Week 2 Scouting Report: Most Impressive Scorers

Week 2 of Texas high school basketball was jammed packed with action and thrilling games that went all the way down to the wire. Here are a few of the most impressive scoring performances I watched during the second week of this season. Duncanville 80 vs Mesquite Horn 56 [player_tooltip player_id="594591" first="Damon" last="Nicholas"] - Small Forward - Duncanville - 2021 Sam Houston State signee, [player_tooltip player_id="594591" first="Damon" last="Nicholas"] was in full effect against the Mesquite Horn Jaguars. He went on an 8-0 run by himself toward the end of the first quarter, converting a 3-point play while rising up to throw one down, then attacking the basket again a couple of possessions later, and following that up with a catch-and-shoot 3-point shot, he even took an incredibly impressive charge at the rim that saved his team 2 points. He played outstanding defense, his ability to take a charge and sell the call was a thing of beauty. Damon is someone that can be trusted to make the right play with and without the ball in his hands. A very effective point forward that showed remarkable playmaking skills with the way he set teammates up with his sneaky dime dropping abilities, he knows how to pass out of traffic and on the move and still put the ball right on the money. All of Nicholas’s ball skills looked smooth and tight and his shooting mechanics looked fantastic as well. His pull-up jumper around the elbow was a sweet spot for him, nearly automatic from there all game long, his range and capability to spot up or quickly catch-and-shoot was spectacular, he caught fire and started making everything, he even nailed a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to end the third quarter that put his team up by 28 points going into the fourth quarter. He exploited mismatches and isolation situations, any defender left out on the wing guarding him with no help was in danger. The Diesel finished strong and hard in paint each time he made his way down there, it takes a brave man to step in front of him when he’s on the drive. [player_tooltip player_id="594591" first="Damon" last="Nicholas"] was just flat out incredible against Mesquite Horn, proving to everyone why he’s one of the top-ranked players in the great state of Texas. Grace Prep 77 vs Grapevine Faith 67 Aurian Bidgoli - Point Guard - Grace Prep - 2021 Aurian Bidgoli proved to be a legit floor general that plays with a good feel for the game. The heady point guard really got the offense going for his guys in the first quarter, he created scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates early on. He made sure everyone got their hands on the ball and if they ran with him in transition he made sure to feed them. This elite assist-man made some marvelous passes that brought "oohs and ahhs" from the crowd. Aurian can drop dimes like no others whether he’s on the moves or in mid-air. For someone who had the ball in his hands the majority of the game, he did an outstanding job of protecting the rock and finishing with a low assist to turnover ratio. Great control and handle on the ball, Bidgoli beat guys to the basket using simple dribble moves and his smooth first step, he also displayed a good ability to turn the corner when driving the lane. His open court speed was dangerous as well, he blew by a whole defense without breaking a sweat. The senior point guard didn’t show many limitations to his game, he can shoot it, can play off the ball, get open under the basket and around the perimeter, take his man off the dribble, handle the ball very comfortably, make accurate precise passes, and get inside to grab boards. Aurian Bidgoli is a name to keep track of, he played at a high level from beginning to end, finishing the game with 21 points while shooting over 54% from the field. RWG Stem Academy 67 vs Prestonwood Christian Academy 74 [player_tooltip player_id="1052070" first="Abdul" last="Beyah"] - Point Guard - RWG Stem Academy - 2022 Highly ranked Texas point guard, [player_tooltip player_id="1052070" first="Abdul" last="Beyah"] shined bright against Prestonwood, putting up a state line of 29 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Beyah is a lights out scorer that can carry the scoring load for his team on any given night. Abdul beat his man in more ways than one, he was dangerous off the bounce as well as off the catch-and-shoot. Not only was Beyah’s speed and quickness with the ball something special and nearly uncontainable but his jump shot was tough to stop as well, raining deep 3-point shots all game long, knocking down 6 in total. He’s such a gifted scorer especially at his height, always finding a way to finish amongst the giants down low even if it means bouncing off of defenders to create space before converting the layup or floater. [player_tooltip player_id="1052070" first="Abdul" last="Beyah"] consistently displays pure on-court abilities and fantastic intangibles, the ceiling and upside for this point guard are high. Leadership prep 60 vs TACA 73 [player_tooltip player_id="1052079" first="C.J." last="Luster"] - Combo Guard - Leadership Prep - 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="1052079" first="C.J." last="Luster"] has been playing like a man on a mission since the summertime. He faced off against a tough TACA team assembled with top-ranked players in the state and had himself a 30 point game, scoring over half his Leadership Prep’s points. Very natural scoring and shooting abilities for Luster who showed superb range while lighting TACA up from deep, making a total of 4 three-pointers in the game. He also did a fantastic job of drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line where he was 11-13. On the other side of the ball, he showed impressive defensive instincts, jumping in front of guys to take the charge and getting multiple on-ball steals. [player_tooltip player_id="1052079" first="C.J." last="Luster"] was relentless, he played with a will to win, and fought hard all game despite the score on the board.