PrepHoops 6A UIL State Championship Third Team

<p><strong><span class="name-pointer">Check out my scouting reports on the players voted to the PrepHoops 6A State Championship Third Team. Duncanville beat McKinney in the 6A Championship game with a final score of 69-49. Duncanville knocked off Atascocita in the Semi-Finals with a score of 50-36, and McKinney knocked off Austin Westlake with a score of 68-66 in double overtime. </span></strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1332638" first="Ashton" last="Hardaway"]</strong> 2023 6’8 Duncanville High School</p> <p>Ashton is a knock down shooter from every spot on the floor and is a capable scorer out of the triple threat. He has great length and an elite ability to move his feet and get downhill. He has all of the athletic tools to become a dynamic scorer at the wing/ forward position at the next level. His ability to space the floor and knock down shots created room for his teammates, and allows him to play with three other 6’7 forwards at Duncanville. He is elite at putting the ball on the floor and creating space around the arc, he displayed a one dribble side step to get out of the reach of a defender and rising up. He has a lightning quick release and is consistent off the catch. He is great at using his opponent’s momentum against them as they race to close out on him on the perimeter. He can manipulate his opponents out of the triple threat and attack them as soon as they put a foot down and sit on their heels. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1205422" first="Conor" last="McManus"]</strong> 2022 6’4 Austin Westlake High School</p> <p>Conor is a high level scorer who has the ability to hit timely shots to help keep his team within a game. He is great at moving off the ball and relocating to find a better spot on the weak side of the defense. His ability to knock down shots off the catch makes him a valuable weapon and someone the defense has to focus on. He is not just a shooter off the catch however, he hit timely shots off the dribble and even one difficult side step three pointer over a defender. Westlake always seems to be moving the ball around until McManus is able to spot up and be ready to knock down shots. He is an aggressive defender who loves taking risks on stealing passes in the passing lanes. I would like to see him tone back the aggressiveness on the defensive side of the ball. He is a high energy player, who is willing to put his body on the floor and dive after loose balls. </p> <p><strong>Jackson Steele</strong> 2022 6’3 McKinney High School</p> <p>Jackson is the perfect 6th man off the bench for McKinney, as he provides a scoring spark that his team needed when one of their lead guards got into foul trouble in the semi final matchup. He displayed a confident shot off the dribble from the three point line and the midrange. I was very impressed with his consistency and ability to knock down shots off the catch. He is not only a shooter however, he put the ball on the floor and got to the rim and fearlessly attacked bigs in the paint. He has a tight handle and can create space with it at all three levels of the floor. On defense, he is great at moving his feet and keeping his defender in front of him and using his active hands to harass the ball handler. I would like to see him work on his comfortability with going to his left and rising up on the left side of the court. </p> <p><strong>Connor Miller</strong> 2022 6’3 Atascocita High School<br /> Connor is a sniper at the shooting guard position, who thrives off his ability to affect the game by getting open off the ball. His constant movement and his ability to always be ready to catch and shoot propelled his team to a shot at the championship. He is not only a shooter from beyond the arc however, he got to his shot in the midrange and attacked the basket hard. He is a dynamic scorer who loves getting to his shot off the bounce and creating looks for his team. I was most impressed with his ability to get his teammates involved as the defense began to focus on shutting down his shooting. </p> <p><strong>Kaleb Pouncy</strong> 2022 6’6 Atascocita High School</p> <p>Kaleb is a lanky forward who is great at finishing at the rack, especially in transition. He dominates the game in the full court and really  puts pressure on the defense with his ability to rebound the ball and score at the rim. He has great mobility and good ball control for his size, and looks like he has real potential to become a three level scoring big man or stretch wing. I would like to see continued development with his shot off the dribble. Pouncy is a special player who has all the tools to develop into a high level big man at the next level. </p>