2021 Breakout Candidates
LOS ANGELES, CA – With the 2021 season approaching, many names stand out above the rest. Between the cracks, there may be many gems who will shine when they are discovered. Prep Hoops takes a look at some of the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingLOS ANGELES, CA – With the 2021 season approaching, many names stand out above the rest. Between the cracks, there may be many gems who will shine when they are discovered. Prep Hoops takes a look at some of the breakout candidates in the 2021 class.
Chris Nickelberry is up next! The rising junior guard is a slithery finisher who has a knack for getting into the lane 🚦 @bballchris03 @DamienBasketba1 @CJayEdwards3 pic.twitter.com/z7OYj23udF
— Slam N Jam (@TheSlamNJam) February 11, 2020
Chris Nickelberry, Damien – With the departure of Austin Cook, the Spartans will need some players to step up alongside leading scorer Malik Thomas. One of the players who is a likely candidate will be Chris Nickelberry. The 5’11” guard has shown the ability to get into the lane and finish at the rack. He has a developing jumper and will have the opportunity to showcase it next season. Nickelberry made huge strides for his AAU team Prodigy and had more of an opportunity to score the ball there, and should have a bigger role with Damien next season. On the defensive end, Chris moves his feet well and plays passes well. Nickelberry was selected to 2nd Team All Baseline League.
Ring Malith, Renaissance Academy – After the graduation of Nico Anei and Evans Kipkemoi, there will be a huge opportunity for Malith to step up and illustrate his other skills. Currently, he is a project with a lot of potential. Malith has length and athleticism and can run the floor. The 6’8″ forward can alter shots with his wingspan, and does a great job of getting up and down the court. Renaissance Academy’s team displays great chemistry and Prep Hoops expects Malith to put together a big 2021 campaign.
2021 combo guard Barry Wilds Jr. played a big role this season in Fairfax's success and will look to have a huge senior campaign ✊ @alw963 @FairfaxBBall pic.twitter.com/auqdPfBJoM
— Slam N Jam (@TheSlamNJam) April 3, 2020
Barry Wilds Jr, Fairfax – Wilds Jr. will have a big role next season as the senior class departs. The Fairfax Lions will lose Keith Dinwiddie, Justyn Hunter, Justin Gladney, and Jesse Park to graduation. There will be more than enough opportunities for Wilds Jr. to showcase his game. With his time on the floor this season, Wilds Jr. has shown the ability to contribute in many ways. The 2021 Lion plays fundamentally sound, can hit the open 3, also has potential to pull up from midrange. On defense, he does a great job shuffling his feet and moving laterally. His energy is contagious, a staple of Reggie Morris coached teams. Expect Barry Wilds Jr. to have a big role next season as Fairfax makes another deep run.
Yuuto Williams, Ribet Academy – The 6’8″ bigman from Ribet continues to progress. Williams is a stretch forward/big who can stroke the ball from deep and faceup to the basket. During AAU season with Pangos Elite, Williams had multiple games where he hit at least 3 threes, including a 18 pt game where he hit 4 threes. There will be an opportunity on the front line with the departure of Ignacio Camacho. Williams should be a beneficiary to fill those minutes for Ribet as they look to make another run to win their division again.
https://twitter.com/Prep_Plug/status/1160782372914130944
TJ Wainwright, Westchester – After leaving Santa Monica, Wainwright transferred to Westchester where he played under legendary coach Ed Azzam for a season. Wainwright is going into the new season with a bigger role as the Comets will lose Kymani Pollard to graduation. TJ is one of those shooters who can get hot at any moment. The lefty guard already displayed his ability to rip the nets with numerous games playing for Dinos Trigonis and Belmont Shores where he hit at least 5 three pointers. He has a quickdraw release, and can shoot it at any spot on the floor. Wainwright is always a candidate to have the most 3s made in his division. His shooting will be huge again and Westchester will have another solid run in LA CIF City Division with Wainwright at the helm.