Texas Top 250 Expo 2024 Forwards (Part 1/2)

<p>There was plenty of talent on display at the Prep Hoops Texas Top 250 Expo in Dallas. This is my in-depth analysis of each of the players in attendance. Be on the lookout for the rest of my top player’s list and my coverage of all the athletes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1295882" first="Matthew" last="Mortenson"] 2024 6’4 Prestonwood Christian Academy</p> <p>Matthew is an aggressive rebounder who thrives at dominating in the paint. He fights for every rebound and willingly boxes out and comes away with a plethora of boards. He knows how to quickly get the ball up the floor with the right outlet passes. I was blown away by his ability to put the ball on the deck and explode out of the triple threat. He displayed an ability to use screens as a ball-handler and create nightmare matchups.  He is a good passer with a live dribble and routinely found open looks for his teammates. I would like to see him shoot more off the dribble and out of the triple threat. Incorporating more back-to-the-basket work in the mid-post could also help leap his game forward.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1295885" first="Austin" last="Jefferson"] 2024 6’4 Colleyville Heritage High School @JadenJenkins</p> <p>Austin is an impressive big who displayed all the tools to develop as a stretch forward. If he continues to grow, he has a real opportunity to play at the next level as a stretch four or five. He displayed an ability to put the ball on the floor and hit shots in the midrange. He also showed off some strong post moves in the high post. I would like to see him work on his overall athleticism and ability to move laterally.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1295910" first="Trey" last="Jackson"] 2024 6’5 South Oak Cliff Ptech</p> <p>Trey is an explosive athlete with all the tools to translate to the next level. He posses great end-to-end speed and athleticism. His leaping ability strikes fear into the hearts of defenders. He plays with high energy and has a real motor. He was not afraid to go after chase-down blocks and protected the rim like an experienced center. I am excited to see how he develops over the next few years. He has all the tools to translate to the next level if he continues to work hard and develop his overall game. As the game is getting quicker, I would like to see him work on his ability to put the ball on the floor and get to his shots in the midrange.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1126057" first="Colby" last="Springs"] 2024 6’5 Lewisville High School</p> <p>Colby truly displayed a DeMarcus Cousins/ Nikola Jokic type game. His team ran their entire offense through him, and he made the right reads and passes to set up teammates and punished defenders in the post with his strength. He is built like a linebacker, and you could tell kids were having second thoughts about rotating into the paint to get in front of him. He got into the paint with ease any time he wanted to. I was impressed with his ability to move and his overall aggressiveness on both ends of the floor. He stayed engaged and wanted to put his foot on the other teams throat every time he stepped on the floor. I would like to see him continue to work on his ability to hit shots off the dribble and work on incorporating and adding more post moves to his bag.</p>