WCE Rising Stars Invitational (Top Standouts)
WCE Rising Stars Invitational (Top Standouts)
LAS VEGAS, NV—Despite the plethora of tournaments going on in Las Vegas during the final NCAA allotted evaluation period, Frank Burlison and I ventured down to Coronado High School to check out Ryan Silver’s Rising Stars Invitational. Nathan Biddle, a 6-foot-10 rising sophomore, “wowed” the crowd with his deep shooting touch and athleticism while fellow classmate 6-foot-6 Kevin “KJ” Adams dominated the camp with his lethal combination of length, bounce, and skill.
Nathan Biddle (Crater/OR)
2021, PF, 6-foot-10, 215 pounds
Joel’s Take: Biddle clearly established himself as one of the most promising prospects during the summer and it didn’t stop at this event. The ultra-coordinated Biddle has a feathery touch out to 20-feet, solid ball skills and an advanced post game for someone of his youth. He plays through contact and has a terrific demeanor about him.
Dillion Depina (Heritage Christian)
2021, SF, 6-foot-4, 185 pounds
Joel’s Take: At this event Depina was a scoring machine. He took a lot of shots, but he made a lot of them. Pull-ups from everywhere on the court, strong drives through contact, and rebounding in traffic describes his effort at Coronado.
Aidan Mahaney (Campolindo)
2022, PG, 6-foot, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: Mahaney is quite skilled for someone of his youth and his skill set is right there as well. He is true point guard who has good length, changes speeds with the dribble and he is equally adept at scoring as he is faciitating.
Kevin “KJ” Adams (St. Andrews/TX)
2021, WF, 6-foot-6, 195 pounds
Joel’s Take: While Biddle was the best prospect, Adams was clearly the most dominant. The high-flying wing is tough to deal with in transition utilizing his strength, bounce, and slashing ability. He rebounds in and out of his area, shows solid ball skills in the open court, and he can nail the deep jumpshot.
Joseph Venzant (Midland Christian/TX)
2021, SG, 6-foot-3, 170 pounds
Joel’s Take: One of the more intriguing prospects was Venzant. He has a lengthy wing-span, big hands, rebounds in and out of his area, and is an explossive finisher in transition. He plays with a hot motor and overall snatches rebounds as well as any guard I’ve seen this summer, regardless of class.
Coleton Benson (James Bowie/TX)
2021, CG, 6-foot, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: Ownder of the ultimate textbook jump shot is Benson. The point guard prospect who can play both guard positions, can blitz up the court, stop on a dime, and nail the shot with consistency. He gets great lift on his shot, is always on balance, and his release is very quick.
Michael Mitchell (Archbishop Mitty)
2021, CG, 6-foot-1, 160 pounds
Joel’s Take: Mitchell has an ideal frame for the next level with long arms and overall great length. He changes speeds well and shows a great burst off the dribble while navigating his way to the rim. His pull-up game looked solid and he has range on his shot out to 20-feet. He gets too loose with the ball at times and will need to tightent that area up in his game, but he’s a good looking prospect.