Tarkanian Classic: High School Division Day 1 Top Performers

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Tarkanian Classic brought over 100 teams from more than six different states, Canada, and Australia. The six-day event is broken into two three-day sessions. The first three days is for Prep Schools and the second three days are for traditional high schools.

READ Tarkanian Classic: Day 1 High School Division Live Updates

On3’s Jamie Shaw was on hand for day one of the High School division of the Tarkanian Classic. Let’s break down the day’s top performers.

On3 MVP: Three-Star PG Jase Butler (Illinois)

Jase Butler plays a mature game. He brings a lot of toughness and skill to the table, the type a coach can trust to, not only make a play but to make the right play.

Butler, a lefty, is listed at 6-foot-4. He plays with an excellent pace, getting to his spots with a combination of hesitation moves and changes of speed. He has a good feel, getting into the teeth of the defense with great balance and making a play. The sturdy guard knocked down multiple threes in this one, and he delivered excellent passes, with great reads and proper touch. He also guards the ball with a purpose. He is physical at the point-of-attack and he can slide his feet with the ball handler. A lot of really productive, winning-type plays.

Butler signed with Illinois during the early period. He finished with 27 points in the win.

2. Three-Star PF Michael Simcoe (2025)

It was quite the showing for Michael Simcoe tonight. It was my first viewing of the 6-foot-8 Phoenix (AZ) Sandra Day O’Connor junior.

Simcoe is a lefty, a hard-nosed power forward who has skill, athleticism, and feel for the game. He scored the ball at each level, stepping into multiple threes from 25-plus feet out. He posted on the block, set up in the mid-post, ripped through, and finished above the rim in traffic on multiple occasions. His game was left-hand dominant, which he will need to continue expanding, but it worked for him tonight. He is a good team defender and active on the boards. There is a lot to like about this one who should see his recruitment jump up from where it currently is.

Simcoe is also a simmer. He is sitting on offers from Montana State, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, Northern Arizona, and Portland. He finished with 26 points in this one.

3. Four-Star C Tee Bartlett (2025)

Tee Barlett is a throwback big of sorts, the type of big-bodied, 6-foot-10 post player you saw a lot in the 1990’s and early-2000’s. With that said, Barlett also has a lot of skill and tools to work with.

For starters, Barlett has a strong frame with great length and natural touch. He is a good area rebounder, he high points the ball and once it touches his hands, he does not let it go. Bartlett is a good outlet passer and he can make rads and deliver properly weighted passes in the half-court. Offensively, Barlet comfortable on the block and stretching the floor. He was one-for-two from three in this one and knocked down an elbow jumper. Barlett is good on the block, with a go-to move over his left shoulder and counters if his pathway is cut off. His conditioning will need to stay consistent, but he does a lot of the things that we have seen a lot of previous blue blood-type bigs do in years past.

4. Four-Star SF Bryson Tucker (unsigned 2024)

Bryson Tucker is one of the top uncommitted players in the 2024 recruiting cycle. On3’s No. 12 player in 2024, stands at a sturdy 6-foot-7 with long arms and solid vertical burst. 

Tucker has an advanced middle game, and that is where his bread is buttered. His footwork is good, he is able to get to his spots in the middle and react if his path is cut off. He elevates high on his jump shots, and his release point is even higher, making his shots tough to block. The jumper can flatten out when he extends beyond the arc, he knocked down one of two of them in this game. He has good instincts and plays at an excellent pace. 

Tucker has taken official visits to Kansas and Michigan State. He finished with an efficient 16 points in this one.

5. Four-Star F Carter Bryant (Arizona)

Carter Bryant has always turned heads with his frame and his fluid athleticism. Listed at 6-foot-8, he has great length with a projectable frame that should continue to grow without losing much of his wiggle.

The piece of his game that he can hang his hat on at the highest level is his defensive upside. He has great instincts on that end of the floor able to move his feet with perimeter forwards and act as a weak-side/help-side rim protector. Offensively, his game is coming around. He has touch and can knock down a spot three. His footwork and balance are still developing, especially off of movement, which will be the next step for him. Bryant is comfortable handling the ball in the open floor, and it is developing more in traffic.

All-in-all, the game continues to develop as his production is starting to fill his high ceiling. The Arizona signee finished with 18 points in this one.

6. Four-Star C Xavion Staton (2025)

While Xavion Staton might not have filled the stat sheet with his scoring, he is truly a unique prospect with his ability to affect the flow of play on the defensive end. 

Staton moves in a way that not many his size are able to. He is a fluid athlete, runs well, and quickly changes ends. Staon is raw, there is no denying that. He is just now coming into his own as a player and his confidence is growing by the day. Defensively is where Staton shines currently. He is a high-level rim protector, with excellent timing and the ability to go and get it with both hands, under control. He opens his hips well and he can move his feet on switches. Offensively, he is currently relegated to playing out of the dunker spot and catching lobs. Development on this end will dictate how far basketball takes him. 

Coaches from Miami and Colorado were joined court-side by the full UNLV staff to watch the 7-foot-0 junior.

7. Four-Star SF Shon Abaev (2025)

Shon Abaev has a reputation as a scorer. Pushing 6-foot-7 now, the lengthy wing has great length and utilizes impressive footwork, especially in the mid-range, looking for buckets.

Abaev is at his best playing a compact game in the half-court, catching the ball in the mid and high-post and facing to attack. He has great balance with the ball in his hands and carries an array of counters to get him into space. The jump shot has smoothed out over the last few months, not bringing the ball back beside his head. He has a high release and he has soft touch from multiple levels. Abaev was active on the defensive end and on the boards.

Other Standouts

Four-Star SG Jason Crowe (2026) has a smooth game and plays with a lot of confidence. He has a slippery game, getting downhill toward the rim and showing great balance with the ability to absorb contact in the paint. Crowe has good size, at around 6-foot-3 now, and great length. He finished with 25 points.  

Three-Star SF James Evans (UNLV) is a terror when he gets downhill. Standing 6-foot-5, and pushing 6-foot-6, Evans has a strong and lengthy frame with a lot of explosive burst. He played aggressively today, and his team won by 15, or so. The full UNLV staff was court-side watching.

PG Donovan Williams (2026) was the best passer I saw on the day. Used a great change of pace to create angles and used his eyes to create passing lanes. Great balance and an easy feel.

Three-Star PF Pharoah Compton (San Diego State) is a tough player around the basket, especially when it comes to rebounding and defending. He tracks the ball well and goes to get it out of his area. He is a strong and physical player with a lot of explosion.

Four-Star SF Tajh Ariza (2026) looks like he has grown another inch, listed at 6-foot-8. The intriguing piece to his game is the passing and floor vision. He made some very good reads, passing off a live dribble and in traffic. The upside is undeniable as he continues to figure out his game and how to best produce for his team. Only a sophomore, there is a maturity to his game. And again, some impressive passes.

Three-Star SF Tyrone Riley (San Francisco) plays with a nose for the basketball. He is a length and explosive wing who can dribble, shoot, and pass. He has a lot of pop and can be an explosive off-the-ball defender. Riley made some very nice plays, on both ends of the floor today.