GASO Austin/ Round Rock: 2023 Wing Standouts

Check out my analysis on some of the top wing prospects in attendance at the Austin/ Round Rock GASO tournament this weekend! These guys have really been turning heads over the last few months, if they are in your area you need to get out and see them this next season! [player_tooltip player_id="1471679" first="Quinton" last="Hairston"] 2023 6’5 (Buda) Johnson High School (CTX Knights Premier 16U) Quinton is an explosive athlete who loves to use his athleticism to finish at the rim, constantly out leaping his opponents on both ends of the court. He threw down some impressive dunks but probably turned more heads with how well he chased down his opponents and sent their shots careening off the backboard. He chased down multiple opponents on the fast break, but also showed an ability to slide over as a help defender to protect the rim. He has all of the athletic tools in his bag necessary to be a successful undersized forward or a wing option if he continues to develop. His ability to leap multiple times as he fight for rebounds or defending the rim. I loved watching him work on the interior, fighting hard to clear space for himself. Hairston was named to the all region team last season as well, this is one to keep your eye on! I would like to see him work on his foot speed and how naturally he runs the floor as a rim running option. <div class="article-content"> KJ Holmes 2023 6’6 Rudder High School (ADV4NCED Hoops 17U) KJ is a lanky finisher who showed a real ability to use his handle to get into the paint. I was very impressed with how well he attacked the glass, and used all of his length to his advantage, stretching around his defender to score in the paint. He is patient when he is underneath the basket, routinely using head fakes to manipulate his opponent, and open space for him to duck through to score an up and under. On the fast break, he made good decisions and showed to be unselfish even as he has a bit of daylight ahead of him, if a teammate had a better lane, he gave it up. Defensively, he is a natural rim protector, who smartly comes over as a help defender to reject shot opportunities in the paint. I would like to see him tighten up his ability to space the floor, as well as working on staying in control with a live dribble every time he is driving toward the rim. David Alexander 2023 6’5 (Pflugerville) Hendrickson High School (ProSkills ATX Brown) David is a natural slasher who is great at using his frame to bounce off defenders on his way to the rim. He never gets bumped off his path to the rim and is great at turning the corner on his opponents. His ability to explode out of the triple threat and get around his opponent was very impressive for his size. When he has his head set on finishing, he explodes in the paint finishing dunk after dunk within the half court and on the break. I was very impressed with how well he went coast to coast and the confidence he displayed with a live dribble. He is a strong wing prospect who has the ability to move laterally and should be able to naturally defend multiple positions. I would like to see him work on timing up steals and being a more disruptive force on the defensive end of the court. He has all the tools to become an effective two way player at the next level. Cason Cole 2023 6’6 Katy High School (Principle First Select) Cason is an impressive forward/ wing prospect with his ability to dominate on the interior, but also stretch out the defense with his shot making ability and how he handles the ball. I loved his non stop energy and motor that he displayed, chasing down long rebounds and loose balls to grab extra possessions for his team. Cole’s energy on the glass was very impressive, jumping multiple times to fight on the interior. On the defensive side of things, he showed off his ability to move his feet and defend on the perimeter. Cole is a monster when he is attacking a closeout hard, coming away with tips and really making his opponent speed up their shot. I would like to see him work on his ability to go coast to coast with a live dribble and attacking more out of the triple threat and facing up his opponent. [player_tooltip player_id="1471754" first="Evan" last="Chatman"] <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/evan-chatman-2/"> <img class=" ls-is-cached lazyloaded" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/06/IMG_2581-150x150.jpg" data-src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/06/IMG_2581-150x150.jpg" /> </a> 2023 6’7 Harker Heights High School (ATX Lockdown 17U) Evan is a high level wing/ undersized forward prospect with his ability to handle the ball and shoot off the bounce, but also naturally dominate the game on the interior. I was very impressed with his confidence in his shot making off the dribble from anywhere on the court. He knew he could shoot over the top of anyone whenever he gets to his spots on the floor. He can play out of the high post and run the dribble hand-off, he sets good hard screens to free up his lead guards. He is also not afraid to go coast to coast and attack the rim whenever he has an advantage. He is also a high level rebounder who routinely uses his athleticism to jump multiple times to end the possession. He routinely made the right outlet pass to set up his teammates after defensive rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="892165" first="Levi" last="Rutledge"] <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/levi-rutledge/"> <img class=" ls-is-cached lazyloaded" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Levi-Rutledge-150x150.jpg" data-src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Levi-Rutledge-150x150.jpg" /> </a> 2023 6’6 Cedar Park High School (ATX Lockdown 17U) Levi is a huge combo guard with a great feel for the game and high basketball IQ. He is a smooth scorer off the bounce and can do damage in the mid-range or beyond the arc. I was very impressed with how well he is making shots off the bounce, confidently rising up every time no matter the outcome of the possession the time before. His confidence in his shot from all areas around the arc was very impressive, however he is not just a stand up shooter. He is a great decision maker with the ball and has a real ability to create open looks for his teammates. Rutledge operates well out of the triple threat where he is explosive in turning the corner on his opponent. I was very impressed with the ease of which the scoring came from him in this area. He is great at finishing at the rim off the bounce, a skill that generates him a ton of easy and efficient offense. His ability to euro step around defenders and find space when there is none was very impressive. He is good at moving around contact at the rim and contorting his body to get a better look for himself. Aydan Perdue 2023 6’5 Katy High School (Big Basketball Academy) Aydan is a complete player with his ability to score on the offensive end, but also switch and defend any position you need. He showed an ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket but also stretch the floor off the catch and score off the bounce. I was very impressed with how well he did all of the little things like switching onto guards on the perimeter but also dominating down low with his length. He blocked shots as a help side defender and when getting attacked one on one. He rebounded the ball at a high level and went after long rebounds and loose balls to get an extra possession for his team. He showed an ability to play out of the high post and make good decisions with the ball in his hands. He made the right extra swing pass to set up his teammates and never seemed to over dribbled the ball. </div>