2026 Upstate Frosh/Soph #E75 Recap - Pt. I

Monday, October 12th, 2026

This past Saturday, we made our way to Syracuse for our Upstate New York Frosh/Soph Elite 75, bringing together players from across the region for a day of basketball and exposure. Players traveled in from as far as Albany, Buffalo, and even Northern Pennsylvania, giving us a chance to see talent from several different areas compete under one roof.
 

Throughout the afternoon, there was no shortage of impressive performances, speaking to the depth of talent that Upstate New York has to offer. The day even came with an unexpected surprise, as a few players who arrived early had the opportunity to meet and take pictures with Carmelo Anthony, who made an appearance at the Game Point facility.

Today, we'll begin breaking down some of the players who caught our attention throughout the event. Our coverage will be split into multiple parts, with no particular order to the selections, as we continue highlighting talent from Saturday's showcase throughout the week.

Here's Part One.

Kobe Zhang, Notre Dame Prep: Zhang made his way to Elmira New York this fall anf was arguably the best player at the showcase this past weekend. Standing at 6'10" as a sophomore, the Chinese native had some really dominant stretches during the event. He showed great touch around the rim with a bag of post moves to create off entry passes, but he can also attack closeouts from outside. He stretches the floor well from three, knows how to move within in the flow of the offense and blocks shots all over the paint. His upside is seemingly very immense as a potential immediate impact player as an underclassmen arrival to the states.

Mikey Sales, Nottingham: The Nottingham transfer proved to be on of the top freshman in Upstate last season and has continued to build upon that as he heads into year two. Sales brings budding athleticism to throw down dunks and attack the lane off the dribble. He's shifty with a fluid ability to get into his pull-up jumpers and can really create for himself and others. Was one of the top performers we saw over the weekend.

Yulander Wells, Jamesville-Dewitt: Wells is a welcome addition to the Syracuse area, really standing out this past weekend as a jumbo guard in the freshman class. He's got a really stellar ability to attack the basket off the dribble with patience, step-throughs, and smooth footwork to get to the basket. His defensive intangibles stood out on the day while his overall upside as a 2030 prospect is definitely worth making note of.

Roman Tape, Cicero North Syracuse: Tape is an intriguing name to keep an eye on as the North Syracuse native continues to build upon his game. He's been sprouting up, getting around the 6'6" mark now, with plenty of time to add to his body and channel his immense upside. He was able to make his mark around the rim using smooth strides and hitting lanes in the defense hard.

Joshua Hayden, Oswego: Get used to hearing the name Josh Hayden, as there is not much the 6'4 wing/big guard can't do. Hayden showed off his ability to break down defenders with his size and handle as well as his quick burst. He is a true three-level scorer who can make shots at a solid clip from beyond the arc, while pressuring the rim and providing rebounding too.

Tristan Hendy, Catskill: The long 6'5" forward from Catskill is fresh off a strong season in the Nike E15 and put his solid foundation of skills on display this past weekend. Hendy can really put pressure on the rim with his blend of size and athleticism and showed just that with his ability to throw down athletic dunks. He's really smooth off the rip with some moves to power through the defense and score inside. He has a lot of mobility and length to be a defensive problem as well.

Payton Perry, Christian Brothers (Syracuse): Perry has a solid foundation of frontcourt skills to work with as a near 6'4" forward. He plays with a really high motor on the glass, competing hard for rebounds and boxing out with toughness. His ability to make timely cuts stands out as he can be a threat to score relentlessly in the paint.

Camarii Staples, Buffalo Science: The Buffalo-based guard brought his impressive skill set to the event and stood out once again in this setting. His craftiness as a ballhandler stands out as he keeps the defense guessing with his dribbling ability and change of pace. Staples also brings a pretty fluid jump shot to the court, while competing as a defender as well.

Jayden Hibbard, Hilton: Hibbard had some great moments on Saturday showing off his game in the backcourt. He's capable of playing on and off the ball and showed that playing with a few other guards in the event. He has really good range and nice looking release to his shots, while playing with pace and speed knowing when to attack. Seemingly primed for a big winter season as a sophomore at Hilton.

Asher Furey, Fayetteville Manlius: Furey had a really strong outing as the 6'5" and potentially still growing freshman made his impact felt when he was on the floor. The forward hits the glass hard on both ends of the floor to. box out and go for rebounds, while getting up to block shots too. He showed some versatility with his threat to serve as a floor spacer too, with strong shooting mechanics to his three-pointer.

Eamon Sprouse, Westhill: Sprouse has been described by his coaches as a gym rat and it shows in his body as he's got a really strong build as a sophomore. The forward uses his strength to his advantage on drives to the basket as he can brush off contact and finish in traffic. He's able to stretch the floor as a shooter while providing rebounding and defense. His work ethic and motor will definitely allow him to continue to make a name for himself moving forward.

Matt Pope, Notre Dame Prep: Pope came into the event as one of the more known names on the Central New York scene and was one of the top players of the day. The Notre Dame Prep newcomer has a ton of swagger to his game as a guard with positional size. He makes his scoring ability known, as he can really fill it up by making threes from outside and throwing down dunks in the lane. His development at the point will be key in taking his game to the next level.