EXOS Top 50 Showcase: Best in Attendance

<p>I traveled to the EXOS Showcase that happened in Frisco and got detailed notes on all of the men in attendance. These are the top five players in attendance as voted upon by the college coaches, college players, and former WNBA players in attendance. Be on the lookout for the rest of my coverage from this event!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="958610" first="Xavier" last="Owens"] 2022 Combo Guard 6’5 Grace Christian Academy (Texas)</p> <p>Xavier is a special combo guard with all the tools to become extremely deadly at the next level. He has an impressive frame paired with long arms and fluid mobility. He is agile with a live dribble and can split defenders and make crazy passes out to his shooters when the defense collapses. He is an elite scorer from all three levels already and made defenders look silly by getting to his shot off the dribble. He is also a deadly shooter off the catch and can space the floor if paired with a ball-dominant point guard. He is a freak athlete as well, he has an impressive vertical and threw down some impressive dunks while at the showcase. His ability to finish against high-level paint defenders really stood out, he was able to adjust his shot angle and routinely complete tough plays around the rim. Owens was a standout combo guard at the EXOS Showcase and got the award for the most valuable player in attendance, voted on by college coaches, college basketball players, and retired WNBA players.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRvHl_nS3ak</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1295872" first="RICHARD" last="LEMBOYE"] 2023 Point Guard 6’3 Summit High School (Mansfield, Texas)</p> <p>Richard is an impressive point guard with a real ability to create space for himself and shots for his teammates. He is a real wizard with the basketball and seemed to routinely beat defenders off the dribble and get to his spots. He attacks the rim with aggression and has a great explosion when he is jumping towards the rim. He is a patient finisher in the paint and manipulates the defense well with the basketball. I would like to see him work on his ability to finish with his off-hand at the rim. Lemboye was a standout guard at the EXOS Showcase and got the award for best combo guard in attendance, voted on by college coaches, college basketball players, and retired WNBA players.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="957938" first="Dylon" last="Richardson"] 2023 Shooting Guard 6’2 Hutto High School (Texas)</p> <p>Dylon is an elite offensive weapon with the ability to affect the game at all three levels. He is a sniper when he gets an opportunity to set his feet. I was really impressed by his off-ball movement and how he always seemed to be ready to catch and shoot quickly. He knocked down shots from all around the arc and forced the defense to contest him hard. He showed an ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. He finished with ease at the rim and showed off some impressive up and under through traffic. Richardson was a standout guard at the EXOS Showcase and got the award for the best shooting guard in attendance, voted on by college coaches, college basketball players, and retired WNBA players.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1205205" first="Noel" last="Kabanga"] 2022 Combo Guard 6’3 Euless Trinity High School (Texas)</p> <p>Noel is an impressive athlete; he is built like a linebacker he is still agile enough to get around defenders and avoid opponents at the rim and in the paint. He is great at using his strength to finish in the paint over undersized guards and wings. I was blown away by how tight his handle was, and his end-to-end speed with a live dribble. He showed an ability to knock down shots from around the arc and space the floor. Kabanga was a standout guard at the EXOS Showcase and got the award for best combo guard in attendance, voted on by college coaches, college basketball players, and retired WNBA players.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_kc9d5Rj10</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1164870" first="Brady" last="Brister"] 2022 Wing 6’5 Kingston High School (Oklahoma)</p> <p>Brady is an agile wing/ combo guard who is a real athlete. He can move, put the ball on the floor and attack the rim with his explosive athleticism. I was very impressed with his all-around game and his ability to score from all three levels. His jump shot is very quick and seemed comfortable getting his shot off over anyone. I was impressed with his ability to get to his jumper off the bounce, especially in the midrange. Brister has all the tools to become an elite offensive weapon at the next level. Brady was a standout wing at the EXOS Showcase and got the award for best small forward in attendance, voted on by college coaches, college basketball players, and retired WNBA players.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>MJ Thomas 2023 Power Forward 6’7 Calvert High School (Texas)</p> <p>MJ is a fluid athlete standing at 6’7 with room to grow.  Thomas is great at using his steps to create distance from his opponent when attacking the rim going downhill. He knows how to use his length to outstep his defender and turn the corner. He is great with a power step on the block but could use more post moves in his arsenal. He is a very good passer when he gets focused by the defense. I was impressed with his ability to make the right reads and skip passes out to his shooters. He is a good shooter with a high release; however, I would like to see him speed up his release and stay ready when he picks and pops. The one thing I am worried about is his motor, he seemed to have dead legs when I saw him in person. Thomas was a standout forward at the EXOS Showcase and got the award for best power forward in attendance, voted on by college coaches, college basketball players, and retired WNBA players.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN9jprQoMfI</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1164864" first="Zach" last="Hidalgo"] 2022 Power Forward 6’8 Hooker High School (Oklahoma)</p> <p>Zach is a dominant power forward with a true all-around game. He is a beast on the block on both ends of the floor. He put on a big man clinic against some real high-level athletes and players. Whether he was beating defenders on the block, beating them off the dribble in the mid-post, or shooting over them, he made his defenders’ lives incredibly difficult. He is great at using his strength and clears room for himself on a routine basis. He is great at leaping multiple times underneath the rim which allows him to fight harder on the glass and get that much higher when going to dunk. I would like to see him work on his shot from around the arc, he is very good in the midrange already and this should not be difficult to develop. Zach was a standout forward at the EXOS Showcase and got the award for best center in attendance, voted on by college coaches, college basketball players, and retired WNBA players.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vju9i7MDp-o</p> <p>Check out my highlight reel from the showcase!</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi0EDJSBox0</p>