With the 2021-22 Texas UIL season fast approaching, Prep Hoops Network previews several players in Region 4 of the 6A conference for this next season. This article focuses on wings in the senior class. 6A seniors’ player previews: Region 1…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inWith the 2021-22 Texas UIL season fast approaching, Prep Hoops Network previews several players in Region 4 of the 6A conference for this next season. This article focuses on wings in the senior class.
6A seniors’ player previews:
Region 1 PG’s, Wings, Bigs
Region 2 PG’s, Wings, Bigs
Region 3 PG’s, Wings, Bigs
Region 4 PG’s, Wings, Bigs
5A seniors’ player previews:
Region 1 PG’s, Wings, Bigs
Region 2 PG’s, Wings, Bigs
Region 3 PG’s, Wings, Bigs
Region 4 PG’s, Wings, Bigs
Zachary Engels Zachary Engels 6'4" | SG Round Rock Westwood | 2022 State TX – 6’4″ – SG – Round Rock Westwood – ATX Lockdown
Engels is a strong and intelligent playmaking wing. He’s not the fastest or most athletic player on the court but he has sky high basketball IQ and is an efficient scorer from all three levels with an impressive ability to move the ball and set up his teammates for good looks. He is a solid catch-and-shoot threat with virtually perfect form and mechanics and has a strong jab step, pump fake, or two dribble move to get an open shot out of the triple threat. He has an elite touch around the rim and protects the ball well on drives, using his strong frame to body an opponent, secure the ball, and create space for a good look in the paint. He’s patient and aware with the ball in his hands, rarely forcing a shot, utilizing his good vision and IQ to pass the ball to the open man and find the best shot available. His strength and intelligence shows on the defensive end, as well, bodying up opponents in the paint and on the perimeter and positioning himself well to get stops on-ball and provide effective help off the ball. Engels broke his left leg at the beginning of this past summer, but fortunately has made a full recovery and is ready to attack his senior season with a fresh mind and outlook on the game. He spent the offseason looking for several ways to improve his game in the film room, telling Prep Hoops, “I spent a lot of time breaking down film with my trainer and worked a lot on my IQ and how to run an offense and lead a team.”
William Nathaniel William Nathaniel 6'5" | SG San Antonio East Central | 2022 State TX – 6’5″ – SG – San Antonio East Central
Nathaniel is a strong 2-way wing with good athleticism and scoring ability from all three levels. He has extreme acceleration and explosiveness that allows him to attack the basket with ferocity and strength that overpowers the defense. He has a smooth pull-up jumper off the dribble, stopping on a dime and rising up over a defender or hitting fadeaways with efficiency from midrange and unlimited range beyond the arc, and he’s a lethal catch-and-shoot threat with a high release point and unwavering focus even with a hand in his face. He also has the strength and size to post up smaller defenders with good control and a strong touch near the rim with the willingness to hit the open man if a double team is thrown at him. On the other end, he’s a fierce and relentless defender, sprinting full court to come away with chase down blocks on what would otherwise be an open fast break for the opponent, attacking ball handlers with quick feet and long arms in a strong and wide defensive stance, and trapping and smothering his teammates’ assignments in quick and decisive double teams.
Jakobi White Jakobi White 6'6" | SF San Antonio Clark | 2022 State TX – 6’6″ – SF – San Antonio Clark
White is a high-flying slasher and as athletic as they come. Give him an open lane and he will almost always explode to the basket and dunk the ball over any defenders head with strength and determination. He moves extremely well off the ball with speed and quickness and gives his teammates an exciting outlet for alley oops and fast breaks, finishing off plays with exciting dunks that gets the whole gym going. He can finish through traffic, taking contact and boldly and relentlessly going at defenders with the confidence that no one can stop him. He takes that same relentless approach to go after offensive boards and put backs, providing extra boosts to his teams offense. He utilizes his athleticism well on the defensive end, as well, with good recovery time and quick second jumps, with the ability to block consecutive opportunities and take all the energy out of the opposing team. White spent this offseason continuing to refine his relentless paint attack, focusing on his conditioning and finishing through contact, but he also looked to expand his offensive arsenal. He put in a lot of work on his midrange game and ball handling ability, looking to create his own shot more in his senior season.
Caleb Gaston Caleb Gaston 6'7" | SF San Antonio MacArthur | 2022 State TX – 6’6″ – SF – San Antonio MacArthur
Gaston is an extremely long and intelligent basketball player that simply plays the game the right way. He scores from all three levels, he willingly moves the ball around the court to get his team the best shot possible, he crashes the boards, and he plays hard defense no matter his assignment. He’s not necessarily the fastest or most athletic player, but he picks his spots brilliantly and doesn’t force anything, attacking openings in the defense with his smooth handles and good footwork or passing the ball to the open man. He’s an impressive inside scorer with good post moves and strong finishing abilities, utilizing his long arms to hit hook shots, scoop shots and a variety of other moves, but he can also step out and hit from midrange and beyond the arc, giving him a versatile offensive game. His length, timing, relentlessness and high IQ for positioning makes him a solid rebounder and effective defender. He can guard multiple positions and utilizes the verticality rule well, keeping his long arms straight up and making it difficult for most opponents to score from anywhere on the court.
