2023 City Rankings: Houston (25-21)

Check out my analysis on some of the top 2023 prospects in the Houston area! Some of these guys are division one prospects, with little to no offers. So coaches make sure you check them out when you can!   #25 Kevin Juarez 2023 6'6 Pasadena High School (Pasadena Lockdown 2023)   Kevin is a monstrous yet switchable wing prospect who knows how to use his size to finish in the paint, yet also create separation with his back to the basket. He showed an ability to handle the ball and affect the game from all three levels of the court. Juarez played well and made good decisions out of the high post and initiated offense on the wings. I was very impressed with how smart he was when attacking a single defender. He quickly spins out of trouble and steps through double teams into whatever space he has. He works very hard on both ends of the court with a non stop motor as soon as the ball gets tipped. He hustled after every rebound on both ends of the court, and even out rebounded a 6'8 big man he played alongside. He showed an ability to catch any pass that was thrown to him and quickly make the right decision, whether it was make the swing pass, put the ball on the floor and get to the rim or catch and shoot. Juarez is great at using his size to get his own looks down low, but is already showing an ability to defend anyone on the perimeter. He has great food speed for his size already, and could easily develop into an aggressive and switchable small ball center. Juarez is one prospect you have to keep your eye on as he goes into his senior year.   #24 [player_tooltip player_id='1471206' first='Jake' last='Pike'] 2023 6'7 St. Thomas High School    Jake is an athletic big man who has great foot speed, allowing him to effectively rim run and finish strong at the rim out of the pick and roll with a full head of steam. I was very impressed by how well he threw down thunderous dunks, in all kinds of ways; off the bounce, tip dunks and lobs! Pike had more than his fair share of highlights with some emphatic dunks, including one he caught off of a sick no look pass from [player_tooltip player_id='787367' first='Wesley' last='Yates']. He is great at high-pointing the ball and finishing strong all in one motion. He is not just a finisher in the paint, he showed an ability to rebound at a high level as well. He always had his head up to make the right outlet pass out as well.   I would like to see him get more confident with his shot off the bounce, especially from the mid-range and beyond the arc. You could tell he was a bit uncomfortable as he got rushed into looks on the perimeter, forcing his mechanics to be off. I would like to see him raise his release point and work on keeping his guide hand flush with the ball, at times he pulls away from it and does not have any other support on his shot. Pike has all of the tools one could want with a big man at the next level, and with his tenacity in the paint, I have no doubts in my mind that he will become a coveted prospect as the year winds down…   #23 Jaden Miller 2023 6'0 Dawson High School   Jaden is an intelligent combo guard who thrives on getting his teammates involved and getting to his spots beyond the arc. He displayed some very consistent shooting off the dribble, and even showed off some impressive off ball movement to give himself some space. I was very impressed with his ability to dictate the pace of the game, he has great end to end speed which allows Dawson to play fast and get easy looks at the rim on the break. His ability to consistently make the right reads in the full court sets his teammates up for great opportunities. I would like to see him work on getting to his shot in the mid-range.   #22 [player_tooltip player_id='960672' first='Chandler' last='Williams'] 6'5 2023 Wing Klein Forest High School   Chandler is a long and strong athlete that has a soft and fluid motion to his game. When you look at him you can tell he is a dual sport athlete for Klein Forest, he possesses great size and side to side agility that allows him to be a complete weapon on the floor. He has a great touch from beyond the arc and is even confident enough to set himself up for shots off the dribble. He is very reliable when acting as a spot up shooter and has the ability to punish the defense at all three levels if they are late at coming out to contest him. He is great at utilizing his shot fake and getting his defender on the back of his hip and flying by them toward the rim. Watch for Williams to have a massive start in district play this year!   #21 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.

Check out my analysis on some of the top 2023 prospects in the Houston area! Some of these guys are division one prospects, with little to no offers. So coaches make sure you check them out when you can!