Week 5 Scouting Report: Standout Juniors

<p>I was treated to a pair of competitive matchups in Week 5. The Plano Senior Wildcats went on the road and earned a 51-46 win over the Little Elm Lobos on Tuesday, and the Prosper Eagles hosted and defeated the Denton Ryan Raiders 42-39 on Friday in a low-scoring slugfest. Let’s take a look at some of the best 2023 prospects from this past week’s action.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="787334" first="Addison" last="Harmon"] | 2023 | 6’2’’ Point Guard | Prosper HS</strong> - Harmon ended his game vs. Denton Ryan with 16 points, three assists, and three steals. He came up big for Prosper in the fourth quarter, knocking down a pair of threes, one of which was from NBA range. The junior guard came up with timely stops on defense too late in the contest and went four-for-four at the foul line in the closing seconds to help seal the victory. Prior to his stellar fourth quarter, Harmon displayed good body control when attacking the basket, doing a nice job of weaving his way through traffic.</p> <p><strong>Nikk Williams | 2023 | 6’6’’ Small Forward/Power Forward | Plano Senior HS</strong> - Williams possesses a fascinating style of play. He has the size and frame to play down low at both ends, but he often operated out on the perimeter as a facilitator. The 2023 forward is a gifted passer who utilizes his size to see over the defense and accurately distribute the ball to his teammates. He also showed good touch near the rim. That said, Williams is not just a finesse player. He can muscle his way through contact to score off the dribble. His productivity as a rebounder and shot blocker played a huge role in Plano’s Tuesday night win as well, accounting for 12 rebounds and a pair of blocks. </p> <p><strong>Zander James | 2023 | 6’0’’ Point Guard | Prosper HS</strong> - James was so impressive on Friday. His decision making was terrific. The junior guard showcased his playmaking skills, threading the needle on several occasions when delivering dimes to his teammates. He was efficient as a three-point shooter too, hitting two catch-and-shoot triples against Denton Ryan. James also displayed that he could finish in the paint vs. size, showing toughness and decisiveness when going at bigger defenders. He really helped to pick up the slack for a Prosper team that was playing without star forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1125966" first="Jaxson" last="Ford"]</strong>. </p> <p><strong>Kenneth Gaines | 2023 | 6’0’’ Point Guard | Little Elm HS</strong> - Gaines was at his best when playing downhill in transition on Tuesday. He was responsible for some brilliant feeds, highlighted by a bounce pass assist that beautifully led the cutter to the basket. The Little Elm guard liked to push the tempo vs. Plano, but rarely looked out of control when doing so. He reaches his top speed in the blink of an eye but doesn’t sacrifice his ball handling or court vision in the process. Beyond that, Gaines had some solid takes to the basket that resulted in scores and was immediately ready to turn defense into offense whenever the opponent turned the ball over.</p> <p><strong>Kaden Stuckey | 2023 | 6’7’’ Power Forward/Center | Plano Senior HS</strong> - Stuckey possesses a good frame and solid size as a big man. His touch in the mid to high post really caught my attention. He can flip up runners and hook shots in the paint and even exhibited that he is capable of burying turnaround jumpers. The 6-foot-7 forward prospect battled on the glass at both ends of the floor as well. This is a big with upside, and colleges are always in the market for one of those. </p> <p><strong>James Cloud | 2023 | 6’3’’ Shooting Guard/Small Forward | Prosper HS</strong> - Cloud would be my pick for defensive player of the week. He was tasked with guarding Denton Ryan’s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="889588" first="Marcette" last="Lawson"]</strong>, a talented and physical big man. Cloud held his own, displaying a lot of toughness while scraping and clawing for every inch of post position throughout the game. His ball denial was exceptional. Moreover, his willingness to play out of position for the entire night speaks to the type of teammate he is. The defensive impact he had on this matchup was the difference in Prosper’s one-possession win. </p>