Most Intriguing Prospects: DeSoto vs Grand Prairie

<p>I was treated to the much-anticipated matchup between the DeSoto Eagles and Grand Prairie Gophers Friday night. DeSoto's trio of big men were impressive individually, but the team as a whole could not match the speed and athleticism of Grand Prairie. The one-loss Gophers took care of business at home. They controlled this contest from start to finish, defeating the Eagles 72-48. </p> <p>Here are seven intriguing prospects from the game:</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jaylin-posey/">Jaylin Posey</a> - 2020 6'3 Shooting Guard (Texas Legions Elite) Grand Prairie HS</strong> - The SFA commit dominated his matchups vs. DeSoto. He plays much-bigger than his 6-foot-3-inch size would suggest. Posey has a tremendous back-to-the-basket game but also showed that he can hit pull-ups from mid-range. Furthermore, the senior guard is an explosive athlete, and that was on full display at the end of the first half when he absolutely posterized an opposing defender on his way to the basket with an <a href="http://twitter.com/thejaylinposey?lang=en">emphatic one-handed dunk</a>. He finished the night with 21 points. </p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/donald-ghostone/">Donald Ghostone</a> - 2020 6'7 Small Forward (Texas Legions Elite) Grand Prairie HS</strong> - Ghostone had an excellent shooting night on Friday. The senior sharpshooter accounted for 19 points and drilled four three pointers. He can hit the triple off the bounce or from the catch. His size allows him to score at the rim and contribute on the glass as well. He was very efficient during this game. </p> <p><strong> Donovan Newton - 2020 6'0 Guard Grand Prairie HS</strong> - Newton loves to push the tempo which works well with the fast-paced style of play that Grand Prairie likes to employ. He is a solid facilitator and knows how to put his teammates in advantageous scoring situations. The senior guard is a crafty defender too, blocking multiple shots from behind and locking down out on the perimeter. </p> <p><strong>Savion Red - 2022 6'1 Guard Grand Prairie HS</strong> - The two-sport athlete is definitely built like a football player. He has a high motor, playing with a ton of energy at both ends of the court. Red can make the three-ball from the catch, while also being strong enough to muscle his way into the paint for close range buckets. His aggressiveness on defense was also noticeable. </p> <p><strong>Tavion Carroll - 2020 6'6 Power Forward DeSoto HS</strong> - Carroll is certainly and underrated player in the state of Texas. He has a slim build and contributes in a variety of ways. The senior forward had several put backs on offense, showed that he can finish above the rim, and even drained a catch and shoot three. He has a soft touch around the rim and rebounds well at both ends. He finished the game as DeSoto's leading scorer. </p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/duncan-powell/">Duncan Powell</a> - 2021 6'7 Power Forward/Small Forward DeSoto HS</strong> - The No. 6 ranked player in our <a href="https://prephoops.com/texas/rankings/2021-rankings/">2021 rankings</a> is a versatile prospect who moves well for a player of his size. He already possesses a college-ready build. Powell moves fluidly at both ends. He can stretch out and hit shots from mid-range and behind the arc but is also strong enough to finish above the rim with power. Additionally, the Arkansas verbal commit has good defensive instincts. </p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/chrisdon-morgan/">Chrisdon Morgan</a> - 2021 6'8 Power Forward/Center DeSoto HS</strong> - Morgan came off the bench vs. Grand Prairie. However, he started the second half and had a productive third quarter, especially on the glass. He can finish through contact and convert on put-back attempts. I will be fascinated to see what the junior does with starting minutes next season. He is certainly someone to keep an eye on.  </p>