PH Top 250 Expo: Third Team Expo All-Stars
Prep Hoops Texas Top 250 Player Expo camp consisted of nearly 200 basketball recruits from all over Texas, with high-level talent at each position, even some top 100 prospects from classes 2021-’24. This expo gave several players the opportunity to…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingPrep Hoops Texas Top 250 Player Expo camp consisted of nearly 200 basketball recruits from all over Texas, with high-level talent at each position, even some top 100 prospects from classes 2021-’24. This expo gave several players the opportunity to showcase their skill set and also give viewers a chance to see the next wave of talent on the rise. Here are five prospects that stood out most amongst the rest of the pack at the Top 250 Expo this past weekend that you should keep eyes on from here on out.
Vojin Mastelovic – 6’7- Shooting Guard – Spring Creek Academy – 2021
Vojin is a high IQ ballplayer that looks to make the right play, not the highlight play. At times Mastelovic looked like a man amongst boy with some of the skillful plays he made with ease. He has an all-around offensive skill set that is extremely well polished, his dribble moves are very crisp, under control, and effective. A good ball-handler that can blow by his man, get into the teeth of the defense, get to his spots, and initiate the offense. Vojin made a difference playing and guarding each and every position, he even showed the ability to post up in the high and the low post, then finish with a turnaround jumper. He’s lengthy, so his high release gives him enough space to shoot over anyone guarding him. He displays perfect form, a beautiful follow-through, with his body, and elbows aligned perfectly with the rim on every shot. On the drive, he maintains good body control when shooting through or over traffic and contact. His IQ was the highest of anyone on his team, Mastelovic made the players around him better by creating mismatches, and showing high-level court vision, dropping dimes off to guys when they least expected it. Vojin Mastelovic proved to be a special talent with a great upside.
Dominic Thomas – 6’6 – Power Forward – Ronald Reagan High School – 2021
Dominic Thomas is a formidable two-way stretch forward with a knack for finishing under the basket. Thomas was phenomenal at making himself into a wide target down low by establishing position and sealing his man off. His size and strength matched up with his solid post moves was a handful for most to handle. He was hacked most times when he had the ball, but he still kept his soft touch on his hook shots and floater through contact and fouls. Dominic quickly developed chemistry with his teammate and ran the pick-and-roll and the pick-and-pop effectively, spreading the floor all the way out to the three-point line. Thomas was everything you could want from a big man out there, he even ran the court well and consistently attacked the glass when his team put a shot up. His impact on the boards was major, and his anticipation and timing for balls coming off the rim were impressive. Defensively, he was effective by contesting shots at the rim, clogging the lane, and keeping his hands ready, getting them on the ball without fouling. Dominic Thomas’s presence on the floor could not go unnoticed.
Eliyah Tagg – 6’2 – Small Forward – Mount Pleasant – 2021
This extremely high motor player was one of, if not the most productive prospect in the gym. Tagg was always on the move, cleaning up several shots at the rim, when his teammates drove or shot the ball he was right behind them crashing the class for second-chance opportunities. Eliyah found a role and played it perfectly, he didn’t have to be ball dominate to get a bucket, Tagg scored all of his points within the flow of the offense, by making timely cuts, getting putback layups, and knocking down open jump shots, particularly in the mid-range. When he drove to the basket, he had a way of using his body to protect the ball and still score through the physical play. On the other end, Eliyah was a top-notch defender, he stayed in the chest of his man and kept his hands active. Very good and trustworthy defensive player, Tagg gave some of the top bucket getters problems with his defensive presence, he played the best help defense I saw all day and altered shots just by getting his hands up and out at the right time. He’s one of those guys that’s always in the right spot at the right time. Eliyah Tagg has a strong athletic build, he definitely works hard in the weight room. Good upside for this young man due to the fact that he’s so versatile on both ends.
Jaylen Abii – 6’4 – Shooting Guard – Frisco Liberty – 2021
Highly versatile, Jaylen Abii, did a little bit of everything out there, grabbing boards, starting and finishing the fastbreak, dishing the ball out, playing solid on-ball defense, and scoring on all three levels. This slasher showed a true knack for getting to the basket, he did an outstanding job of using his fundamentals, footwork, and strength to get into the lane or to his spots inside the arc. Abii was a team-oriented player, very unselfish, his guys excelled when he was facilitating out of the off-guard position. He utilized his big men perfectly, using their screens to set up himself and teammates with scoring options. Early on, Jaylen realized he had to be the primary scorer for his team and he handled it fairly well, he stuck to his game, stayed efficient, and didn’t force many shots or passes at all.
Rylan Kennedy – 6’5 – Small Forward – Mansfield Lake Ridge – 2023
Rylan Kennedy is a raw athletic prospect that plays with a quiet intensity and aggression. During this expo, he got physical and began pounding the glass at a high rate, Kennedy even threw down a two-handed putback dunk in transition over two defenders, one of his many dunks and putbacks on the day. The effort and energy he brings to the floor are amazing, he never quit, never let up, and went hard the entire 40 minutes of each game, even when being down big he never stopped attacking on both ends. Rylan constantly found a way to get into the paint, looking for easy, smart, high-percentage shots, or free-throw opportunities; he got into the lane using his long strides along with his quick first step. Rylan Kennedy has shown major improvements to multiple aspects of his game throughout the summer going into his sophomore season, his potential is high, and his overall skill set is tremendous.