Two years ago at this time, the college basketball programs interested in Christian Braun of Overland Park, Kansas, were primarily mid-majors. He was an under-the-radar shooting guard on a loaded Mokan Elite AAU team.
By mid-July, that had changed. Braun lit up the Peach Jam tournament in Augusta, shot into the Top 100 prospects in the Class of 2019 and started hearing from the big boys. By November 2018 he was signing with the Kansas Jayhawks, and this past season he was an impact contributor on the nation’s No. 1 team as a freshman.
Three years ago at this time, Jericole Hellems was in pretty much the same position.