Prep Hoops Circuit – California PGs
Covid 19 has taken away spring basketball games but it has not slowed down the Prep Hoops chances to review players. Today I checked out the winter film of some 2019 Prep Hoops Circuit standouts from California. Here are some notes of those standouts.
Solomon Little (6’2, 2021). Little is one of the better defensive players we saw last spring and summer. This winter he came off the Balboa bench playing 16 minutes a game helping change games defensively. Solomon is a rapid rim finisher who pushes the pace in transition in a hurry. However, to me everything about Little is his defense. The quickness of hands is only bettered by his quickness of feet. The lateral quicks are of course there but what really gets me is how he can maintain the right defensive distance no matter who he is against and no matter what the situation is on the floor.
Wayne McKinney III (5’11, 2021). Wayne was a first team 16u Prep Hoops Circuit All American last year and he’s a top 20 level 2021 in southern California. McKinney averaged 28.4 points per game shooting 46 percent for the winter plus he averaged 7.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game. Wayne is a top talent obviously, but what makes him special? To me it’s the ability to make even the fleetest of foot defenders freeze or over shift when trying to keep McKinney in front of them. Wayne’s ability to get into his zag so quickly his zig ranks with the best in the nation, and then once he gets to that space he produces, now matter how small that space may be. That’s how you shoot 46 percent from the floor as a guard despite getting all of the defensive attention.
Tajavis Miller (6’4, 2022). Miller was a PH Circuit honored 15u player last year for LA Elite and he’s now the 7th ranked player in Southern California for his grade. Miller gave Servite High School 18.8 points per game shooting 38 percent from the arc plus averaged six boards a game. When it comes to beating help defenders to position on an attack, or splitting a ball screen to go at the rim, Miller is one of the best I’ve seen. His explosiveness into gaps is mesmerizing and of course he can finish above the final defender without issue. We spoke about Miller’s solid shooting percentage at the arc and that is greatly helped by his sprint cuts to the ball while his defender tries to move around obstacles (while also trailing at a slower speed). Miller also has one of the quicker crossovers I have seen and his ability to finish quickly in small windows boosts his numbers greatly.
Lewis Singleterry IV (5’10, 2022). After earning PH Circuit post-season honors from Gamepoint Inland Empire, Lewis had a strong sophomore year averaging 18 points a game shooting an outstanding 48 percent at the arc while also dishing out 3-4 assists per game. Lewis has the type of range that completely confuses defenders because they don’t know how far to close out is too far. Singleterry not only has range, but he makes shots near the NBA line at high percentage. A top 40 player in his class and a top true ten point guard in Southern California. One of the best parts of the Lewis Singleterry game is his lateral harassment and quick hands. Lewis is the type of defender that has opposing guards randomly taking sick days the day of games.
Donovan Watkins (5’8, 2021). Watkins had an All 16u Prep Hoops Circuit summer for LA Elite last year. Everything you see in his game/video is about quickness: quickness to a loose ball or long board, quickness in a rapid transition, a quick release on his jumper, a quickness of 0 to 100 in his first step, and a quickness to lead. This is a high IQ player and student athlete who is ahead of the game in many ways.