Bossi's Best: Summer eye-catchers

Many of the nation's top summer programs and players have been unable to hit the court due to the COVID-19 situation. However, prospects are playing in some states and regions, turning this into the summer of the live-streamed event.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've noted some guys like Keyonte George, Josh Minott, Sean Pedulla, Kowacie Reeves and others who have impressed me in those events. In this week's edition of Bossi's Best, a look at 10 others - in alphabetical order - who have caught my eye.

Some names are well known, some aren't. At least not yet.

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2020 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Position

2022 Rankings: Top 75

Why him? Herron narrowly missed the cut for the Rivals150 coming out of winter, and if we had been able to see the entire country play this summer, he may have made his way into the next Rivals150. The way he played while watching some of his action from the Elite 36 in Houston was really impressive. He's long, he's got some athleticism and he's got some sneaky skill. But what I liked most was how hard he played and how he found ways to get things done on both ends. He's worth high-major attention.

Recruitment: Louisiana Tech, Morgan State, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston State, Tennessee Tech, Texas Southern, Tulsa and many others have offered.

Why him? I had no idea who this kid was entering the summer, but he's sure won me over after watching him play in a handful of Atlanta-area events, most recently at last weekend's LakePoint Live Showcase. He gets to his spots, shoots from deep, has a nice pull-up jumper and can finish at the rim. He's a combo guard who can score on the next level and has been under-recruited until recently.

Recruitment: He has offers from Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Kent State, Northeastern, Mount St. Mary's, Toledo, UMKC, USC Upstate, Winthrop and others.

Why him? Just last week, I wrote about how I'd hoped to have been able to get a more detailed look at Kaufman this summer. Well, I got one. Yes, the competition was a bit overmatched, but he sure looked like a different dude than I've ever seen. He was stroking threes, looked athletic, hit pull-up jumpers and basically did everything you would like to see out of a modern-day four man. It was pretty eye-opening.

Recruitment: Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, Purdue, Virginia and Xavier appear to be the most active. Many feel he'll be tough to pull out of his home state.

Why him? I watched some film of Kelly during the high school season and was intrigued by his overall size and ability to shoot from deep. Watching him play with ATL Hoops, though, I saw a much more complete game. He was good off the dribble, made some smart reads and, most of all, he continued to shoot the ball very well from deep.

Recruitment: Mississippi State offered over the weekend, giving him his first high-major offer.

Why him? A native of Arizona who is headed to Montverde (Fla.) Academy for his senior year, Holmes has always shown flashes of athleticism and production. He has also needed strength and settled for too many jumpers at times. Playing in the Pangos league in Phoenix, he looked like he's added some strength and like he's finding a blend between using his energy around the rim and building on his skill away from it.

Recruitment: He has over 20 offers, including Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Kansas, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, UCLA, and Virginia.

Why him? Mitchell is a player that I recently wrote would have dazzled coaches this summer, and he backed that up when I watched him on a stream over the weekend. Mitchell was dunking everything around the rim with authority, looked very comfortable shooting the ball and showed an expanded game off the dribble. He looks very much like the real deal.

Recruitment: Offers from Kansas, Kansas State, UCLA, USC, Texas and Wake Forest.

Why him? Playing in a showcase put together by his summer program, Texas Hardwork, Nunez looked tremendous. He has always been a dangerous shooter from deep, but he has added quite a bit to his overall game off the dribble when it comes to creating shots for himself and opportunities for others. He looked a bit bigger and stronger, too.

Recruitment: He's become a priority recruit in his home state of Texas and beyond, with offers from Baylor, Georgetown, Houston,, LSU, Memphis, TCU, Texas and Texas A&M, to name a few.

Why him? When I first saw Ricks play last summer, he looked like a sure thing at the high-major level, thanks to his size, ability to score and a great body to grow into. However, his junior season was very quiet, and I second-guessed myself. Watching him again while playing for the Next Page Force in Circuit League, I was reminded of the guy I saw last summer. He is smooth, a versatile scorer and looks to be right back on path to being a top 150-type player in the class of 2021.

Recruitment: Offers from Arkansas, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas A&M.

Why him? Most who read me know that I've been a big advocate of Sallis' game and long-term potential. I was able to watch him playing at an event just outside of his hometown with OSA Crusaders over the weekend, and he backed up all I thought of him. He just gets things done easy at the rim, his shot looks more and more pure, and he has the tools to be a big playmaker. I see some hints of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the same stage in his game.

Recruitment: Sallis has at least 30 high-major offers. A few of them include Alabama, Arkansas, Creighton, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, Memphis, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon and UCLA.

Why him? We have a lot of time left to see more of the "Gus Bus" down the road, but the early looks that I was able to get of him over the past few weeks have been impressive. He's not a sky-walker by any means, but he has great feet, soft hands and a pretty complete game in the low post.

Recruitment: In just the last month Yalden has picked up offers from Auburn, Florida State, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Rutgers, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.