Bryce’s Notebook: 15U players to watch for at the #HustleSZNKickoff
I watched the 15U bracket for most of the morning and afternoon sessions at Oaks Christian High School on Friday. Being able to see a large portion of the talent in the 2022 class made me aware of the brightness in the future of the incoming sophomores ready to make a big mark on their respective varsity teams. Today, the 15U bracket will be spread out between the three sites of the #HustleSZNKickoff: Moorpark High School, the Mamba Sports Academy, and the aforementioned Oaks Christian High School. Though I won’t be able to see every game in person as I only have a single pair of eyes and ten fingers to type with, I have an idea of some of the guys who will be worth watching in the 15U bracket.
Mason Dorsey 2022 California Raptors wing
QUICK HITS:
→ Tall
→ Explosive
→ Mature
→ Mr. Everything
Mason Dorsey is a tall kid with an athletic prowess to marvel at. The grace and kinetic development of this athlete provides him with an advantage not often seen in a freshman. Dorsey possesses both the raw explosiveness and the honed skill set of an upperclassman, apparent as you watch him bring the ball up the floor, make a move to blow by a defender, and promptly finish an acrobatic shot near the rim. He does mostly everything well; he handles and takes care of the ball, can create his own shot out of the dribble, passes exceptionally well, can post up and can score on all three levels. Dorset is an overall exceptional talent for his age. The best NBA comparison I drew – begrudgingly, I may add, as a native of Oklahoma City – is Kevin Durant; especially considering Dorsey wears No. 35
Mike Price 2023 The Truth EYBL guard (pictured above)
QUICK HITS:
→ Score-first
→ Fast
→ Scoring guard
→ Acrobatic finisher
As far as pure athleticism goes, eight-grader Mike Price had more of the stuff naturally than any player I was able to watch. The struggle with many young players this fast, powerful and score-hungry is the inability to discern good shots from bad shots and reducing inefficiencies. With Price, the body control and finishing abilities are so present that he seldom takes a bad shot as he can score any time he creates separation. He doesn’t take long to accelerate out of the brake and penetrates the perimeter with tenacity and quickness, yet switches gears to finish more gracefully at the rim. He’s like a walking double entendre with his propensity to go back-and-forth between these mediums. More proudly than his predecessor in this story, I think Price, from the basketball I have seen in the last two days, fits into the Russell Westbrook mold – and I use that comparison sparingly, if ever.
Ben Sholtzberg 2022 The Truth EYBL point guard
QUICK HITS:
→ Lengthy
→ Fluent
→ Quick
→ Relentless
When you talk about the orthodox point guard mold, you can look no further than freshman phenom Ben Sholtzberg. The 6-foot-2-inch Sholtzberg could create his own shot, finish smoothly at the rack, and orchestrate offensive production. He was a pace-setter, but that responsibility was mostly redundant as he elected to run on most possessions. He has an impressive motor and an ever-present drive that typically outlasts the adversary, which was exponentially more visible as the day matured. Sholtzberg is a bit taller than your typical point guard, but does not forfeit any of the ball-handling skills in the process. Complimenting his scoring talents was his seamless down-court passing. Sholtzberg certainly has all of the iQ and headiness that you want from a developing player and, the basketball I watched, never abandoned that sharpness for a cheap play. It was hard to find a perfect mold for Sholtzberg, but he reminds me more of Ben Simmons than anybody.
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