GASO DFW Memorial Day Weekend: Day 3 Standouts

Check out my scouting reports and analysis on some of the top prospects in attendance at the GASO (Great American Shoot Out) Dallas Fort Worth Memorial Day Weekend tournament! These guys really popped during their time on the court, expect them to begin to garner some real attention over the next few circuit months! [player_tooltip player_id="1212913" first="Bobby" last="McWard"] 2023 6’2 McKinney Christian Academy (3D Empire 17U) Bobby is a high level shooter with an ability to punish you off the dribble, or with his feet set. He is great at quickly setting his feet and rising up, even with a defender in his grill. His ability to handle the ball and get his shot off was very impressive. He calmly takes what the defense gives him every time down the court, and has the ability to score from all three levels of the floor. He even displayed an ability to back down his opponent and score in the midrange with a tight turn around. However, he does not just hunt for his own shot, he can create open looks for his teammates as well. When I saw him play, he whipped some high level cross court passes to his teammates. What I was the most impressed with was how accurate he was whipping a one handed passes after coming off of his live dribble. His ability to accurately fire passes into the corners makes him a dangerous weapon in the half court. He is a high level ball handler who specializes in the Chris Paul game of keeping his defender on his back hip, he slowed up and forced his opponent to take bigger steps to cut him off, or simply give up on the play in the half court after he had them beat. He is an aware playmaker, who is also a dynamic scorer. McWard has all of the tools in his bag to become a real weapon at the point guard or the combo guard position at the next level with his ability to see the floor and create his own shot. [player_tooltip player_id="1220763" first="Divine" last="Ugo"]chukwu 2024 6’2 Fort Bend Clements High School (Houston Hoops EYBL) Divine is an athletic combo guard who is fantastic at all three levels of the floor. He is a willing hunter of his midrange shot, and plays energetic and high level defense on the other end. He is a terrific scorer off the bounce and takes what the defense gives him every time down. He is an intelligent passer who loves setting up his teammates. He plays the game with a very positive energy which bleeds through into each of his teammates. He does all of the little things right on the court, such as spacing when running the fast break or hustling over to protect the backside of the defense after a skip pass. It was fun watching him run around and wreak havoc every time he was near the ball on the defensive end of the floor. What I love most about his game is his willingness to take over when his team is in trouble. They all know they can rely on him as a scorer in late game situations and his ability to get to his spots in the paint and the midrange allows him to hunt easy looks for himself all night. [player_tooltip player_id="1217934" first="Anthony" last="Bates Jr"] 2024 6’3 Katy Seven Lakes High School (Houston Hoops EYBL) Anthony is a very intelligent player who can play the combo guard position at the highest level due to his ability to score but also set up opportunities for his teammates. He is a high-level finisher in the paint due to his ability to get around defenders with quick moves such as euro steps and double clutches. He has a great handle and ability to put the ball on the floor and get to his spots. He displayed a plethora of high level moves such as floaters and creative step backs. He is a very skilled shooter off the bounce from all three levels of the floor. Bates is also a very aware player who knows how to attack the weak spots in the defense. I was blown away by his maturity with the basketball and willingness to take what the defense gives him. When the defense looks to take him away, he calmly makes the right reads and make sure his teammates stay involved. He comfortably shot from all three levels of the floor and lived in the midrange. He is developing at a very rapid rate over the last year and a half, and I am excited to see how much he continues to grow. [player_tooltip player_id="1218010" first="Jared" last="Harris"] 2024 6’4 Silsbee High School (Houston Superstars) Jared is a lanky combo guard with all of the tools and basketball IQ to become a dominant force on both ends of the floor. He seems to be still growing vertically and putting on noticeable muscle since the last time I saw him play in the State Semi-Finals Game for Silsbee. He has a consistent jumper and can space the floor from the perimeter. His ability to get his shot off the dribble was a valuable weapon, and can punish you from the midrange or beyond the arc. He showed a real ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. He is a natural finisher in the paint who knows how to use all of his length to reach around his opponents and finish in the paint. He is a high level rebounder for his size and position on both ends of the floor, he makes the right outlet passes to jump start his team on the fast break and taps out rebounds to his shooters on the offensive end. He is willing to do all of the dirty work necessary for his team to have success. [player_tooltip player_id="892145" first="Chase" last="Cain"] 2023 6’6 Shadow Creek High School (JL3 Elite Moochie) Chase is continuing to develop at a fantastic rate, getting smarter and more aware with every game. He is adjusting to becoming the focal point of an offense and having the ball run through him at both the high post and on the block. He is garnering a double team almost every time he touches the ball, and is accurately passing out to his teammates on the back side. He is continuing to make the right reads and create looks for his teammates. He is an incredibly lanky and a long athlete whose size seemed to fill up the paint and affect opponents on both sides of the floor. He moves very well for his size and showed a real ability to stay in front of quicker guards on the perimeter and hold his own against larger forwards looking to bang down low. Where he really makes his mark on the game is his non stop energy in transition, on both ends of the floor. He is great at grabbing rebounds and making the right outlet pass and then sprinting down the court to be a threat to the rim as he dives in the open court. Where I have seen the most growth from him this morning was his natural leadership abilities, taking control of the huddle and inspiring his teammates. I would like to see continued development with his handle and working more out of the triple threat and facing up to pair with his ability to score with his back to the basket.