Tate is the energy and the spark that allows Lipan to keep churning forward, his ability to affect the game by doing all of the little things on both ends of the floor was incredibly impressive. He is a calm and confident point guard who thrives in setting up his teammates and creating looks for them. His ability to calmly dictate the tempo and where the ball needs to go was very impressive. He displayed some real wizardry level passes with his ability to pass in mid-air or create looks with his flashy passing ability. He is the definition of an old school point guard who has real court vision. He can change his mind after he is leaping in the air and accurately make the best read possible as he is falling back down to the court. I was incredibly impressed with his calmness with the basketball, and his ability to play at his own speed, no matter the defensive pressure. His vision is not just when he has the basketball, he had two instances where he volleyball tapped a rebound to an uncontested big underneath the rim for an easy layup. Branson has all the tools to become a successful point guard at the next level.
PrepHoops 2A UIL State Championship Second Team
Check out my scouting reports on the players voted to the State Championship Second Team for the 2A division. Clarendon beat Lipan in the 2A Championship game with a final score of 65-51. Clarendon knocked off Mumford in the Semi-Finals…
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Continue ReadingCheck out my scouting reports on the players voted to the State Championship Second Team for the 2A division. Clarendon beat Lipan in the 2A Championship game with a final score of 65-51. Clarendon knocked off Mumford in the Semi-Finals 58-40 and Lipan beat La Rue La Poynor 69-60.
Tate Branson 5’11 2023 Lipan High School
Cooper Gracey 2023 6’4 La Rue La Poynor
Cooper has great size for a guard and knows how to use it to be a weapon when getting into the paint. His ability to dance around defenders and then turn the corner to get into lane was very impressive. He knows how to get free in the paint and is willing to put his head down and go through anyone to do it. I was very impressed with his ability to get to his spots with a live dribble. His aggressiveness and ability to draw contact in the paint was incredibly impressive and almost allowed him and his teammates to come back in the semi-finals. He is able to initiate offense on the perimeter as well, and made good passes into the post and found cutting teammates with timely passes. On the defensive side of the floor, he was willing to protect the rim when necessary and came up with multiple chase down blocks on the fast break. I would like to see him get more aggressive on that end of the floor with more consistency and be more willing to play on the perimeter when necessary to take away the primary options.
Cole Reynolds 2023 5’11 Lipan High School
Cole is a consistent finisher in the paint who knows how to use his frame to seal his opponents or finish at the rim. I was very impressed with his ability to play on the perimeter but also be a small ball center when necessary. He is a willing passer who makes good decisions with the basketball in his hands. He truly has the ability to run the two man game with nearly everyone on his team. He is great at passing and cutting to the rim for easy looks while his defender relaxes for a split second. On the defensive side of the floor, he is good at using his size and his length and ability to keep his man in front of him, he can truly be whatever defensive weapon his team may need. I was very impressed with his willingness to do what was needed on both ends of the floor. I would like to see him improve his overall foot speed to become a more dynamic playmaker with a live dribble and defending on the perimeter.
Desmond Gamble 2022 6’3 Mumford High School
Desmond is a lanky combo guard who has the ability to wreak havoc on both ends of the court. He is a real weapon in the full court and was used very well to trap high level opponents on the perimeter. He even showed an ability to be a consistent rim protector, even despite his size. On the offensive end of the court, he is great out of the triple threat and knows how to explode into space and create room in traffic. He is the focal point of Mumford’s offense through his ability to shoot on the perimeter and also attack the basket. I was very impressed with his ability to consistently catch and shoot, even when he did not have enough time to set his feet. He is a consistent sharp shooting option as a trailer and always knows where to attack the defense to get the best look possible.
Cayden D’Costa 6’1 2022 Clarendon High School
Cayden has great control and touch on his floater, and he is an efficient scorer at all three levels. He is a knock down shooter when given time to set his feet and square up as he catches the ball. He is not just a set shooter however, he has a strong ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket. When facing bigger competition he can calmly get his floater off over his defender. He does not just use his touch when attacking the basket, he displayed an ability to fight through contact and finish through fouls. He is a smart player, and knows not to let the ball stick to his hand. He is great at making the extra pass and routinely found open teammates open on the backside.