2021-22 6A Region 3 Bi-District Preview (Part 2/3)

Check out my analysis on the top players in first round matchups of the 6A Region 3 playoffs! These games are sure to be exciting to watch, and let me know on Twitter who you think wins and why! Katy Tompkins High School vs Fort Bend Clements High School <a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prephoops.com/player/luke-coughran/">[player_tooltip player_id="1217922" first="Luke" last="Coughran"]</a> 2024 Katy Tompkins High School Luke is an impressive young wing who you can tell is not done growing, he possesses great arm length which allows him to finish at the rim with ease. His consistency in the paint was very impressive, even against strong defenders. He has great off ball awareness and is great at flashing to the high post or cutting to the basket to give his team a passing option and put pressure on the middle of the defense. He even displayed an ability to knock down shots around the arc when given time to catch and shoot. I would like to see him get more aggressive with the basketball, and hunt for his shot more. Nick Lancit 2022 Katy Tompkins High School Nick is a scrappy point guard who thrives in picking the pocket of high level guard, jump starting fast breaks and creating easy offense for his teammates. I was blown away with how many steals he was able to come up with on a consistent basis. He seems to have a real nose for the ball, and is great at timing the ball from when the ball handler releases it from his hand, Lancit is in there to swipe his pockets. Lancit has a really nice all around game, and his stat sheet is always incredibly balanced with points, assists, rebounds and steals. He is great at cutting without the basketball and flashing to the rim. He consistently runs the floor and is great at keeping his lane to ensure the best spacing for his teammates. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2npFYpvKtQ Divine Ugochukwu 2024 Fort Bend Clements High School Divine is an athletic combo guard who is fantastic at all three levels of the floor. He is a willing hunter of his midrange shot, and plays energetic and high level defense on the other end. He does all of the little things right on the court, such as spacing when running the fast break or hustling over to protect the backside of the defense after a skip pass. It was fun watching him run around and wreak havoc every time he was near the ball. Bryce Matthews 2024 Fort Bend Clements High School Bryce is a strong combo guard who thrives at attacking the basket. He has strong moves when getting into the teeth of the defense and can euro step his way out of trouble. He can get to his shot at all three levels, especially off of the bounce. The pairing of him and Ugochukwu is sure to be a fun pairing to watch as they continue to grow. Even if they do not have a strong playoff performance now, the two of them should be playing off eachother into another playoff appearance next year as well. Abudllah Olajuwon 2022 Fort Bend Clements High School Abdullah is a high energy forward who thrives at cleaning the glass and attacking the ball at its high point. His ability to rebound the ball and accurately fire out passes to his shooters on the perimeter gives his team a plethora second chance opportunities. His energy on the glass and ability to rebound the ball allows his team to dominate in transition when he has his head up and makes the right outlet pass. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CYFtnrL9yM Stratford High School vs Westbury High School <a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prephoops.com/player/keanu-dawes/">[player_tooltip player_id="1332595" first="Keanu" last="Dawes"]</a> 6’8 2023 Forward Stratford High School Keanu is a supremely athletic big man who is a paint beast. His ability to dominate coming downhill full speed really put pressure on the defense and made defenders hesitant to jump with him. I really loved watching him operate in the mid post and taking one to two power dribbles and getting to his spot at the rim. His ability to maneuever with the basketball was very impressive for his size, and he should be able to easily translate into a mobile wing or stretch four/ five at the next level. The big man has the ability to dunk everything and really seems to provide a spark with his energy and athleticism on both ends of the floor. I was really impressed with his touch in the midrange and the touch he is able to put on full court outlet passes to jump start a fast break. Dawes is beginning to see some major attention from some high level programs, including Tennessee, Texas A&M and TCU Universities. <a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prephoops.com/player/luke-hatcher/">[player_tooltip player_id="1328094" first="Luke" last="Hatcher"]</a> 2022 6’5 Stratford High School Luke is an athletic shooting guard/ wing who thrives at scoring the ball from all three levels. He is a consistent shooter from beyond the arc, and can space the floor when given time to set his feet. He displayed a reliable pull up jumper in the midrange as well. His ability to turn the corner and attack the bucket was very impressive. His ability to move laterally is perfectly paired with his 6’5 frame and allows him to wreak havoc on both ends of the floor. He thrives at turning steals into instant offense by efficiently finishing on the break and at the rim. It was fun watching him take on high level ball handlers and poke the ball from them. His ability to cause turnovers jumpstarted his team on the offensive end of the floor and allowed his team to run and gun and get easy looks at the rim. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNv8KJIkAkE Ridge Point High School vs Mayde Creek High School   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxgbH8vkUuY Llyod Angel Sonnier 2023 6’1 Mayde Creek High School Lloyd is the do it all point guard who keeps the engine running for Mayde Creek. He has the ability to create instant offense with his passing ability in the half court. He is great at going coast to coast in transition, and seems to have a nose for the ball, picking off passes in the passing lane. He is a high level defender on the ball, and is great at getting his hands into his opponents and poking the ball free. He always knows the right instance to run and gun or slow it up and wait for a better look on offense. He has a reliable jump shot when given time to square up and set his feet. He is great at acting as the trailer man after quickly passing the ball up the court. While his defender is on his heels getting back, he is great at spotting up beyond the arc for easy looks. Jamal Cretien II 2025 6’4 Mayde Creek High School Jamal is a surprisingly nimble and quick wing who thrives in transition. He is great at leaking out for easy looks at the rim, and his ability to run the fast break puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the defense with his length and agility with the ball. He has long arms which allow him to finish over the top of smaller guards with ease at the rim, but also knock down shots from beyond the arc. Cretien is for sure a prospect to keep your eye on as he continues to grow, and it should be a fun showing to see where he is at in his development during his first round matchup with Ridge Point! Dobie High School vs C.E King High School Jaden Shanklin 2023 Dobie High School Jaden is the definition of a three-and-D type player with his ability to not only knock down shots from the outside, but also clamp you up on the perimeter. His ability to move his feet and keep high level guards in front of him is very impressive. He is great at poking the ball free but also staying back and patient, but not allowing his opponent to always dictate where they go. He is great at using the sideline as a second defender and forcing his opponent into the teeth of his defense. His real bread and butter is moving without the basketball to wear out his defender and get himself some breathing room to knock down shots. Tyshawn Archie 2023 6’2 C.E King High School Tyshawn is an athletic combo guard who thrives at finishing in the paint. He has all the athletic tools in his big and can rise up to finish anything at the rim. However getting downhill in transition and in the half court, and attacking the paint is not all he can do, he is a dangerous threat with his shot off the dribble. He is an accurate shot maker from all three levels of the floor and even has unlocked a bit of that coveted fourth level with his deep three point range. Westbrook High School vs Channelview High School [player_tooltip player_id="1216535" first="Ashton" last="Simmons"] 2024 6’3 Westbrook High School Ashton is an aggressive combo guard who thrives at attacking the defense head on at all three levels. He is fearless when going downhill and attacking the rim and is willing to finish over and through anyone. He can knock down shots from all over the arc, and has knocked down plenty of NBA level three pointers to really stretch the floor. His shot making ability is very impressive and is one of the main reasons Westbrook High School is having success. He is a good help defender who know how to slide over and still cut off passing angles out. Simmons has all the tools to be a dominant player over his next two years and I am really excited to see what he does on this stage against Channelview next week. Javon Sorrell 2023 Westbrook High School Javon is the definition of a true point guard, he seems to play even better after he creates countless opportunities for his teammates. He plays really well alongside his two senior big men, and has a real connection with the two of them. If they ever slip to the basket, Sorrell finds them. If their defender steps up to challenge a ball handler on the perimeter you can count on a lob pass being thrown up top to them. It is always a breath of fresh air when you see a point guard play like this today, and it makes him fun to play with and the team that much more effective on offense. Keith Marshall 2022 6’6 Channelview High School Keith is a patient and efficient big man who has a soft touch around the rim. He never gets rushed into bad looks in the paint, rather calmly shot fakes them to death with fake baby hooks and up and unders. He is a consistent finisher in the paint who does not need to throw it down every time. He is great with his back to the basket and seems to run the floor with pace and energy. He is great at flashing to open space, and sealing off his defender during the process. He is great at maintaining and fighting for his positioning on the glass and while on offense.