Week 11 Scouting Report: Standout Wings

<p>I had the opportunity to attend three Week 11 matchups. The Flower Mound Marcus Marauders earned a 51-49 victory over the Plano Wildcats on Tuesday, the Dallas Jesuit Rangers went on the road and got a 58-48 win over the J.J. Pearce Mustangs on Friday, and the iSchool of Lewisville Cougars hosted and defeated the Spring Creek Academy Spartans 61-57 on Saturday.</p> <p>Here are five standout wing prospects from this past week's action:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889563" first="Trae" last="Clayton"] | 2022 | 6'5'' Small Forward | iSchool of Lewisville</strong> - Clayton is freakishly athletic and an outstanding two-way player. He possesses good size at 6-feet-5-inches but plays even bigger than that. He showed that he can hit shots out on the perimeter, but rarely settled for jumpers. His explosive first step and ability to create off the dribble allowed him to get to the basket for high-percentage looks, finishing with a body on him on several occasions. Furthermore, the junior wing plays above the rim in transition, evidenced by an <a href="https://twitter.com/HeadsUpSI/status/1353357757886443520">emphatic one-handed dunk</a> vs. SCA. On defense, Clayton defends multiple positions and contributes on the boards thanks to his leaping capability. He accounted for 15 points and eight rebounds on Saturday. </p> <p><strong>Liam McNeeley | 2024 | 6'7'' Small Forward | J.J. Pearce HS</strong> - McNeeley is at the top of DeVontae Cobb's <a href="https://prephoops.com/2021/01/dallas-fort-worth-2024-watch-list/">2024 DFW watch list</a>, and he is very deserving of that praise after what I saw from him on Friday. The freshman forward started the game for the Mustangs and showed off his entire arsenal. He shot the three ball well vs. Dallas Jesuit, draining two triples, while also displaying that he can make mid-range fadeaways. He does a great job of utilizing his size inside, understanding that most defenders at this level cannot challenge his shots when he elevates. He had some nice takes to the rim as well, finishing with floaters when driving from the baseline. The first-year player is going to be a star in the coming years as he continues to develop. </p> <p><strong>Luke Smith | 2022 | 6'6'' Small Forward | Flower Mound Marcus HS</strong> - Smith possesses tremendous size and length out on the wing. He provides the Marauders with a tenacious on-ball stopper who can wreak all sorts of havoc at that end of the floor. The Marcus junior was responsible for some key stops late in the game vs. Plano, helping his team escape with a narrow victory. He was opportunistic when going for steals and expertly turned defense into offense by getting into passing lanes and going the distance for breakaway layups. Smith made a big play on offense in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter too, finishing through contact on the block and converting at the foul line for a three-point play. He ended the night with eight points, three rebounds, and two steals. </p> <p><strong>TJ Berrier | 2021 | 6'4'' Small Forward | J.J. Pearce HS</strong> - Berrier is the glue guy for J.J. Pearce, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. He doesn't demand the ball but makes the most of every single one of his touches. The senior forward does a little bit of everything for the Mustangs. He runs the floor in transition, contributes on the glass at both ends, and is deceptively crafty when he gets the ball down low. He even knocked down a three-pointer, making the defense pay for sagging off of him. Additionally, Berrier plays hard on defense. He is great about being disruptive and sticks to his man off the ball. </p> <p><strong>Xavier Williams | 2022 | 6'1'' Shooting Guard/Small Forward | Plano HS</strong> - Williams plays with a high motor. He showed that he can score in a variety of ways. He is solid from behind the arc, especially from the catch, but is also smart about attacking the basket and drawing contact on his way to the hoop. He made a high-IQ play to draw a shooting foul from behind the three-point line at the end of the first quarter, burying all three foul shots. I was impressed with the way he was able to operate comfortably both on and away from the ball. At the other end, the 2022 wing is an active defender on the perimeter. He was engaged from start to finish and got a ton of deflections. </p>