2023 City Rankings: Austin (25-21)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Check out my analysis on some of the top 2023 prospects in the Greater Austin area! Some of these guys are real division one prospects, with little to no offers. So coaches make sure you check them out when you can!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#25 <strong>Nicholas Otero </strong>2023 6'1 Vandegrift High School (Austin United Purple)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nicholas is a sharp shooting guard off the catch who showed an ability to play off a lead guard and took pride in punishing the defense with his quick trigger he has on his shot. He lives in the corners and runs the baseline to put pressure on the defense, and the defense is always threatened by how fast he can get his shot up. He loves attacking the defense off the wings and attacks hard closeouts well. He danced around bigger forwards with his handle and scored well from the mid-range when they sagged off him to cut off a driving lane.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#24 <strong>Henry Sanchez </strong>2023 6'0 Copperas Cove High School (ProSkills ATX Brown)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Henry is a true point guard who thrives off his ability to get into the paint and create looks for his teammates off the attention he draws. I was very impressed with how well he used spin moves and euro steps to beat the last defender. He is not just a slashing guard however, he displayed an ability to create any type of look for his teammates on the fast break or within the half court. On the break there was a play where he caught the ball and made a very aware touch pass to his teammate underneath the basket, setting him up for an effortless look. His awareness with a live dribble is very impressive and is a good indicator of how well he sees the floor and controls the tempo. I would like to see him work on creating more with his shot from the perimeter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#23 <strong>CJ Evans&nbsp;</strong>2022 6'1 Harker Heights High School (Drive Nation CTX 17U Smoot)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>CJ is an acrobatic finisher who thrives at getting into the teeth of the defense with his handle in the open court and finishing amongst taller defenders. He lived on the fast break with his high energy and good foot speed with a live dribble. His ability to finish and evade contact allowed him to finish through anyone else who slid over to draw a charge or block his shot. He made great decision on the fast break to slip through driving lanes and make the right pass ahead to set up a teammate. He was an intense player who showed a willingness to rebound and then run the fast break. I would like to see him work on his decision making in the half court and out of the pick and roll.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#22 <strong>Bennett Chudy </strong>2023 6'3 Austin Westlake High School (THP Elite)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bennett is an aware and sharp shooting guard who can score off the bounce and off the catch. His shot making ability was on full display, he has a very high release and can get it done in the mid-range and beyond the arc. He is great at creating space with very few steps or jabs, and calmly operated on the wings and in the corners. He is an aggressive player on both ends of the court, who is good at not only attacking the rim but showed a willingness to rebound and defend down low. He has a great motor and can take full advantage of weaker defenders. I would like to see him work on his ability to initiate the offense like a true point guard, he showed flashes, but I would like to watch him dominate the ball and create for his teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#21 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2409512' first='Kaden' last='Lewis']&nbsp;</strong>2023 6'0 A&amp;M Consolidated High School (Drive Nation CTX 17U Smoot)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kaden is a high level combo guard with his ability to score off the bounce from all three levels and really takes what the defense gives him every time he can. He is a confident scorer who showed an ability to pull up from beyond the arc or by attacking the rim and really selling the drive and stopping to score in the midrange. I loved his willingness to push the tempo and run the fast break. He made great passes ahead, and had one picture perfect 3/4 court pass that hit his teammate in stride for an easy layup. Lewis's ability to go coast to coast after catching an outlet pass really allowed his team to flip the game around and burn teams on the fast break. I would like to see him work on controlling the speed of the game and operating more out of the half court.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->