American Fork hoops adds Class of 2026 transfer

August 12, 2024 By Frank Burlison Leave a Comment

Bryce Mella, who averaged 19.8 points per game as a sophomore at Mountain View High in Orem, made an in-state transfer while moving to Utah powerhouse American Fork.

The 6-foot-5 Mella (pictured) was also a standout with the adidas-fronted Utah Prospects’ 16U squad in the spring and summer while establishing himself as one of the top backcourt college prospects in the West’s Class of 2026.

He closed the 2023-24 season at Mountain View by averaging 28.8 points over the final five games while hitting hit 17 of 38 shots behind the 3-point arc in that stretch.

The Ryan Cuff-coached American Fork Cavemen will make their fourth consecutive appearance in the Classic at Damien (Dec. 26-30) in La Verne, CA.

Frank Burlison is a well-regarded basketball writer who was inducted into the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2005. His opinions on the potential of high school and college players are widely respected and sought by college coaches and NBA scouts, personnel directors and general managers from coast to coast. Oh, yes – he can offer plenty of thoughts on movies, television and pop music. Yes, he can rank those, too. Hint: He’s a big The Godfather, Larry Sanders, The Wire and The Beatles loyalist.

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Marques Johnson

I have been a fan of Frank Burlison’s skills as a talent evaluator for over twenty years. He stands out as one of the absolute best in the business.

Marques Johnson

1977 National Player of the Year, 5x NBA All-Star

Gary McKnight

Frank Burlison is one of the most knowledgeable basketball people in the business! His passion for the game puts him at the top of the list. There are very few people whose evaluation skills I trust like I do Frank’s!

Gary McKnight

Winningest coach (892-81) in California boys’ basketball history during his 29 seasons at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei

George Raveling

I’ve known Frank for at least 35 years and have the utmost respect for his writing as well as his understanding of, and insight into, basketball. His ability to evaluate basketball prospects is almost impeccable. Most coaches and scouts watch a player and can tell you how good he is NOW. What separates Frank from the others is that he can watch the same player and tell you how good he can be two or three years down the line.

George Raveling

3x Pac-10 Coach of the Year, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer

Director of International Basketball, Nike

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