Scouting Report: Week 10 in Garland, Tx (Pt. 1)

Garland, Texas is a city in Dallas County that is loaded with talent and highly regarded prospects, even a few top-ranked players in the state, as well as the nation. This city is emerging with teams stacked with underclassmen that have been making a lot of noise throughout the metroplex and are likely going to become the future of high school basketball in Dallas. Here are just a few of the stand out athletes from week 10 in Garland, from the games I had the opportunity to witness. Wylie 42 VS Garland 57 <img class="size-medium wp-image-1119599 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/IMG_3830-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" />| [player_tooltip player_id="889569" first="Zuby" last="Ejiofor"] | Power Forward | 2022 | Garland HS | Highly recruited, top-ranked power forward, [player_tooltip player_id="889569" first="Zuby" last="Ejiofor"], is a super athletic stretch-forward with massive size, length, and broad shoulders, that is becoming an all-around two-way asset. Ejiofor is the most skilled power forward of his class in the state, and this game gave a good glimpse of his skill set. The offense ran through Zuby all game, his ability to draw attention in the post was a major key for the Owls, creating plenty of open shot opportunities from beyond the arc and closer. The big man even drew double, triple, and quadruple teams at times down low. The defense game-planned as well as they could, but they were no match for him and his will to dominate the paint. Ejiofor got hacked just about every time he received the ball inside which led him to multiple free-throw attempts where he also proved to be efficient with a nice touch and good focus. Outstanding lateral quickness for a man of his size and stature, his ability to run the floor in transition really stood out and created a big easy target for his teammates to dump the ball to. Zuby’s footwork down low was decent, it’s still developing but he’s showing a lot of potential with the way he can turn and score. Against Wylie, Ejiofor was an absolute beast on the boards from the jump and a wall on defense. He blocked shots like he was angry at the ball, swatting shot attempts away with authority and force, showing impeccable timing and hand-eye coordination with the way he caught the ball at its highest point and sent it back the other way. The Garland forward was most dynamic in the fourth quarter where he picked up 5 blocks in that period alone. [player_tooltip player_id="889569" first="Zuby" last="Ejiofor"] finished the competition with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks, but he’s been playing at such a high level this season that this game seemed like a quiet one for him, he’s averaging a double-double and putting up a crazy stat line night in and night out. | Kobe Bratton | Point Guard | 2022 | Garland HS | This smooth, shifty lefty showed a knack for getting his own shot and scoring through contact. Bratton drove to the basket powerful and hard every time he went inside. He had a way of creating offense by penetrating the lane and dumping it off to his big man [player_tooltip player_id="889569" first="Zuby" last="Ejiofor"] down low. Kobe displayed an impressive ability to consistently get a clean shot off over tight defense, even making a quick beautiful mid-range turnaround jump shot in the deep corner that hit nothing but net and threw the defender completely off guard and off-balance. An elite ball-handler, his dribbling skills are so quick yet very under control, there must be a high-level defender guarding him at all times or else, Bratton will embarrass defenders that don’t move their feet or anticipate things well. Good court vision, Kobe made sharp passes while on the move and even hit moving targets by zipping passes through tight windows and throwing guys open in the paint. The Garland High School point guard proved to be a tireless player that gave a very good effort defensively, being the one and the only man on his team picking up Wylie’s ball-handlers the full length of the court and causing havoc. 6-foot-3-inch, Kobe Bratton is a true hidden gem with floor general tendencies and potential, definitely a name to keep track of going forward. <img class="size-medium wp-image-1119598 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/Ugo-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />| [player_tooltip player_id="959060" first="Ugo" last="Ejiofor"] | Center | Garland HS | 2021 | Senior postman, [player_tooltip player_id="959060" first="Ugo" last="Ejiofor"], was in full-on lockdown mode, shutting down the paint and allowing nothing easy in his house. His defensive nature forced the Wylie Pirates to settle for mid-range jump shots and long floaters. Ejiofor has a remarkable standing-reach, he held his hands high and blocked off any view his opponent had to the basket. Throughout the game, [player_tooltip player_id="959060" first="Ugo" last="Ejiofor"] presented solid athleticism, great mobility, and a good upside. <img class="alignright wp-image-1033688 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/DSC_0016-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> | [player_tooltip player_id="959416" first="Kobe" last="Wiggins"] | Point Guard | Wylie HS | 2021 | Every time I watch [player_tooltip player_id="959416" first="Kobe" last="Wiggins"] play, he displays a high basketball IQ and pure point guard skills and instincts. This game was no different, Wiggins consistently looked to either set up plays or set up his teammates each time up the floor, attempting to find holes in a defense that towered over them physically. The floor general, penetrated the lane from the top of the key well, continuously getting into the teeth of the defense and kicking it out or going up with a floater. Nice looking jumper in pull-up and catch-and-shoot situations, especially from outside, Kobe even showed the capability to stop on a dime in transition and release his shot effortlessly. [player_tooltip player_id="959416" first="Kobe" last="Wiggins"] was effective in the game in many ways, he stayed productive whether it was rebounding, defending, or distributing the ball. | Tyler Booty | Combo Guard | Wylie HS | 2021 | Tyler contributed with is high volume shooting, he was someone that got hot quick and scored in bunches. He scored and shot the ball both off the dribble and as a spot-up shooter, Booty looked as if he could get his shot off at any moment over just about any defender. This sharpshooter showed a good sense of urgency, knocking down jump shots when they were needed most. Tyler kept the score tight with his mid-range shooting and his knack for getting to the free-throw line.