2023 Wings That Stood Out During Live Period
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Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq 6'7" | SF Accelerated Prep | 2023 State CO – Denver Prep/Colorado Hawks Overland’s defensive stopper, Abdur-Razaaq is about as versatile a defender as anyone in the state. Nine times out of ten, he will guard…
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Continue ReadingMarzouq Abdur-Razaaq Marzouq Abdur-Razaaq 6'7" | SF Accelerated Prep | 2023 State CO – Denver Prep/Colorado Hawks
Overland’s defensive stopper, Abdur-Razaaq is about as versatile a defender as anyone in the state. Nine times out of ten, he will guard the opponents primary perimeter playmaker. He does a great job limiting interior penetration, forcing drives into the corners where help defense is nearby. Offensively, Abdur-Razaaq shows great promise operating inside the arc, where he had periods of dominance in the mid-range area. He clearly progressed on his shooting off the dribble, often times hitting turnaround fadeaways going either right or left. For a 6’6″ wing, his passing under duress is encouraging regardless of the situation, whether it is help side double team or a full court press, Abdur-Razaaq does well mitigating turnovers. Now that he has joined the newly formed Denver Prep Academy, it will be interesting to see how he is utilized, whether he’s asked for more pick and roll playmaking or to progress into a complementary piece.
Cheikh Sow – Colorado Prep
Joining Baye Ndongo from the Senegalese U19 team, Cheikh Sow has as high a motor as anyone else in the state. He thrives in transition, where he is always the first guy to reach the corner or basket on fast breaks. He has a wiry frame that allows him to take bigger strides, which tend to help him blow by defenders. While his first step is not explosive, his acceleration is steady enough to get by most defenders not in an athletic stance. While playing for Senegal this summer, he was second for the team in steals (1.9). Although steals do not tell the whole story of a player’s defensive capabilities, they lend a valuable tool to pair when watching. He was always asked to guard opposing point guards, where his quick instincts created transition fast breaks and turnovers consistently game by game.
Cole Records Cole Records 6'3" | SF Regis Jesuit | 2023 State CO – PLUTO Prospects/Regis Jesuit
Easily one of the premier shooters in the class, Records has all the confidence needed to score from anywhere. As of now, he is a secondary ballhandler that can feast on mid-range pullups and floaters when the defense is caught scrambling. He has no problem shooting over a good contest, since he knows his spots and frankly does not care if you try to block it. Records is equally effective as a three point shooter off the catch, as he is capable knocking down deep jumpers while maintaining the same form and balance.
JJ Williams JJ Williams 6'5" | SF Highlands Ranch | 2023 State CO – Rough Riders/ThunderRidge
Williams is your prototypical glue guy that does everything well, but does not have a definable primary skill. He possesses a high motor, where he is always looking to grab offensive rebounds off of his teammates’ missed jump shots. His jumper off the catch is encouraging, while only shooting 29% from 3 this past season at ThunderRidge, I would be willing to bet the jumper comes around to 35% within the next 12 months.
Finn Horsfall Finn Horsfall 6'4" | SG Air Academy | 2023 State CO – PLUTO Prospects/Air Academy (pictured above)
The 6’4″ wing was a tough one to guard as he displayed an unusual level of patience for his age. He was adept at using an array of pump fakes as a way of converting difficult shots into easy ones. Unlike most players, Horsfall is left handed, allowing him to create a different dynamic out of sets typically made for right hand dominant players. Playing for Air Academy’s varsity squad since freshman year, Horsfall is ahead of others in terms of raw progression and he is showing no signs of slowing down.