For most players, the transition to varsity basketball can be a difficult adjustment. DeOtis Nunn Jr. is the exception.

Nunn, the youngest player on South Mountain’s roster as a freshman, made an impact from the jump.

In his first high school game, Nunn scored 15 points — the second most on the team — against Mountain Ridge. His efficient 5-of-9 shooting helped the Jaguars edge the Mountain Lions 58-57.

That head-turning performance allowed the guard to ease into his new role.

“It helped out a lot,” Nunn said. “It built my confidence a lot that I can still do me and get my points up against older opponents.”

Since then, he’s built upon his early success.

This year, Nunn has averaged 10.5 points per game, the third-highest mark on South Mountain. He even exploded for 20 against Casteel on Dec. 7.

But there’s more to his game than scoring. According to South Mountain coach Jeremy Soria, Nunn’s awareness is among his most vital attributes.

“He’s a floor general when his mind is focused on getting everybody else involved,” Soria said. “He just has a knack for knowing how to play the game; he understands it.”

It isn’t often that such a young player makes as notable of an impact as Nunn has. He credits his success to the coaching staff for trusting him.

“My coaches have given me a lot of freedom already,” Nunn said. “I’m still going out there and doing me, but I’m getting my team involved and getting the right play.”

Before Nunn enrolled at South Mountain, the varsity was shallow at one position: point guard. Nunn quickly filled that void.

"He’s helped the team a lot because he’s been a point guard all his life,” junior Kyree Ware said. “I think he’s helped a lot with handles because not a lot of us have been running point guard.”

While the transition has been a success for the most part, Nunn knows he has room for improvement. As his game evolves, Nunn hopes to limit his defensive lapses.

“My defense needs to improve,” Nunn said. “Helpside needs to get better and that’s where staying engaged comes in.

“I need to become quicker.”

But he is already one of South Mountain’s most highly-regarded prospects in recent memory. He has attended multiple statewide and national showcases and made a name for himself.

Standing 5-foot-10, Nunn doesn’t yet have the physical prowess of some other prospects in the Class of 2022. But Soria predicts growth, both mentally and physically.

“They say he’s going to be about 6-foot-5, so his ceiling is really through the roof,” Soria said. “If he reaches his height and potential, I think he could be a major Division I player.”

Tuesday marks the biggest game of Nunn’s young high-school career: the regular-season finale against Central. Both teams enter this winner-take-all game 10-1 in region play. The first time South Mountain and Central played, the Bobcats won by 10.

Nunn’s goal is to create a winning tradition at South Mountain.

“I want to win our region all four years and I feel like we can do that with the team,” Nunn said.

Nunn has bigger dreams — the same ones that almost every skilled hooper his age possesses.

“I want to play at a Division I college and then go to the NBA,” Nunn said.