Gamechangers from the Easter Classic

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Taha Alehyane - DFW Magic - Lamar High - 2023

At 5’11, Alehyane demonstrated some elite level shotmaking off the bounce and off the catch. While contributing mainly as a scorer from jump-shots, the guard also demonstrated some point guard skills by controlling the tempo and rarely getting sped up against high level defense. As previously mentioned, Alehyane’s calling card was his jumper, where he rarely felt pressured by the opponents. On multiple occasions the combo guard hit contested threes both off the dribble and catch, all while the defense had a hand in his face. Going forward, I would like to Alehyane leverage his shooting gravity for more at-rim attempts either through layups, floaters, or drive and kick situations.

Kenneth Gaines - Mighty Kings 17u - Little Elm High - 2023

Gaines was a big surprise at this weekend due to his combination of high level feel and ability to draw the defense out of position. The young six-foot guard dropped 34 points with at least four or five assists versus the Mississippi Wildcats, where the game came easy to him as the primary ballhandler. While Gaines' 34 point performance is impressive, given how much he was doing outside of scoring, I would never have expected such a high point total.  Passing in tight spaces has to be his greatest x-factor, where he was easily slinging one handed passes in between multiple defenders more often than not.

Coco Escheik - Top Achievers - Prestonwood Christian Academy - 2023

Another floor general who led his team to multiple victories, Escheik brings a dependable playmaking skillset that should land him a college offer. Control of the pace was what changed everything for Escheik, where he seemingly always made the right decision on the fast break or within the half court. He made the most of playing with multiple tall guys in Nikk Williams and Jackson Seale, where used the offensive flow to set up his guys without repercussions. Escheik is not just a playmaker, he was dependable spotting up from the wings along with finishing in the paint around length. 

Jayden Dugas Jayden Dugas 6'2" | CG Northside | 2023 State LA - Cenla Storm 23’ - Northside High - 2023

Dugas was an absolute pest in the full-court, picking up the full 94 feet every defensive possession. Standing at 6’1, Dugas has the size to guard both 1s and 2s thanks to his wiry strong frame and long arms. He truly took pride in getting stops on opponents, where he had to have caused five or six turnovers per game. On the other end, Dugas was by no means a nonfactor. Time and time again he used his quick handle to get by opponents and finish through contact at the rim. Off the catch, Dugas could hit the open shot with ease while never getting rattled by opponent trash talk.

Zion McCoy Zion McCoy 6'1" | SG Northside | 2023 State LA - Cenla Storm 23’ - Northside High - 2023

McCoy was a steady scoring threat for Cenla, proving to be consistent stepping into shots while being a deadeye off the catch. Standing at 6'2, McCoy has one of the simpler yet effective playstyles, where he works to find his spots where he rises up into shots. Another aspect of McCoy was his positional size, clearly possessing the length and strength to contain opposing 1s and 2s in the half-court.