Ugland’s Summer Most Improved: Class of 2019 (Part I)
The last three months of travel basketball were filled with tournaments, events and showcase camps for high school basketball prospects to showcase their skills in front of scouts, media and college coaches alike.
Here are four players in the class of 2019 who improved in one or more aspects of the game:
Jared Brown, Cypress / Los Angeles Elite
Brown is wired to score and did plenty of that as a junior at Cypress high school. In the summer months playing with LA Elite, the 5-foot-10 point guard was able to show his strong on-ball defense capabilities and his shiftiness when getting into the paint off the dribble. The one part of Brown’s game that I enjoyed watching develop was him identifying where help-side defense was coming from and finding open teammates.
Riverside Notre Dame wing Anthony Holland showed improved scoring ability off the bounce and finishing around the basket.Anthony Holland, Riverside Notre Dame / EBO
The 6-foot-5 Division III Wooden Award winner was labeled a 3-point shooter heading into the spring and summer months, but put question marks about his ability to attack the basket off the dribble to rest. Holland has a strong frame and is a better athlete than given credit for and he showed improvements when finishing around the basket with power.
Kyle Owens, Crespi / Pump-N-Run
Owens still remains under-the-radar as a prospect despite his productive summer. The rangy 6-foot-7 wing took advantage of increased offensive opportunities, showing he can spread the floor to the 3-point line while also hitting the mid-range face-up jumper with consistency. Owens is one of the highest “upside” guys in the 2019 class.
Neil Owens, Loyola / BTI Select
Owens doesn’t get much credit for his impact because he’s not big point guard with explosive athleticism and doesn’t try and make flashy plays. But if you’re a school looking for a high IQ true point guard who rarely makes mistakes and puts teammates in position to be successful and can hit the open 3-point shot, the 5-foot-10 rising senior is one to take a look at.