December's Most Outstanding Prospects (Forward Edition)

[player_tooltip player_id="1332638" first="Ashton" last="Hardaway"] | Power Forward | Duncanville HS | C/o ’23 The Duncanville High School sharpshooter, [player_tooltip player_id="1332638" first="Ashton" last="Hardaway"] stood out in a major way at the Whataburger Basketball Tournament as a pure lights-out three-point specialist. Ashton is known to be a high-volume long-range sniper who’s always ready to burn a team with his unbelievably deadly stroke. A fearless jump shooter that wasn’t afraid to let it fly from another area code, Hardaway proved to be comfortable hitting jumpers off the catch, coming off of a screen, spotting up, and pulling up off the dribble no matter where he was located on the floor. Hardaway’s 6-foot-7-inch height and length combined with his high release point gave Ashton a huge advantage on the perimeter and it was also part of what made him so lethal, not a single defender could contest his jumper effectively, Ashton always had a clear view of the basket the moment he left his feet. Hardaway’s footwork, shot fakes, shooting mechanics, and unlimited range are all perfect and polished to a tee. He’s was an excellent floor spreader, one of the best in the state, with an immense amount of potential as a stretch big in today’s game. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="1039603" first="Zayden" last="High"] | Forward | Smithson Valley HS | C/o ’23 [player_tooltip player_id="1039603" first="Zayden" last="High"] was one of, if not the, best basketball player in the state throughout the month of December. The Smithson Valley forward averaged 20.6 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 steals per game, 7 double-doubles, two 30 point-performances, a season-high of 34 points, and another of 24 rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="1039603" first="Zayden" last="High"]’s dominance was on full display to cap off the 2021 year. Currently, he’s leading the Smithson Valley Rangers in points, rebounds, and blocks. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="892139" first="Malik" last="Presley"] | Small Forward | San Marcos HS | C/o ’23 To wrap up the 2021 year, [player_tooltip player_id="892139" first="Malik" last="Presley"] eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in his career in remarkable fashion as he caught the rock at the top of the key, faked left before crossing over to the right, penetrating the lane on 3 different defenders then finishing the play with an and-one layup. [player_tooltip player_id="892139" first="Malik" last="Presley"] is one of Texas’ finest and San Marcos’ absolute best. This man puts on a show every single time he steps on the floor and last month was no different, in fact, [player_tooltip player_id="892139" first="Malik" last="Presley"] was at the top of his game while leading the San Marcos Rattles to 13 straight victories, nearly going undefeated throughout December. The 6-foot-6 forward has been showing off the entire package with a minimal amount of limitations to his game. Malik is scoring the ball from all three levels of the floor, he’s creating for himself and others off the dribble, he’s a lob threat, a transition demon, and a defensive nightmare. <hr /> Malik Matthews | Forward | TACA Storm | C/o ’24 Malik Matthews is one of those players that’s always in the right spot at the best times, and this knack paid dividends last month at the Holiday Hoop Extravaganza. Matthews went off and help lead his team to a championship win which all started with a 20 point, 7 rebound, 2 steal performance from the sophomore forward. Matthews spread the floor extremely well, showcasing great versatility and instincts from the inside out. This hybrid postman consistently got out into the open floor and ran the court like a gazelle, oftentimes beating everyone up the floor in transition with his hands ready to catch the ball and make a play. Malik stands tall at 6-foot-4-inches, but he plays more like he’s 6-foot-7 due to his knack for utilizing his long strides and immense standing reach which allow him to score over and around the defense seemingly easy. Impressive ability to finish the play around the rim with both right and left hands despite being off-balance, in traffic, or contacted on the way up. Malik Matthews can get you a bucket in the paint all day, but he really becomes a threat whenever he steps out of the paint looking for spot-up jumpers and teammates to kick it out too. This kid has worked incredibly hard to improve his game and it shows every time he walks onto the floor. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="1155926" first="Gur" last="Dhillon"] | Power Forward | Frisco Leadership Prep Academy | C/o ’24 [player_tooltip player_id="1155926" first="Gur" last="Dhillon"] is a postman with a high ceiling that has been displaying a solid level of skills, patience, and scoring with his back to the basket. A masterful and instinctual bucket getter down low who loves to get physical and get a feel for his man before making his move. At times, Dhillon has been a terror when allowed to post up and drop step under the hoop, he has a smooth spin-off, jump hook over his left shoulder that most defenders didn’t see coming despite how consistently he did it. Very agile, nimble, with good footwork and superb body and ball fakes along with a good understanding of how to bait the defense into a foul. Although Dhillon produces the bulk of his damage in the post, he still found time to stretch the court and pop out for catch-and-shoot opportunities in the mid-range, often the short corners. The flow and speed of play appear to be slowing down for [player_tooltip player_id="1155926" first="Gur" last="Dhillon"] to the point where he can let the game come to him and operate accordingly. <hr /> https://poll.fm/11018510