Myles Stute (2020) prepares to take on bigger role at Gonzanga

Gonzaga High School (D.C) has solidified itself as a premier national power for some time now. The 2016-17 season was no different, as they finished with a 32-5 record and champions of the WCAC, the D.C. State Championship and the Alhambra Classic Invitational. They ranked No. 1 in the state and 19th nationally. Point guard Chris Lykes (Miami signee) garnered much of the attention but the entire roster is incredibly talented. With Lykes and Eddie Scott (Penn U signee) graduating this year, the Eagles will look to younger players who learned by observing for the majority of this season to step in and fill in big shoes. One of those players will be Myles Stute. The 6'6" freshman took advantage of the opportunity to learn from the upperclassman and when he did get his opportunity in games, he tried to take advantage of it. "I just really wanted to learn from the guys ahead of me like Eddie Scott and Chris Lykes," Stute told PrepHoops. "I wanted to pick their brains so that when my time came I was ready to go. Watching Chris helped me with vision on the court. He sees a lot of passing lanes and moves that can be made that nobody else sees. Eddie kind of took me under his wing this season. I feel as like next season I'll probably be the one in his shoes to be that athletic wing that runs the floor and tries to get dunks. I took a lot of leadership things from him as well like being vocal on the court, dapping guys up on the bench and always staying hyped." Stute appeared in 26 of the Eagles' 35 games averaging 3.1 points. If you get a chance to watch Stute play, not only can you tell he has the ability to score at an effective rate, but he can also impact a game in many other ways. Recently at the DMV Elite Super Team Showcase, Stute was having an off shooting performance for Team Takeover. You couldn't tell by his effort and communication on both ends of the floor. Stute plays with confidence and energy at all times whether or not things are going his way shooting. In the second game of the day, Stute found his mark and finished with a game-high 18 points. His versatility was on full display. Whether it was a transition dunk, catch-and-shoot three's in the halfcourt, or pull-up jumpers on the break, Stute was giving the defense fits. He was also a force on the glass using his frame and athleticism to clear out the paint. "I didn't rebound at a high rate last year [for Gonzaga]," Stute said. "I watched a lot of game film and I was out of the spot a lot. Just being scared, honestly. So I owned up to that and said you know what, I'm going to go into this summer just looking to build up a lot of athleticism and a lot of upper body strength to really just be able to go at it next season." The game has become about versatility, no matter what position the individual plays. Stute realizes that. He doesn't only want to be known as just a scorer off the catch. Developing his playmaking is something he is working on as well. "I want to improve on my ball handling as well," Stute said. I want to make that a big part of my game so I can grab that board and be able to push it and look to make a play for myself or create 2-on-1 situations and make the right pass." Playing in a highly-respected conference in the WCAC, defense is more complex. Rotations off multiple passes are crucial or the opponent will quickly make you pay by finding the open man. Learning this can be especially hard for a freshman, and Stute realized that. "On the defensive side of things, always being help side is something I need to improve on," Stute said. "My lateral foot speed wasn't up to par for WCAC play this past season and I felt like that cost me a lot of minutes. I've been working on that since March because I know that's what kept me out." Stute currently holds and offer from George Washington. He told PrepHoops that Georgetown, Maryland, and George Mason have also expressed some interest. Coaches are most impressed with how much improvement Stute has made in his lone season at Gonzaga. Stute has a 3.6 GPA. Two guys that Stute has spent the most time breaking down film are Kawhi Leonard and Shawn Kemp. With Leonard, Stute loves his footwork and how he's always in the right spot defensively along with Kemp's ferociousness when he goes up for finishes around the rim. https://twitter.com/AyalewAdam/status/860993850331942912