BERMUDA RUN, N.C.—Some of the best of the best in the 2026 and 2027 classes gathered in North Carolina for the 11th annual CP3 Rising Stars camp. 

It’s one of the best events to attend to establish how underclassmen stack up against each other. 

Throughout the week, I’ll be unloading some notes from the weekend. 

While I’d have loved to have seen every player, the fact of the matter is that it wasn’t possible. I missed plenty, but I will share notes on who I did get to see. 

After looking at some of the standout guards, let’s head down to the front court to look at some of the notable bigs/forwards. 

 

 

Scoring around the basket isn’t going to be easy with Diallo on the floor. He showed that time and time again over the weekend. 

He didn’t overwhelm with size or athleticism but with physicality, mentality.

Diallo has a stronger frame with long arms, and he clearly takes pride in not allowing easy baskets. His competitiveness around the rim was unparalleled at camp. 

He’s tough, he’s gritty, he has a no BS attitude when he’s in the game. That’s a player you can win with. 

 

 

I didn’t spend a ton of time in the 2027 weeds. Not yet. A guy from the class that popped off the page was Obinna Ekezie. 

The 6-foot-11 forward shined as a defender as many his size do at this age. He deterred shots at the rim and brought an edge to the floor that kept opponents at bay. 

Elsewhere, he ran the floor well and showed coordination and some athleticism. His motor can run high as well. 

He looks like someone to keep an eye on in the 2027 frontcourt. 

 

 

A bit of a tweener forward right now, Gersmehl can play the three or four, but for the purposes of this article, we’ll put him at the four. 

He’s been a standout at many a HoopSeen event as a middle schooler. When going against some of the top competition in this camp setting, Gersmehl looked strong and added another solid chapter to his story. 

Not the biggest, not the most athletic, Gersmehl was among the most fundamental, the most productive, the most versatile forwards in the building. 

As a defender, he guarded bigger opponents around the basket, and he stuck with guys on the perimeter. 

His mismatch showed on offense as well. Gersmehl scored around the basket, and showed a good skill set from the perimeter. 

He’s proved himself at every stage to this point in his young career.

 

 

When I first walked into the camp, the players were huddled listening to someone deliver instructions. I saw someone towering over everyone and thought that person might be standing on a chair to get a better vantage point. I was wrong. 

That person was 7-footer, 7-foot-oner, 7-foot-threeer, Symon Ghai, and yes, he is a massive human. 

Look, when you’re that big at this stage in your career, it’s all about potential and projection. Everything else is secondary. 

Ghai is far from a finished product, but he’s not bad at this stage either. He’s mobile, and at the very least, he’s going to protect the rim. 

I mean, the guy’s huge, and he’s plenty developable. We’re going to be hearing about him a lot. 

 

 

The South Carolina native was one of the very best in the 2027 group. He had an electricity to his game that was impossible to ignore. 

Leonard has a broader frame with long arms. He looked physically advanced in that regard. 

In addition to positive physical attributes, Leonard showed that his athleticism is a show in itself. Leonard’s frame mixed with his athleticism make him hard to stop when attacking the basket. 

He also showed that he can take the ball the length of the floor off the bounce with a good sense of when to score or kick to the perimeter to shooters. 

 

 

One of the players I was most familiar with over the weekend was Chris Washington. He’s been one of the higher-ceiling prospects in the south in the 2026 class. 

Seeing him over the weekend was a nice check up. He’s more fluid, more confident in his movements. At one point, he had the awkwardness of a young prospect getting used to their growing body, but that looks to be dissolving. 

His jumper looked good. It’s always been a point of promise. Washington looked comfortable with the ball in his hands on the perimeter too. 

Washington is a name to keep checking in on because his ceiling is sky high. 

 

 

Well, let’s round this out by staying in the sunshine state. 6-foot-10 Tim Winkler looked like a force around the basket. 

He’s not a slight 6-foot-10. Pushing Winkler around won’t be an easy feat. His motor pairs well with his size too. Winkler looks and plays like a walking double-double. 

Now at Orlando (FL) Oak Ridge, Winkler will be a feature down low and should continue to make a name for himself in the winter.