Deon Williams Deon Williams 6'7" | SF San Antonio Brennan | 2022 State TX – 6’7″ – SF – San Antonio Brennan
Williams is an athletic slashing wing with a strong paint presence and solid playmaking abilities. He moves extremely well off the ball, patiently and methodically waiting for the right time to come around screens and find openings through the defense to make hard and sharp cuts towards the basket. Once he receives the ball, he has an explosive finishing ability and good touch around the rim, including powerful dunks, a refined post game, and a dynamic layup package. He’s intelligent with the ball in his hands, as well, always aware of any movement away from the ball and ready to hit his teammates with accurate passes if a better shot arises. He’s a plus rebounder on the court, utilizing his strong frame combined with a well-coached technique to box out opponents even bigger than him, and gathers rebounds in bunches securing a defensive stop or giving his team another opportunity on the offensive boards. He has good lateral and vertical movement, affording him the ability to guard multiple positions on the perimeter and in the paint and he is looking to take his versatility on the defensive end to another level in his senior season. He spent the offseason “working on guarding positions 1-5” and he is looking to become the elite defender he knows he can be. Williams also emphasized versatility on offense this summer, putting in extra work on his jump shot and ball handling, looking to expand his range and add a perimeter threat to his already dangerous inside game.
Donovan Santoro Donovan Santoro 6'8" | SF Austin Westlake | 2023 CA-S – 6’8″ – SF – Austin Westlake – THP Elite
Santoro is a long wing with great mobility and an impressive inside-outside scoring ability. He might be 6’8″ but he moves like a guard, with or without the ball, with smooth handles and stellar and quick footwork. He’s a finisher first, attacking the paint with strength, quickness and height that can be very difficult to defend for most matchups, but he can also step out and hit from 3-point range. He’s good at creating his own shot, utilizing a few dribbles to create space to rise up and drain a long range shot over a defender, and he is a solid catch-and-shoot threat, using his first-class mobility to get open on the perimeter and hit from deep. He has great hand-eye coordination and a nose for the ball on the defensive end, stripping the ball as the opponent drives the lanes or swatting the ball midair as a shot goes up. He also finds his way to numerous rebounds throughout most games, aggressively attacking the glass, positioning himself well, and timing his jumps to gather defensive and offensive boards in bunches. Santoro spent the offseason working on his aggression on both ends of the court and is approaching his senior season with that same mindset, focused on making a positive impact for his team in any way possible through his versatility and leadership.
Jaelyn Brooks
Jaelyn
Brooks
6'4" | SG
Round Rock | 2022
State
TX
– 6’4″ – SG – Round Rock – THP Elite
Brooks is an elite scorer with immense focus and determination to put the ball in the basket. His strength isn’t eye-popping but he has a certain grit where he fights through any and all contact with unwavering persistence and resolve to finish the layup through traffic as he attacks the paint. He has that same tenacity on his jump shots, as well, absorbing contact on the body or arm, maintaining his solid shooting form, and draining the shot. He can hit from anywhere on the court and has quick and shifty ball handling to create his own shot efficiently with a limited amount of dribbles. He moves decisively with the ball, getting to his spots and rising high over the defender utilizing his lethal midrange game, and he moves with speed off the ball, providing a nice catch-and-shoot threat. He’s also an intelligent and skillful passer, finding his teammates on cuts or open behind the arc as he drives to the paint, hitting them with accurate and timely bounce passes or behind-the-back passes.
Xaivier Kirk Xaivier Kirk 6'2" | SG San Antonio Warren | 2022 State TX – 6’2″ – SG – San Antonio Warren
Kirk is an extremely athletic and efficient 2-way wing that can get everyone on their feet with his explosive dunks. He’s fast and has the ball handling and quick change of direction of a point guard with the ability to penetrate the defense and ruthlessly attack the paint. Along with his strong dunks, he can finish with both hands and has an array of layup packages, including a dangerous floater, that affords him various ways to get the two points once he’s near the rim. He’s crafty on the perimeter, as well, utilizing his ball handling to get anywhere he wants and draining long range shots with ease from anywhere on the court, regardless of a hand in his face or not, with his quick release and strong mechanics. He’s an elite catch-and-shoot threat and moves well off the ball, always looking to impact the play even when the ball is out of his hands. His athleticism and explosiveness also helps him as a strong defender, coming away with powerful blocks at the rim and locking up players on the perimeter.
Eric Brown Eric Brown 6'1" | SG Steele | 2022 State TX , Theo Grant Theo Grant 6'1" | SG Schertz Clemens | 2022 TX , and Conor McManus Conor McManus 6'4" | SG Austin Westlake | 2022 State TX , other top wings in Region 4 of the 6A conference, were previously studied in Rising Seniors Preview – Texas UIL Class 6A.
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