Houston AAU Previews: Houston Hoops 16U

<p>The AAU spring season is fully underway and several teams in the Houston area are showcasing some of the top talent in Texas. Below we preview the roster for the <a href="https://www.houstonhoops.com/16UEYB2022.htm">Houston Hoops 16U</a> team.</p> <p>More Houston Area AAU Teams:<br /> Houston Hoops: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2022/04/houston-aau-previews-houston-hoops-17u/">17U</a> | <a href="https://prephoops.com/2022/04/houston-aau-previews-houston-hoops-16u/">16U</a><br /> Houston Raptors: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2022/05/houston-aau-previews-houston-raptors-benjamin-netty-pt1-2/">"Benjamin/Netty" Pt 1/2</a> | <a href="https://prephoops.com/2022/05/houston-aau-previews-houston-raptors-benjamin-netty-pt2-2/">"Benjamin/Netty" Pt 2/2</a></p> <p>#1 Divine Ugochukwu - Fort Bend Clements - 6'2" - 2024</p> <p>Ugochukwu is Prep Hoops #16 overall player and #4 ranked point guard in the state in the class of 2024. He is a rising star for the Fort Bend Clements Rangers and was a vital piece in helping them reach all the way to the regional semifinals in the 6A UIL playoffs. He's an athletic and skilled scoring guard that can create his own shot and hit it from anywhere on the court. He's a sniper from distance and has the handles to create just enough space on the perimeter to get off a shot at any given moment. He attacks the basket with good speed and has the athleticism, agility, and creativity to get a shot off around the rim in various ways, contorting his body and arms to avoid being blocked and then using certain angles to get the layup to fall. His length and activity on the defensive help him make impact plays on that side of the floor, as well. He has good timing on blocks, both on the perimeter and in the paint, and he forces turnovers by disrupting passing lanes and being a pest on the ball.</p> <p>#3 [player_tooltip player_id="1217934" first="Anthony" last="Bates Jr"]. - Seven Lakes - 6'3" - 2024<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/62-Anthony-Bates-Jr..jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1294739 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/62-Anthony-Bates-Jr.-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a></p> <p>Bates, Prep Hoops' #2 ranked combo guard and #8 overall in the state of Texas for the class of 2024, is a talented guard that can score on all three levels, create for others, and defend the other team's best perimeter player, resulting in an MVP finish in his division this year. While his high school team, the Seven Lakes Spartans, fell short of expectations in the playoffs this year, he has a bright future ahead of him in his remaining high school years. His ball handling is smooth and controlled at all times, using his body to protect the ball and using his creativity to create space, allowing him to either run the offense from the point position or run in isolation for a score, getting to his spots with ease. He has an impressive single-motion pullup jumper off the dribble from anywhere on the court and an extremely accurate catch-and-shoot threat with extensive range. He's a creative finisher in the paint, as well, using a combination of strength, athleticism and agility to find various ways to get the basket, pulling off euro steps, hop steps, scoop layups, and more. He has a low and strong defensive stance with quick hands and good instincts to force a turnover against any level of ball handler. He uses his long arms to sneak in for steals, locking up any perimeter player, even in the full court press, and he has incredible timing and feel to get numerous blocks in any given game, both in the paint and on the perimeter.</p> <p>#5 Aron Valentine - Fort Bend Bush - 6'4" - 2024</p> <p>Even though the Fort Bend Bush Broncos missed the playoffs this year, Valentine was a bright spot for them, winning 20-6A Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-District. He's a fantastic off-ball threat and a perfect complement to the ball-dominant superstars that the Houston Hoops 16U team has. He moves around the court intelligently, finding the correct spacing to stretch the defense with his phenomenal catch-and-shoot skillset and making cuts at just the right times to put pressure on the paint and get good looks at the rim off passes from his teammates. He also has the awareness to throw up a convincing pump fake on the perimeter and take one or two dribbles passed his off-balance defender to pullup for a smooth midrange shot or attack the basket. He's also a very solid and active defender. He walls up in the paint extremely well, staying vertical with outstretched arms to deter shots at the basket, and he has great reactivity to block shots on the perimeter. He has good instincts in passing lanes too and has a relentless approach to on-ball defense and forcing turnovers.</p> <p>#10 [player_tooltip player_id="1217893" first="Justin" last="Begg"] - Episcopal - 5'10" - 2024</p> <p>Begg, Prep Hoops' #17 overall and #5 ranked point guard in Texas in the class of 2024, was a big part of the Episcopal Knights' championship season in the Southwest Preparatory Conference Tournament. He is incredibly fearless attacking the paint and even at his sub-6-foot height, he finds various ways to get a clean layup to go through traffic, contorting and twisting his body and arms to get around defenders. He is an absolute sniper from distance, as well, hitting long range shots with great consistency off the catch and especially off the dribble, where he has a quick trigger and smooth mechanics. He is fantastic at creating his own shot on the perimeter with shifty handles and great footwork. He is also an absolute menace on the defensive end with quick hands and great instincts on when to reach in and knock the ball loose. He is a great point-of-attack defender thanks to his quick lateral movement and aggressive defensive style, and can turn on the jets the second the ball comes loose to gather it and spark a fast break the other way.</p> <p>#11 [player_tooltip player_id="1218011" first="Cameron" last="Patterson"] - Summer Creek - 6'4" - 2024</p> <p>Patterson is a long, athletic wing that loves to push the pace and can do a little of everything on both ends of the court. If there's a fast break, Patterson is most likely a part of it in some way, more times than not sprinting down the court to receive the outlet pass and finish off the play. He provides a reliable catch-and-shoot threat with extreme range and a great understanding of spacing around the perimeter, and he is aggressive and athletic attacking the basket, slamming the ball on alley oops and dunking over defenders' heads if they dare get in his way. He's not ball dominant at all and willingly moves it around to his teammates, working primarily off the ball and taking very few dribbles to get to his spots. He seems to put it all together on the defensive end, combining proper positioning, quick hands and reactive time, good instincts, and an aggressive mindset, to force turnovers and get steals in bunches, especially in passing lanes. He also has the length to block shots effectively, staying with his man with quick feet as they attack the basket, and then getting good contact on the ball to swat away a layup attempt.</p> <p>#12 Chidiebube Chiakwelu - George Ranch - 6'6" - 2024</p> <p>Chiakwelu is a young big man with fantastic defensive instincts and already one of the best shot blockers in the state of Texas. He averaged just under 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game for the George Ranch Longhorns this past year. He has incredibly long arms and impeccable timing to block nearly any shot that is in his vicinity. He can be a face up rim protector in the half court, coming over from the weakside to help on a drive, or simply taking his man 1-on-1, moving his feet, and stuffing them as they put up a shot, and he has good speed and recovery to come from behind on the fast break to get a chase down block. He also has a very quick second jump, where he can block multiple shots in succession and completely demoralize an opponent, taking away any hope they have of scoring in the paint. He shows good understanding of his length on the boards too, keeping his arms up high and using his well-timed jumps to secure boards on both ends of the court in bunches. He has a raw offensive game but has a high IQ for positioning and finds himself in the perfect spots down low for easy dump offs from his ball-handling teammates.</p> <p>Honorable mentions (Limited film):</p> <p>#13 Nolan Aigberadion - Cy Fair - 6'8" - 2024</p> <p>#20 Trent Burns - PSAT - 7'1" - 2024</p> <p>#24 DarKaun King - Home school - 6'7" - 2024</p>