UAA Session 2: Frontcourt Breakdown
May 3, 2023 by Max Feldman
Tripped out to Rock Hill, South Carolina for UAA's Session 2 action. After last weekend in Atlanta getting a look at a variety of headliners across all classes, the weekend in Rock Hill unveiled plenty of under the radar prospects I'll be monitoring closely moving forward. Here, I'll break down the frontcourt prospects by who left the most significant impression.
1. Jeremiah Cooper | 2025 F, Houston Defenders
Arguably the most impressive performer of the weekend for me. Stocked with supreme length at 6-8 with high level flexibility and mobility for his size, Cooper's coverage versatility and ability to lock down the paint became a theme all weekend. Whether he was playing up at the level disrupting handlers, straight switching onto guards or defending the rim in drop, the Houston native impacted just about everything on the defensive end of the floor. Strong instincts and quick reaction time with the physical tools to match, Cooper has the ingredients of a high level frontcourt defender for the long run.
2. Elhadji Diallo| 2026 F, Team Curry
Diallo has garnered some buzz since arriving at Combine Academy (NC) from Senegal, and it didn't take long to see why in my first live look. A hyper-explosive athlete at 6-8 with length and twitch to him. In my full game viewing, Diallo stacked up 9 blocks and impacted countless others. Advanced timing, ground coverage and extreme pop, I've yet to come across as impactful of a rim protector in 2026. There's plenty of room for refining, but he runs the floor as well as any frontcourt prospect in the class and makes his presence felt each time out. He'll make a jump into the top 25 of our 2026 rankings.
3. Kai Rogers | 2025 Big, Wisconsin PGC
Rogers' physical development was crystal clear from warmups and it's bled into his game in all the right ways. The 6-11 rim runner has dropped a reported 60 pounds, now running the floor with more speed and adding much, much more explosiveness around the rim while retaining strength. The Wisconsin native plays with power and has no problem dealing with physicality, converting on second chance opportunities and routinely carving out positioning on the interior. Perhaps more of a rim protector than a shot blocker long-term, although he got his hand on plenty this weekend, given his ability to anchor down and wall off post ups inside. The movement ability and lateral quickness are concerns of the past, and while there's room to shore up his ball skills moving forward, Rogers looks much more the part of a Big Ten big man now.
4. Will Garlock| 2025 Big, Wisconsin PGC
New onto the map, the 6-10 post displayed high level touch both from beyond the arc and around the rim. Garlock did most of his work while playing alongside Rogers, the bruiser in the middle. Timely relocations to the corners, soft hands around the rim on high-low's, intriguing footwork and an easy stroke from three. Early stages and still settling in some, but there's a lot to like given his skill level at 6-10.
5. Ethan Lathan| 2025 Big, SOH Elite
Healthy and continuing to progress physically, Lathan was a force around the rim in Rock Hill. The Illinois native has shown the ability to be a dynamic rebounding when he's dialed in, and that was the theme on the weekend. Mobility running the floor, physicality in deep, utilizing his length on the glass and spurring momentum with his overall energy. Lathan's skillset undoubtedly translates, now he's looking to put together weekends like this consistently.
6. Andrew Bhesania| 2025 F, AZ Select
An additional new name onto our radar, Bhesania's flashes as a mismatch forward and ability to space the floor have him squarely on the radar of a variety of mid-majors as well. At 6-9 with touch out to beyond the arc, the Arizona native provided an intriguing blend of floor-spacing, secondary playmaking and overall skill in the frontcourt. Raw in a variety of areas and still adjusting to the level of physicality, but it's easy to see why his skillset and upside has grabbed the attention of staffs at the next level.