Week 2 Scouting Report: Standout Forwards

<p>I had the opportunity to see two Week 2 matchups. The McKinney Lions earned a dominant 96-63 victory over the Frisco Raccoons on Tuesday, and the Frisco Liberty Redhawks upset the Naaman Forest Rangers 61-58 in a closely contested game on Friday. Let’s take a look at some of the best forward prospects from this past week’s action.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958893" first="Alex" last="Anamekwe"] | 2022 | 6’6’’ Small Forward/Power Forward | McKinney HS</strong> - Anamekwe’s explosive athleticism was on full display Tuesday night. He put on a show in transition, finishing with a ton of power and flash on numerous occasions with some highlight-reel dunks. The McKinney senior looked like he wanted to punish the rim. The plethora of transition opportunities afforded to the Lions allowed Anamekwe to show off his high-flying capabilities, and he did just that, even throwing the ball off the backboard to himself for an <a href="https://twitter.com/boogclay/status/1460821340143898638">emphatic two-handed slam</a>. This guy is a lot of fun to watch. He ended the game with 10 points, three rebounds, and two steals. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1205197" first="Thatcher" last="McClure"] | 2022 | 6’7’’ Power Forward | McKinney HS</strong> - McClure had a solid 6-point, 4-rebound outing in McKinney’s rout of Frisco. He possesses a long and wiry frame, and looked pretty mobile for someone his size. The senior forward finished above the rim in the paint when given the opportunity to do so, elevating well under the basket. He also showed that he can finish through contact on the block. Furthermore, McClure was a sneaky effective passer out of the post, keeping his wits about him and getting the ball out of his hands when the defense rushed him rather than forcing up a bad shot in traffic.  </p> <p><strong>Jackson Steele | 2022 | 6’2’’ Small Forward | McKinney HS</strong> - Steele came off the bench for McKinney on Tuesday and provided them with valuable minutes. He was productive at both ends, accounting for eight points, six rebounds, two assists, and four steals. The two-way wing was excellent at playing the passing lanes and turning steals into instant offense. His defensive instincts were on point vs. Frisco. Beyond that, he held his own when defending larger opponents down low. On offense, the majority of his scoring production came in transition, finishing well at the basket as well as trailing for tip ins. It was a good overall showing from him. </p> <p><strong> [player_tooltip player_id="958560" first="Justin" last="Whitmore"] | 2022 | 6’7’’ Power Forward | Naaman Forest HS</strong> - Whitmore showed off his versatility vs. Liberty on Friday. He exhibited soft touch when operating in the paint while still maintaining his physicality and strength down low. The Naaman Forest senior also showed that he can stretch out to the three-point line and hit triples from the catch. Defensively, Whitmore was outstanding as a shot-blocker and rim protector, impacting shots near the basket, even extending to turn back a mid-range attempt on one occasion. His rebounding was fantastic as well. Whitmore finished the evening with 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="787353" first="Drealyn" last="Mosley"] | 2023 | 6’6’’ Small Forward | Naaman Forest HS</strong> - Mosley recorded 12 points in Naaman Forest’s loss to Liberty. He looked fluid when handling the ball in the open court and on the perimeter, exploding up court and weaving through traffic after a rebound for a coast-to-coast layup on one occasion. The junior forward looked strong when playing down low too, finishing well on the block when surrounded by bodies. Additionally, he delivered some great passes throughout the contest, finding teammates with accurate cross court passes.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1225324" first="Gabriel" last="Jones"] | 2025 | 6’9’’ Power Forward | Frisco HS</strong> - Jones flashed at times during Frisco’s loss to McKinney on Tuesday. He possesses good size and length. The freshman forward displayed terrific footwork when spinning his way to the basket, and showed good strength too when muscling his way inside to score in a heavily congested paint area. Moreover, his touch and concentration down low were also solid, showing that he is capable of sinking interior attempts while fading away from the hoop. Although he is still a bit raw, Jones is a first-year player with a ton of upside. </p>