Saturday’s 17U Top Performers at PrepHoops Space City Collision
Check out my scouting reports and analysis on some of the top prospects in attendance at the PrepHoops Space City Collision. Look for these guys to have a massive boost in recruiting over the next few months, and be sure…
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Continue ReadingCheck out my scouting reports and analysis on some of the top prospects in attendance at the PrepHoops Space City Collision. Look for these guys to have a massive boost in recruiting over the next few months, and be sure to keep tabs on them as they continue to develop!
Chris Catchings Chris Catchings 6'6" | SF Fort Bend Marshall | 2024 State TX 2024 6’5 Fort Bend Marshall High School, TX (TJ Ford Basketball 2023)
Chris is an incredibly refined wing player with the ease in which he scores off the bounce from all three levels of the floor. He is a great shot maker, even fading away and coming off the dribble. Catchings makes his mark with his ability to explode with a live dribble, and then finish through anyone who stands in front of him. He contorts his body well to avoid contact, and loves using his long arms to finish around his opponents. I was very impressed with the speed in which he displayed after coming out of the triple threat, and it really caught his opponents by surprise. On the defensive side of the ball, he has incredible instincts and knows when to attack a ball handler with a trap, or rotate over to catch a cross court pass and run on the fast break. TJ Ford Academy is clearly pumping high level basketball training into his mind and it looks like it is paying off at the highest level. He has all the tools to become an incredibly affective Division 1 wing player or even play at the combo guard spot with his ability to handle the ball, score off the dribble and get past his defenders in both the full court and the half court. Catchings is a prospect you CANNOT miss out on.
Maddox Bloomgren 2024 6’5 Dripping Springs High School, TX (ATX Force 2023)
Maddox is a high level wing player who knows how to use his size to his advantage while he defends on the perimeter and attacks off the bounce. I loved watching him manipulate the defense and waiting for the right moment to attack downhill when he knew a second defender who would be stepping up did not have a chance of contesting him. He is a patient player on the offensive end, who does not force anything or cut off opportunities for his teammates. He is a consistent finisher down low, and can get two feet in the paint with ease off a live dribble. I loved his overall feel for the game, and how well and often he moved without the basketball. His constant motion forced the defense to key on him, and allowed glimmers of space for his teammates to attack with a live dribble. He gets his whenever he can within the flow of the offense, and loves getting downhill on the fast break. I was very impressed with how mature he was on the court and how well he attacked older competition. I would like to see continued development with his shot off the bounce out of the triple threat on the wings, as well as taking more midrange jumpers when the defense sags off of him to protect the paint.
Jelani Handy 2022 6’1 Pantego Christian Academy, TX (3P Elite 2023)
Jelani is an aggressive point guard who sees the floor at a high level, but also scores the ball across all three levels with ease. He easily scores off the catch from beyond the arc, making him a deadly trailer option from atop the key, but also works well to spot up on the wings and corners. I was very impressed with his natural point guard instincts, and the ease in which he dictated the tempo of the game. Handy is a complete guard prospect with the intensity he plays on every single possession, along with his ability to easily score off the bounce. I was very impressed with how he changed directions in the open court, keeping his defenders constantly on their heels and trailing the play. He can easily facilitate out of the pick and roll, finding his rolling bigs with crisp passes that hit them in stride as they worked to get downhill. His passes always found their mark and if a teammate was cutting with a glimmer of open space, Jelani is going to find them. He even made some wizardry level one handed passes in the open court that had just the right amount of touch on them to get over the top of the defense. He even recently got offered by Arlington Baptist University, college coaches you are loosing out on time to get this young man in your building!
Antoine Silvers Jr 2023 6’4 MacArthur High School, TX (Texas Footwork Bengals)
Antoine was dominant again this weekend, truly leading his team and showing off his ability to facilitate and finish at the rim. He is an impressive two way player who defends the perimeter at the highest level, but has enough size and aggressiveness to play in the paint as well. I was very impressed by the ease in which he got downhill and used his frame to bully his defender’s out of the way. He is great at using his quick feet and agility to keep his opponent in front of him while also using his athleticism to leap and meet his opponent at the rim. He had one of the nastiest blocks of the weekend in the paint, he high pointed his opponent and stonewalled him at the rim. On the offensive end of the floor, he is a dynamic player who knows how to set up his teammates with accurate passes. He can facilitate in the full court, which allows him to run the break at the highest level. He is a very intelligent player with very high basketball IQ. There were many instances in which he made the right extra pass to set up his teammate for an even better shot. I loved watching him manipulate the defense with his aggressiveness and his overall basketball awareness.
Kenny Addison 2022 6’0 Spring High School, TX (Beast Elite Blue)
Kenny is an ideal combo guard with the ease in which he creates space with his handle, operates the pick and roll and scores off the dribble. I was blown away with how much space he was able to create with his quick crossovers and behind the backs, every time down the court. He routinely scored after shifting his opponent’s weight and then exploding to the rim. He is a natural finisher with a real ability to contort his body and adjust his shot angle. He is a relentless slasher and loves to get into the teeth of the defense and force them to react. He made smart and timely kick-out passes to his shooters in the corner. I was very impressed with how he saw the court out of the pick and roll, he found his teammates at just the right time as the slipped to the basket for an easy look. He is an incredibly mature combo guard who sees the floor at a high level, and has the high level scoring ability off the bounce that any guard needs at the next level.