Dallas Mavericks Fall Classic: Standout Seniors (Part 1)

<p>I got to see some really talented players go head-to-head this past weekend at the Dallas Mavericks Fall Classic in Frisco, Texas. Over 40 high school teams from all around the state competed in this early season tournament, and although I wasn’t able to see every team play, I was really impressed with every school I did have the opportunity to watch. With that in mind, here are eight 2022 prospects that caught my eye during the Thanksgiving break:</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1297677" first="Brandon" last="Walker"] | 2022 | 6’6’’ Small Forward/Power Forward | Faith Family Academy</strong> - Walker is a forward with solid size and a lot of skill. He was virtually unstoppable on Tuesday in the championship game, able to do whatever he wanted offensively. His versatility was on full display. The Faith Family senior scored from all three levels, was efficient shooting the ball from a variety of spots both while spotting up and off the dribble, and finished well in the paint even when bodies were hanging all over him. Moreover, he made some excellent passes, showed that he is comfortable handling the ball on the perimeter and in the open court, and contributed on the offensive glass. Walker was ultimately named the tournament MVP of the blue division for his monster performance. </p> <p><strong>Dre Cole | 2022 | 6’7’’ Small Forward/Power Forward | W.T. White HS</strong> - Cole had a tremendous outing in his second game of the event, finishing the contest with 17 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. The senior combo forward played with fantastic energy on Monday. He has a good motor, and is a big-bodied kid who is a load to handle once he gets downhill. He showed good touch and patience down low and was great about utilizing ball fakes to create some extra space for himself. Cole also exhibited that he can stretch out to the mid-range and comfortably knock down jumpers. Beyond that, his constant movement without the basketball was superb and his defensive hustle and versatility were good as well. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1155432" first="Blake" last="Bahr"] | 2022 | 6’2’’ Point Guard | Keller HS</strong> - Bahr put together a terrific all-around performance in both of the matchups I saw him play in. His decision making throughout the tournament was outstanding, understanding when to get the ball to a teammate and when to call his own number. He was efficient with the three ball, showed off some nice runners when driving, as well as some crafty finishing at the rim. As a playmaker, he was so good at setting up others in a variety of scenarios. The senior floor general displayed great anticipation and accuracy when facilitating. Furthermore, he contributed on the boards in his third-place game on Tuesday, adding 7 rebounds to his 16-point, 8-assist outing. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="781880" first="Lee" last="Dort"] | 2022 | 6’10’’ Center | Greenhill School</strong> - It’s no secret that Dort has the physical tools at 6-feet-10-inches to dominate at the high school level. While he does not always get the opportunity to show what he can do against other prospects similar to him in size, he does feast against smaller opponents, which is all you can ask of him in such a situation. In his teams’ third-place matchup against Keller, Dort looked strong as a glass-cleaner underneath at both ends, at times outrebounding four opposing players by himself. He also showed that he can finish plays in the paint with powerful dunks, finishing above the rim with ease while in the deep post while displaying strong hands at the catch.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958612" first="Tate" last="Laczkowski"] | 2022 | 6’8’’ Small Forward | Dallas St. Marks</strong> - I was genuinely surprised with how well Laczkowski moved up and down the floor. He is incredibly fluid for a 6-foot-8-inch prospect. The St. Marks wing possesses a long and wiry build and knew how to utilize every inch of his length to score as a slasher with some pretty finger-roll finishes. It is also worth mentioning that Laczkowski went up against a Faith Family squad that was loaded with size and he never once looked bothered by it. Additionally, the senior forward is a sneaky good passer, slinging passes all over the place while being aided by his height to see over the defense. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1150772" first="Isaiah" last="Jones"] | 2022 | 6’4’’ Shooting Guard | Faith Family Academy</strong> - Jones had a sensational game on Monday night, scoring 29 points in a dominant win over St. Marks. He was virtually automatic from behind the arc, knocking down a plethora of threes in the contest. It was a truly brilliant shooting performance. He was great about moving without the ball and extremely effective when spotting up from deep. In addition to his shooting, Jones showed that he can contribute even when he isn’t getting a ton of good looks from three. He was great as a slasher in Faith Family’s championship game, helping to lead them to a first-place finish with some strong finishing at the rim. </p> <p><strong>Anthony Williams | 2022 | 6’0’’ Combo Guard | Prosper Rock Hill HS</strong> - Williams put up 22 points in Rock Hill’s Monday night matchup vs. Frisco Independence. He was responsible for some acrobatic finishes at the rim, displaying good body control when attacking the basket both in transition and in the half court. The senior guard showed off some fancy dribbling too to get himself into the teeth of the defense for layup attempts. Williams proved he is a capable shooter from distance as well by burying a deep spot-up three. His quickness and aggression were my favorite parts of his game. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1052081" first="Devyn" last="Franklin"] | 2022 | 6’9’’ Small Forward | Waxahachie HS</strong> - Franklin’s size out on the wing was overwhelming for opposing players at both ends of the court. After a quiet first quarter on Monday, he went coast-to-coast and took his frustration out on the rim with a powerful one-handed slam. He also showcased the ability to hit mid-range pull ups, which should really open him up to get all the way to basket in the future. Furthermore, his length showed up on defense where he was very disruptive. The senior forward was good about moving his feet and staying in front of ball handlers on the perimeter. This is a physical freak with a ton of upside. </p>