Circle City Summer Shootout: Top 2023 forwards
During the second July live evaluation period, many players were all around the country playing in events. In another busy weekend, we take a look at some of the top talent at the Circle City Shootout in Indy. Today, we…
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Continue ReadingDuring the second July live evaluation period, many players were all around the country playing in events. In another busy weekend, we take a look at some of the top talent at the Circle City Shootout in Indy. Today, we look at the top 2023 forwards in the event.
Lucas Vencel (PF/Indiana Elite Blaze)
Vencel is a rugged, tough and feisty forward. He has good size and length but isn’t super athletic. He will never overwhelm you with his athleticism, but he just makes winning plays. He is a point forward who can bring the ball up the floor and get the offense into their sets, while still being able to play around the rim. He showed a good ability to drive on opponents from the perimeter and finish through contact or around length at the rim. Vencel tends to go right almost every time, and the defense knows that but still had trouble stopping him. Defensively, he was always guarding the biggest player on the opposing team and despite giving up size, his toughness made it extremely difficult to score around him.
Patrick Schott (PF/Indiana Elite Swish)
Schott is a very physical player in the front court. His size and frame are extremely imposing on both ends of the floor. Schott’s skillset is very advanced for his size though. He can go off of the dribble and has good footwork that allows him to maneuver around the rim as well. He has great body control and is very agile when attacking the rim. In the post, he is patient and lets the double team come to him, while using a good passing ability to put pressure on the defense. He is a very good rebounder and a walking double-double whenever he steps on the floor.
Blake Shewmaker (SF/Marlin Academy)
Shewmaker is a long and lanky wing who is a dead-eye shooter. One of the better shooters I was able to see last weekend and he was probably the most consistent. At this point, he is still most effective as a catch and shoot player and was locked in from the corner spot. He has a very quick and short release so he can get his shot off easily regardless of the defender. He showed some ability to put the ball on the floor, but wasn’t overly effective doing so. Good ball handling ability and a good first step when he does attack in the paint.
Rhett Johnson (PF/Indiana Elite Prospects – Redenbaugh)
Johnson is a big bodied forward who has great skill that allows him to play on the perimeter at times. He isn’t extremely quick or athletic, but he has the ability to shoot 3’s, take someone off of the dribble and is very good around the basket. Johnson hit a few 3’s last weekend and had a really good and smooth stroke. Solid rebounder on both ends and uses hid body to position himself nicely in the paint. Definitely some fluid athleticism that is sometimes underrated.
Taysire Williams (PF/IABC Blue)
Williams is another physical imposing big man. He has great size, length and is a pretty good athlete. Skill-wise, he is still raw, but you can see the potential if he continues to progress. Right now most of his points come within a few feet of the rim and off of rebound putbacks. He showed some ability in the pick and roll game. On the block, he used his power and frame to bully smaller opponents. Defensively, he can impact shots at the rim with his length and size, but can get out of position at times seeking out potential blocks.