Puma PRO16 Tulsa Standouts: Dawson Battie, Reese Alston, Bamba Touray and More

Live periods are always among the most important weekends of the year, and Puma’s PRO16 Circuit continues to grow its pool of top-level talent. That was on display this weekend in Tulsa.

The marquee matchup of the weekend was Southern Ties 17U vs. Cooz Elite 17U. Both squads have prospects flirting with five-star status, with Dawson Battie for Southern Ties and Reese Alston for Cooz. Battie, ranked in the top 20 by nearly every recruiting service, has grown since last summer, now standing near 6’8”, and he has continued to maintain the built-out frame that is a huge part of his game. Battie has a strong skill level and can combine that with his bruising nature to get downhill.

Critics of Battie’s game have always had questions about his ability to score at the next level as a primary option while not being an elite shooter. However, his continued skill development, as well as his physical growth, have moved him from a 3-4 hybrid to more of a true 4 on the positional spectrum, which I think will be good for his development. Battie scored 25 against Cooz in the Red River Rivalry game through drives and attacks in transition. I continue to be impressed with his gathers inside the lane, and players of his size don’t often have the skill to turn the corner against a defender and handle the ball in traffic. Combining that skill with Battie’s finishing package should serve him well at the high-major level.

He was played a bit out of position defensively. Southern Ties plays without a true big man, and Battie was forced to play as a center to balance out his team’s defense. At the next level, I would like to see Battie play more as a roamer away from the rim, using his ground coverage and physical gifts to erase the advantages offenses generate. Battie has taken unofficial visits to SMU, Texas, and Nebraska. Virginia, Miami, Baylor, and Texas A&M could also have a role to play in his recruitment.

Reese Alston, the reigning back-to-back champion of the PRO16’s 16U and 15U divisions, has stayed with the PRO16 to attempt the three-peat, continuing to play under his father, Rafer Alston, of both NBA and streetball fame as Skip to My Lou. Reese’s gifts are immediately apparent, as he has an innate ability to generate paint touches and rim shots for himself, while also doing an excellent job collapsing the defense and creating spot-up opportunities for teammates. Alston gets after it on the defensive end, playing as a good point-of-attack defender and generating turnovers with his hand activity and instincts. Alston is an easy bet to be a good high-major player, and his burst and creativity give him NBA upside. Alston has already visited Purdue, Houston, Kentucky, Louisville, and Wichita State. I am told Purdue and Houston are the two current favorites.

Tre Mann Elite’s entire program is loaded with intriguing talent, but I must first start with Bamba Touray, who I would currently place atop the 2028 class. When watching Bamba, it is immediately clear how ludicrously talented, and already effective, he is. Touray’s biomechanical gifts are those of a future first overall pick, standing at a legit 7 feet with high-level length, absurd movement patterns, flexibility, ground coverage, and touch. If you name it, it is likely something Touray could potentially do.

Right now, he is one of the best rim protectors at the 16U level I have ever seen, not only erasing shots and scaring opponents away from the paint, but also communicating at an impressive rate in order to play in the right coverages and keep the defense intact. He has good footspeed and can guard out on the perimeter, but Touray is not one of those overly skinny young bigs. He is on the thinner side and doesn’t win with strength, but it isn’t lacking right now, and he looks bigger than he did last year, making me think he has serious room to grow into his frame.

On offense, Touray is a great finisher around the rim, dunking most of his assisted shots, while also doing an excellent job driving out of spot-ups and using his length and touch to finish over other bigs. His handle is impressive, and I even saw Touray experiment and succeed with some high pickups, swing steps, and other advanced moves you just don’t normally see 7-footers try. His shot can currently be inconsistent, but at the 16U age, it is more than worth experimenting with. Touray would be my pick for the current best prospect in the country, and the sky is the limit for him. He is currently a top-five prospect on every service, but I really think exposure is the only thing keeping him out of the top spot.

TME’s 17U team is headlined by Aaron Britt, who was impressive all weekend. I have always been drawn to Britt, who stands around 6’1”, as his burst and flair make him a very fun watch. Last season, however, he left some things to be desired in terms of consistency. That was not the case this weekend. Britt was already a good passer, but he was better than I recalled him being last summer, and I think he could be in for a rise on many services. He has already visited South Florida, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Florida State, but from my understanding, his recruitment is very open.

Evan Willis of BTI was also impressive in my viewing of him this weekend. Willis is playing 17U as a member of the 2028 class, and he doesn’t look out of place playing up a level. Willis is incredibly athletic at 6’7”, with some of the best vertical leaping ability in the country, and he can use that athleticism and anticipation to be a great defender. Willis was excellent when used as a roamer away from the rim, routinely blocking shots and causing havoc on the defensive end. His offense is a bit behind his defense, but he continues to grow as a shooter and handler, and BTI puts him in situations where he is forced to develop his creation. I think that is a good context to maximize his development.

2027 big man Theo Edema of Team New England committed to St. John’s during the weekend, and his game is going to be a great fit for Rick Pitino’s squad. Edema is built like a grown man at 6’11”, and he is very physical, active, and, most importantly, knows his role as a finisher on offense. His hands could stand to improve slightly, but Edema is so ready for the Big East physically that I would expect him to play some day-one minutes, barring a redshirt for NIL reasons.

2028 Louisiana guard Christian Claire of Sipp United has turned me from a big fan to an even bigger one. I first saw Christian last season playing for Sipp’s 15U squad, and this season he has improved on what was already an impressive campaign. Claire grew to just under 6’2” over the past year, but more importantly, he gained 20 pounds of muscle and is up to 170 pounds.

Claire is one of the craftier young guards I have ever seen, with an impressive handle from a flash perspective, but more importantly, one that is incredibly functional. Claire is able to generate paint touches on only one or two dribbles, but what he does when he gets there is even more important. Claire isn’t a crazy vertical athlete, but he is incredibly smart, has high-level body control, a feel for tight areas, and finishing touch. Having seen Claire play close to 20 games in person now, he makes a layup at the rim at least once a game that leaves me asking how he did that.

He has a great feel for drawing fouls, but it isn’t a bailout option that he resorts to when he has no other choice. He simply takes it when it is the best option available. What is most impressive about Claire is his passing. As a lefty, Claire can throw live-dribble passes with either hand, and he possesses impressive vision and passing touch, routinely putting passes inside tight windows you would not expect him to find. His shot is also quicker than last summer, and he continues to knock down looks both off the dribble and off the catch.

On defense, he is incredibly disruptive with active hands, and while he is locked to the 1 or 2 with his size, he has the potential to be a great point-of-attack defender at the high-major level. Claire’s only high-major offer is LSU under the old staff, but I am told he still has interest from Will Wade’s incoming staff, as well as Butler and Arizona State, where two former LSU assistants who offered Claire have since landed. I would expect high-major offers to start flowing soon, and if they don’t, they should. This is a high-level player hiding in plain sight.