Division I level comes with his strong frame and broad shoulders. He’s continuing to build muscle while listed at 230 pounds. His role consists of using his physicality and rim-finishing as gravity to position himself as an active cutter whose finish plays at the rim. He has decent handles for his size while using them to create plays as a face-up scorer.
His body control while attacking his defender’s chest makes him an effective option, with the 16-second mark showing an example. However, the other side of the coin is a non-existing jumper. He’s a 60% free-throw shooter on over two attempts per game in his role off the bench. That further adds concern to a team looking to add floor stretching to their forward slots. Regardless, Mbandou can play as a full-time four, especially on defense. He’s an excellent help-side rim protector, using his verticality, quick feet, and toughness to defend at the rim. This results in over 1.5 stocks per game, which is impressive considering his limited role off the bench.
Mbandou adds value to a team’s offensive rating with his rebounding. That compensates for a lock of a jumper, as his touch around the rim and good positioning allows him to collect garbage points off of putbacks. The physical tools could eventually put him on NBA radars. But for that to happen, his floor-stretching and, more importantly, ball-moving game has to improve. Mbandou’s solely looking to finish off plays himself.
I expect Mbandou to return to the Moberly Area to develop his game as a starter. Regardless, he will receive many Division I offers, especially from low-major programs that look for toughness, rebounding, and play-finishing among a shrinking forward pool.
Projection for next season: Starter at Moberly Area, but it’s likely low-major programs would like to add him to their bench depth.
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4. Jeremiah Littlejohn — Western Oklahoma State College (#0)
Combo Guard — 6’5” — Sophomore — Gaitherburg, MD
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X
While scoring seventeen points per game in conference play, Littlejohn has over 80% of his attempts coming from inside the arc. His archetype as a plus-sized ball handler and interior scoring helps him to play at multiple positions. He has a slim frame, but his broad shoulders give him room to add strength to his frame in the next few years. Regardless, he’s fluid with his movement, not backing away to initiate contact while searching for scoring angles against defenders.
At over four assists, but fewer than three free-throws per game in conference play, Littlejohn’s tendency to settle for many midrange shots shows up in the numbers section. While he’s tough enough to seek contact, we often see him bail defenders out by settling for tougher shots. That’s his area of development to work on at the next level. He has tight handles and enough creativity while using his size well to see if he can make the extra play. The 58-second mark shows an example.
Littlejohn’s versatility has more value if he can serve as a volume-shooter at the next level. With 17 three-point attempts in six games, that’s about 20% of his total field-goal attempts in conference play. That’s a low number. Looking at his mechanics, Littlejohn has the consistent form to develop into a volume shooter. With more programs looking for size among their guard depth, it’s feasible Littlejohn can be used as a spot-up option rather than running the show with the ball in his hands. His handles, rim pressure, and creativity hold enough gravity to keep him an important part of the opposing scouting report.
Defensively, Littlejohn shows decent awareness while rotating well. That helps him to average over three steals per game in conference play, mostly deflections where he can initiate transition offense. His feel for the game as a defender makes it feasible that he can impact the game on the defensive side of the ball at the next level. Regardless, the difference between both levels makes the context behind a good evaluation of his defense challenging.
Projection for next season: Starter for a low-major Division I program.
5. Antonio Reed, Jr. — Seminole State College (#3)
Combo Guard — 6’2” — Sophomore — Tulsa, OK
Link to Bio and Stats — Link to X
Reed Jr. is a good athlete, using his physical tools to his advantage. He’s gotten much more comfortable as a scorer with the ball in his hands, as he earned a starting role in the early stages of conference play. That’s a result of his extreme toughness in how hard he plays and how much he looks to pressure the rim.
Reed Jr. averages close to five free throws and rebounds per game. His quickness helps him thrive in initiating ‘grab-and-go’ sequences. The positive for the next level is that he’s keeping composure when he’s attacking the rim while always looking to make the extra pass. After twenty games, that leads to over four assists per game. The context behind his passing is that in his previous role off the bench he was asked to serve as a microwave scorer. However, in his starting role, he’s running the offense. That leads to over six assists per game throughout his last five games.
Reed Jr.’s toughness translates to the defensive side of the ball. He’s averaging close to two steals per game, mostly due to his high energy level while gambling for steals often. That’s not the best way to defend for the next level. Regardless, his toughness and decision-making should help Reed Jr. to improve as a pick-and-roll defender at the next level. His effort level in the point-of-attack is a positive to improve the next level feasible.