2023 Spring Stock Risers (Pt. 2)

<p class="p1">With multiple club basketball events, individual showcases and a couple live viewing period to showcase their skills in front of college coaches, the spring travel basketball season provided plenty of opportunity for high school prospects to improve their recruiting stock. In this piece we take a look at those players.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="994907" first="Mikah" last="Ballew"]</strong>, Alemany/BTI - Ballew is proving himself an underrated prospect in the class of 2023 with his all-around production. His combination of size, strength and high levels of effort and energy are the perfect complement to a club event. He snatches rebounds out of the air, finishes with authority and power in the painted area and is a very good transition threat when running the floor and slashing his way to the rim.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1434750" first="Parker" last="Strauss"]</strong>, Pacifica Christian/Los Angeles Elite - Strauss has been a player local scouts, media and coaches have known about for some time, but his first few tournaments playing with Los Angeles Elite has opened the eyes of many more. Strauss has great size at the point guard position, a high level feel for the game, and the ability to create shots for himself and teammates at a moment’s notice. The 6-foot-4 junior won’t wow you with freakish speed or athletic ability, but he knows how to use change of speeds and direction to create space to get his shot off or find a teammate for an open look.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="994971" first="Jeremiah" last="Whitmore"]</strong>, Fountain Valley/Team Lillard - Whitmore is a physical specimen whose 6-foot-6 frame, combined with his strength and explosive athleticism have combined to show what kind of player he could potentially be at the next level. Whitmore looks to dunk everything around the basket - whether its a transition or half-court opportunity - and has taken his effort up a couple notches on the defense and rebounding parts of the game.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="701253" first="Damarion" last="Pouncil"]</strong>, Middlebrooks Academy/Compton Magic - Pouncil spent last season at Los Angeles Cathedral high school and will do a post grad season at Middlebrooks Academy. Based on what we’ve seen from him this spring, he could draw Division 1 interest as the club season continues on into the summer. At 6-feet-8 Pouncil is a fluid rim runner in transition whose hands and touch around the basket are improving by the game. His combination of size, length and a frame that can be built upon are just some of natural tools that make him an intriguing prospect.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1310858" first="Zyier" last="Beverly"]</strong>, Washington Prep/ICan All-Stars - Beverly attended West Oaks Academy in Florida last season, but is making his way back to Los Angeles to play out his senior year. At 6-feet-7 (pushing 6-feet-8), the senior-to-be is long, fluid and bouncy wing whose ability to cover ground in transition and finish around the basket with craft or power makes him an elite transition scoring threat. We want to get more looks at Beverly over the next few months and into his high school season, but he has natural tools and ability that should be on Division 1 radars.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1"><strong>Makiah Williams</strong>, Post Grad/Cali Rebels - Williams has continued his scoring tear from his senior season at Capistrano Valley Christian to playing as a potential post grad 2023 prospect with Cali Rebels. The 6-foot-1 combo guard breaks down defenders with a variety of dribble moves and his explosiveness out of hesitations. Once Williams gets into the paint he uses his vertical leaping ability to rise up and finish over defenders with authority. Williams is also a consistent pull-up jump shooter at the mid-range level.</p>