Prospect Spotlight: Dale Talley III (2019)
Shawnee Mission Northwest 2019 Dale Talley III is establishing himself as one of the state’s top young wing players this summer.
At 6’3, 185-pounds, Talley is a skilled player who can handle the ball, create his own shot and make 3-pointers. H
“I’ve been really working on my outside shot this off season, as well as getting myself open without the ball,” he said.
A long, rangy guard, Talley brings a versatile skill set to the court, able to play multiple positions at both ends of the floor.
“I am a team player on the defensive side and can guard on ball very well,” he said.
Talley put together a strong spring with the KC Spurs and saw that performance spring board into a strong June with his high school team. The Spurs won the the KC Classic to close out the spring session.
“We’ve been all over the place going from city to city competing with the best from all around,” Talley said. “We really focus on playing as a team. This team has been together for years and our chemistry is unreal, they aren’t just my teammates we’re a family out there.”
Shawnee Mission Northwest features a host of talented young players and after going 6-15 last season, Talley expects the group to take a big step forward.
“It’s been rare that we were able to get our top guys together this June,” he said. “This June we’ve struggled playing at the high speed, varsity level. I have been the primary option this summer. I’ve been playing every position, primarily point guard with the high school.”
Talley says the biggest influence on his basketball career has been his father.
“He was the one who started me off, always had me in the driveway working on my ball handling and my jump shot,” Talley said. “My older brother had a work ethic for the game that amazed me. If he was in the gym I was in there with him getting shots up and getting better together. Even when he got into college I would go up and work out with his team and it gave me a taste of what to expect. I can not wait to be in that college basketball atmosphere.”
A fan of Kobe Bryant, talley says he has tried to take various aspects of the former NBA star’s game and make them his own.
“I watch his highlights religiously, how he had that killer instinct and had the mindset that no one could stop him is definitely something I’ve tried implementing into my game,” Talley said. “His IQ for the game of basketball is impressive, the way he studied every move is something that I try to do on the daily.”