Sunflower Showcase: Kern on verge of breakthrough, Fears a 2023 to watch

SHAWNEE, Kans. -- Travel restrictions and many of the country's top players and teams being shut down due to Covid-19 has turned 2020 into the summer of the live stream. On Friday Night, though, Rivals.com was back in the gym for opening round games of the RecruitLook's Sunflower Showcase in Suburban Kansas City.

Rising senior Nicholas Kern and class of 2023 standout Jeremy Fears were among those who were ready to go.

The next year and beyond will tell the story, but rising senior Nicholas Kern appears to be on the verge of a real breakout.

It's not like he's unknown. He plays for a national power program in St. Louis (Mo.) Vashon on the high school level and has been an intriguing prospect for some time now because of his length and versatility. Now, his production is starting to catch up.

Playing with Team GoL1ve in the Sunflower Showcase, the 6-foot-6 Kern spent an awful lot of time with the ball in his hands on Friday night. He was slick off the dribble when getting to the rim, set up teammates for easy shots and was basically a matchup problem.

Yes, Kern needs to get much stronger and he can be very up and down. But, he's highly versatile, still growing and has a really big upside that he seems to be realizing. Kern said that DePaul, Saint Louis and Southeast Missouri State have offered and based off of what he's looking to be capable of down the road, that is just the start.

Playing in the 17U division with Chicago based RWA Hoops, class of 2023 point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. of Joliet (Ill.) West showed up in Kansas City with a reputation that preceded him. He backed up the praise that some very smart people have been heaping on him.

First of all, Fears is fast. Like really fast. But, while he's got jets, he is able to play under control while blazing his way to the basket. Based on what had been passed along to us, it was expected that he might be a bit of a gunner when it comes to shot selection. He's not shy by any means, but he wasn't without conscience and deserves to shoot because he's dangerous from deep or off the dribble. What really impressed, though, was his overall feel for the game on both ends of the floor, confidence and long term upside.

His future is bright and given that he's already landed offers from programs like Creighton, DePaul, Iowa State, Kansas State, Maryland, Nebraska and others, we aren't the only ones who feel Fears is one to watch.

.... Four-star Jordan Nesbitt had planned to hit the summer trail with Bradley Beal Elite, but with them shut down for the summer he moonlighted with GoL1ve in Kansas City. A physical wing, Nesbitt was a load around the rim and also made some nifty passes off the drive when he wasn't scoring. His body will be college ready and his most recent offers ae from Arkansas and Maryland.

.... Iowa Barnstormers wing Landon Wolf was impressive as well. At 6-foot-5 or so he's a nicely put together shooting guard prospect with good range on his shot, a tremendous motor and some athleticism around the rim. He looks like a nice mid major prospect and is off to a good start with offers from programs like Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Oral Roberts, South Dakota, Western Illinois and others.

.... Last but not least, a nod to class of 2021 power forward Mouhamed Mbaye of SI Select. Originally from Dakar, Senegal and now playing at Louisville (Kent.) Aspire, he's an intriguing 6-foot-8 power forward who can do some nice things. He stroked a good looking three ball, moves well and made some nice catches in traffic before hitting jump hooks. We'd like to see more of him to get a better feel but he does claim offers from the likes of Iona, Louisville and Rutgers.