2023 Central Texas Prospects from Week 1

<p>Here’s a look at some of the top 2023 prospects from Central Texas who had stellar performances, they all should begin to receive more attention as the weeks go on. Be on the lookout for the rest of my Central Texas coverage from Week 1 of the high school season!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Taylan Johnson 2023 6’3 Bryan High School</p> <p>Taylan is a complete three level athlete with the ability to take over any game. I was most impressed with his ability to get to his spots at all three levels of the floor, especially in the midrange. He is a weapon on the fast break with the ability to make you pay at the rim or beyond the arc if the defense is not set in time. I was most impressed with his hang time in the air. His athleticism allows him to make fancy double clutch layups, use the extra time he has in the air to make a play defensively, or pick apart defenses with his passing. Johnson was very impressive in his most recent performance scoring fourteen points to go along with his three steals. I would like to see him be more patient with the ball and look to create more off the pick and roll.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWnwBgcqPWk</p> <p>(Subscribe to my channel for full game highlights and individual player highlights from all over Texas!)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="957936" first="Kaden" last="Gumbs"] 2023 6’2 San Marcos High School</p> <p>Kaden seems to have the ball on a string with his ability to break down defenses in the full court. He had two ankle breaking crossovers that should have made the social media rounds if his teammate would have finished the lob. I was blown away by his ability to score and control the game. He has the awareness of when to slow down and even slow up into defenders to get an easy and one underneath the basket. Grumbs is a patient offensive weapon who can get it done in the midrange as well. I would like to see him continue to work on getting to his spots along the three point line with a live dribble.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Mason Tate 2023 6’5 Navarro High School</p> <p>Mason is a strong forward with an ability to clean up on the glass and finish on the break. I was extremely impressed with his patience in the post. He is good at keeping the ball high on the block out of the reach of smaller defenders. I would like to see him become more fluid with a live dribble and work on getting to his shot off the dribble. He showed an ability to knock down shots from the midrange as well and was a decent floor spacer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Nakia Smith 2023 5’11 Desoto High School</p> <p>Nakia is a bully for an undersized point guard. He is confident from all three levels of the floor and can get to his spots off the dribble with ease. I was very impressed with his ability to contort his body and attack the rim with ease. He knows when to cut and always seems to get open whenever his teammates are in trouble. I was very impressed with his ability to defend high level ball handlers. His long arms seemed to have a knack for poking the ball free. He knows how to use the sideline as a defender and is a scrappy trapper as a help defender. His ability to wreak havoc on the defensive end of the floor created a plethora of opportunities for his team on the other end.</p> <p>https://youtu.be/f-B5YAPpRB4</p> <p>Ahmir Wall 2023 Wing 6’4 Desoto High School</p> <p>Ahmir is a stud athlete with an ability to explode to the rim and finish through contact. I was very impressed at his ability to fight through contact and finish consistently. His explosiveness allows him to hang in the air and change his shot angle if he needs to at the rim. He truly has a wiggle to his game when he is attacking the rim going downhill as well. He always seems to slither out of contact and into open spaces in the paint. I would like to see him continue to work on his set shot and getting to his spots beyond the arc with a live dribble. He has a consistent midrange game already, and as he continues to add that third level to his game he will become a dangerous option for Coach Bacon to develop into a high level player.</p> <p>https://youtu.be/5ILq1D7j5H8</p>