Top Players to Watch Before End of Season (Houston: Part 2/3)

<p>Here is my list at some of the top prospects you cannot miss seeing for yourself before we start playoff matchups here in Texas! It will be interesting to see who steps their game up in the playoffs....</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="854930" first="Shawn" last="Jones Jr"] 2022 6’5 Shadow Creek High School<br /> Shawn continues to have a stellar senior campaign, he is scoring at all three levels efficiently and effectively. I am blown away with how much his shooting mechanics and consistency have improved since his sophomore season. He is a real weapon to score off the bounce from the midrange or beyond the arc. His handle is much tighter, and is comfortable looking for his shot at all three levels of the floor now.</p> <p> I have not even mentioned his freak athleticism that allows him to fly to the rim and finish over anyone, or suck the air out of the gym with a nasty jam. He has the athletic tools coaches dream about, and has the ability to make all of the jaw dropping plays on both sides of the floor. He is fearless when attacking the basket and dares you to leap with him at the rim, on offense or on defense!  Expect Jones to transition with ease over to the next level, as he is committed to attending Texas State next year.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pIbzit9Lm8&amp;t=1s</p> <p><a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prephoops.com/player/zion-pipkin/"><span class="name-pointer">[player_tooltip player_id="1220767" first="Zion" last="Pipkin"]</span><span class="info-box"><span class="player-img"><img class=" ls-is-cached lazyloaded" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/F5A6654F-41CB-48E9-8220-0965189AEF74-150x150.jpeg" data-src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/F5A6654F-41CB-48E9-8220-0965189AEF74-150x150.jpeg" /></span></span></a> 2024 Westfield High School</p> <p>Zion is the definition of a dog, his motor and ability to affect the game on both ends of the floor allowed Westfield to plow through some high level competition on their way to winning the tournament. He attacks the basket hard and gets easy looks in transition at the rim due to his energy. He is great at fighting through contact on his way to the rim. I was blown away by his on court leadership, ability to direct traffic on the defensive and offensive end and how much of a winner he is. He did not need the ball in his hands to affect the game, his off ball movement created space for his teammates as he drew attention away from the defense. His game reminds me a lot of a young Collin Sexton, with his unending pace, willingness to defend high level ball handlers and live in the paint as a smaller guard. </p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE3f_mdwRw4</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1217934" first="Anthony" last="Bates Jr"] 2024 6’2 Katy Seven Lakes</p> <p>Anthony is a very fluid athlete who has great body control. He is a high-level finisher in the paint due to his ability to get around defenders with quick moves such as euro steps and double clutches. He has a great handle and ability to put the ball on the floor and get to his spots. He displayed a plethora of high level moves such as floaters and creative step backs. He is a very skilled shooter off the bounce. Bates is also a very aware player who knows how to attack the weak spots in the defense. I was blown away by his maturity with the basketball and willingness to take what the defense gives him. He comfortably shot from all three levels of the floor and lived in the midrange. He is developing at a very rapid rate over the last year and a half, and I am excited to see how much he continues to grow. </p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJxIAnYOdhU</p> <p><br /> Kai’ree Murray 2023 6’2 Fort Bend Bush High School<br /> Kai’ree is a high level guard who has a real nose for the ball on both ends of the floor. He might be one of the best rebounding guards I have seen in a few years. He is relentless at attacking the glass and put back one of the most impressive put back’s I have seen over two defenders! He played hard for every second that he was in and was fearless to get on the floor and on the glass. I was very impressed with his ability to pass the ball, he consistently made great reads on the fast break to get his teammates open looks. He showed an ability to knock down shots in the corners as well.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y8kBnfFG5k</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="958610" first="Xavier" last="Owens"] 2022 6’5 Grace Christian Academy</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. 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.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRvHl_nS3ak</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>