Texas Top 250 Expo Best Overall Players (Part 4/4).

<p>There was plenty of talent in attendance at the Prep Hoops Texas Top 250 Expo in Dallas. This is my take on the top twenty players that should be on every college coach’s radar going into this season. Be on the lookout for the rest of my top player’s list and my coverage of all the athletes.</p> <p>Aidan Patree 2022 Wing 6’2 McKinney North High School</p> <p>Aidan is an aggressive wing who thrives at doing all of the little things right. Whether it was cutting hard to the rim in the half-court, sliding over to protect the rim and leaping with forwards, or showing off his elite athleticism while doing all of the dirty work. Patree was one of my favorite players to watch, he displayed high basketball IQ on both ends of the floor, reading opponents’ passes and creating opportunities for his own teammates. He is a great back-side defender who has no fear at jumping for every block. He also has great hands who have a knack for tying up the ball and swatting away shots at the rim. I would like to see continued development with his shot off the bounce, but he has all the tools to be successful at the next level already.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1295844" first="Lawrence" last="Wilkerson"] 2023 6’0 Cedar Ridge High School</p> <p>Lawrence is an elite point guard who seems to have eyes off every side of his head. He always seems to be one step ahead of the play and can pass his teammates open. I was blown away by his maturity and ability to command an offense even with other high-level playmakers on his team. The ball seemed to hum when it was in his hands, and his teammates even seemed to shoot better with his accurate passes landing right in his shooter’s pocket. He is an elite playmaker out of the pick and roll and can pick apart defenses with ease. I would like to see him work on his ability to turn the corner and get downhill quicker. If he can develop his athleticism, paired with his basketball IQ and on-court awareness, college coaches have a real prospect on their hands.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1295865" first="Marsalis" last="Brandon"] 2022 6’0 Rockville High School</p> <p>Marsalis is an elite combo guard who knows how to move without the basketball. He always seems to be open by finding weak spots in the defense whether it was cutting behind the defender’s backs or running his man into a back screen and freeing himself for an open look. He is great at getting to his one to two dribble pull-up. He even possesses a soft floater in the lane he can get to and get over bigger players. He is great at drawing attention with and without the ball and creates a plethora of looks for his teammates this way. I would like to see him work on his ability to speed up the release of his jumper and finishing underneath the rim.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1155926" first="Gur" last="Dhillon"] 2024 6’6 Leadership Prep School</p> <p>Gur is a special big who knows how to use his size to dominate in the midrange and the paint. I was very impressed with his ability to put the ball on the floor and get out of the triple threat. He was explosive for his lanky and skinny body. He dominated all the games with his bunny hooks, up and under. He is a strong finisher in the paint and utilizes his length to outreach opponents. He is a great rebounder on both ends of the floor, he routinely boxes out and fights hard for all boards. I would like to see him work on his ability to pass out of double teams and cross-court passes to his shooters as the defense adjusts to the attention he is drawing.  </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1295847" first="Nicholas" last="Guereca"] 2024 6’3 Lamar High School</p> <p>Nicholas is a combo guard with great length and motor. He is a tenacious on-ball defender who has a knack for poking the ball free and making his opponents uncomfortable. His long arms wreak havoc on both ends of the floor. He looks like he is not done growing, and flies around the court after loose balls and rebounds. He showed an ability to space the floor and knock down open looks and is great with a live dribble. I would like to see him slow down without the ball, and work on cutting and finding weak spots in the defense with his movement. Guereca looks like a very strong prospect who should garner attention over the next few years.</p>