Bruce’s Best: Top 10 Players In Nevada
The prep scene in Nevada is absolutely loaded this year, featuring several mid to high major prospects. With the Spring Season over and the Summer Circuit Season a little more than a week away, here’s a look at my top…
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Continue ReadingThe prep scene in Nevada is absolutely loaded this year, featuring several mid to high major prospects. With the Spring Season over and the Summer Circuit Season a little more than a week away, here’s a look at my top 10 players in the state right now:
- Jaden Hardy 6’4 PG Coronado 2021 – Hardy is the clear cut number #1 player in the state. He posses several intangibles including his ability to control the tempo and to be the emotional leader of his team. It’s impossible to speed him up, and he doesn’t get impatient if teams try to slow the tempo. He’s one of the highest IQ prep players I have seen in a long time. His physical gifts include his shot making and ballhandling ability. At 6’4 he has excellent size for the point guard position, and has already shown the ability to make players around him better. He has offers from almost every major program with UCLA, Arizona and Arizona st as the leaders.
- Issiah Cottrell 6’9 Post Bishop Gorman 2020 – Vegas is a town not known for producing a lot of bigs and I think in a way it hurts the perception of Cottrell. He is an elite rim runner who changes ends of the floor better than most players his size. A skilled post player, Cottrell is capable of finishing around the rim with either hand. The 3x state Champion is a good rebounder and rim protector. On offense he has a nice looking shot and is consistent from 15 in. It will be interesting to see if develops into a stretch or back to basket post at the next level. Cottrell will be taking his talents to West Virginia to play for Bob Huggins next year.
- Dahien Nix 6’4 PG Trinity International 2020 – Nix is easily the most polarizing player in the state. If you love him, he is an oversized PG, with elite court vision and an exceptional ability to rebound his position. If you don’t like him, he’s an Un-athletic guard who sometimes struggles to shoot it, while playing against sub-par competition. Here’s where I stand. Nix is an elite passer, and a big time competitor. His shot does take some time to get off, but when he gets his feet set, he is a more than capable shooter. Nix is not uber athletic, but because of his size he can easily rise up and shoot over most guards once he gets in the lane. His ceiling is a poor man’s Jason Kidd which at this level easily makes him one of the top PG’s in the country. A high major recruit, he currently has received over 26 offers.
- Julian Strawther 6’6 Wing Liberty 2020 – Strawther has all the physical tools to be a prototypical college wing. He can shoot it, is a good run and jump athlete, and can score off the dribble. When he is locked in and focused, he is as good as there is in the country. The only question mark in his game is his ability to bring energy on a consistent bases. He will be attending Gonzaga next year.
- Zaon Collins 5’10 PG Bishop Gorman 2021 – “Sauce” Collins is a lighting quick score first PG. He excels in transition, and can get paint touches whenever he wants. His layup package includes a variety of finishes over and under bigs. His size forces him to play the 1, however he is capable of playing off the ball and creating his own shot.
- Noah Taitz 6’3 Combo Guard Bishop Gorman 2020 – Taitz is not elite at any one particular skill, but is good at all of them. He can shoot, he can drive, and is a very good athlete, who has caught his share of bodies. A willing rebounder and under rated defender, Taitz best skill may be his clutch gene. For Bishop Gorman he serves as a momentum killing big shot specialist. Currently Stanford, Washington, BYU, and St Mary’s are among the leaders for his services.
- Richard Issacs 6’2 PG Coronado 2022 – “Pop Pop” is the top player in Nevada in the class of 2022. He is also considered one of the best Sophomores in the nation. He is an elite passer who sees the entire floor. Not the greatest athlete, but he is crafty enough to get by the initial defender. What makes him special is his ability to draw two and deliver on time and on target passes to open teammates. He recently played for the gold medal winning 16U USA team in Brazil.
- Anthony Hunter 5’10 PG Durango 2020 – The best defensive guard in the state is also an offensive wizard. He has a quick trigger, and knocks down shots in both catch and shoot situations and off the dribble. Defensively he is an elite on ball defender, with the ability to completely take away the opposing team’s primary ball handler. Because of his pick pocket hands and cat burglar gut’s It’s simply not worth the risk to challenge him off the dribble. He currently has offers from Pacific, Milwaukee, San Diego St, UC Irvine, UC Davis, So Miss, Long Beach St, Tulane, and Cal St Northridge.
- Will Mclendon 6’4 2 Guard Bishop Gorman 2021 – Mclendon gets this spot because of his production, and versatility. He’s a good rebounder and a hard nose defender. His offensive game needs some refining, but he does have the ability to score in a variety of ways. Mclendon can get buckets off catch and shoots, dribble drives and direct post ups. Currently TCU, Ole Miss, Washington, Texas Tech and UNLV are the front runners for his services.
- Mwani Wilkinson 6’6 Wing Bishop Gorman 2020 – Wilkinson is a late bloomer whose stock has shot up this spring. The 6’6 pogo stick has the build and athletic ability to be a high major prospect. Playing on a stacked Bishop Gorman team he does not always get the minutes, but he has come up big whenever his number has been called on as it was in the Desert Region and State Championship games. He is a big time defender who doesn’t need the ball in his hand to impact the game. According to sources he has received an offer from UNLV.