Grind Region Finals: Saturday 16U Wing Standouts
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Check out my analysis from a super competitive Saturday at the Prep Hoops Grind Region Finals in Dallas, Texas! This competition brought together some of the best teams in the country for some high level basketball, check out who really…
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Continue ReadingCheck out my analysis from a super competitive Saturday at the Prep Hoops Grind Region Finals in Dallas, Texas! This competition brought together some of the best teams in the country for some high level basketball, check out who really stood out to me during day the first full day of competition!
Jae’Coby Osborne Jae’Coby Osborne 6'6" | SF Bella Vista Prep | 2024 State #241 Nation AZ 2024 6’5 Fort Bend Elkins High School (F.F.E. Fresno Flyers Elite)
Jae’Coby is a prospect that has made a tremendous leap this summer, calmly and confidently developing all aspects of his game. He has the ability to affect the game on the interior and play the small ball forward for his team, allowing them to play five out. He affects the game like a more skilled and effective Draymond Green, handling the ball on the perimeter and running the pick and roll as the ball handler or the screener. He is a good screener allowing his guards to have a second longer to set their feet and score beyond the arc. Where I have seen the most development since the beginning of the summer was his ability to score off the bounce in the mid-range and attacking the basket. He looks even more confident with his handle and his ability to turn the corner on his opponent and get to the rim with his strong frame. His shot from beyond the arc has dramatically improved as well, going 4-5 in the first half of the game I watched, including a first half buzzer beater.
Defensively, he knows how athletic he is and how well he can use his ability to leap to fight on the interior. He constantly outworks bigger opponents, boxing them out and sealing them off. I was very impressed with how many rebounds he collected, or tapping it out to his guards. I was very impressed with how well he defended the perimeter, or anchored his defense from the paint. He quickly closed out on opponents and ensured that he cut off their angles.
James Murray IV James Murray IV 6'6" | CG Denver East | 2025 State CO 2025 6’5 Fountain Fort Carson High School, CO (Rising Stars 2024)
James is a high level wing prospect with his skilled blend of ball control and ability to get downhill. He is great at turning the corner and using his stride to maintain the separation from his on ball defender. He is a natural finisher with either hand, and goes up strong and explodes vertically to maintain strength with the ball all the way through. He cuts without the ball and flashes into space to be a passing option whenever he senses a teammate is in trouble. He displayed pointguard type vision with some of the passes he made, both in the half court and the full court.
Defensively, his ability to defend the perimeter while also rejecting shots in the paint really stood out. He is a natural rim protector, who can be dominant on the interior when tasked with playing the small ball forward role for his team. His ability to do it all on both ends of the court makes him a really dynamic weapon who looks to have all of the athletic skills to take his game to the next level.
Trey’Dez Green Trey’Dez Green 6'8" | PF Zachary | 2024 State #54 Nation LA 2024 6’8 East Feliciana High School, LA (LA Broncos 2024)
Trey’dez is an athletic freak standing at 6’8 with the ability to move like a guard and throw down dunks like a power forward. I was blown away by his agility on the court paired with his bounce and overall basketball IQ. He knows when to attack the defense in the midrange or getting downhill when he has the big man out of position and knows no one who is going to step up against him has a chance to stop him. I was very impressed with his consistency with his back to the basket, and showed very consistent post moves and knows to go quickly to catch the defense off guard. On the defensive side of the ball, Green has all of the tools to effectively defend positions 3-5 at the next level with his ability to move his feet and bump his opponents off their spots down low. He is an intense on ball defender who thrives at using his length to harass ball handlers, even when switching onto them for a short period of time. Green is a prospect that you need to remember the name and be sure to keep tabs on over the next two years!
Jensen Knowles Jensen Knowles 6'3" | SG Richardson | 2024 TX 2024 6’4 Richardson High School, TX (Victory Academy Gold)
Jensen is a complete player with his ability to put the ball on the floor and score off the dribble, as well as shadow his opponent on the defensive end of the floor and play in the passing lanes. His versatility on the defensive end of the floor allowed him to wreak havoc on the perimeter, and even protect the rim when necessary. He consistently moves his feet at a very high level and knows how to come up with steals and live on the fast break. I was very impressed with his ability to create space off the dribble, as well as his consistent off ball movement. He worked the baseline for open shots in the corners and flashed to the front of the rim for easy looks in the paint. I would like to see him work on his consistency in the paint and working on his ability to score over bigger defenders in the paint.