2023 City Rankings: Houston (5-1)

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!   #5 [player_tooltip player_id='970123' first='Fred' last='Payne'] 2023 6'2 Legacy School of Sport Sciences    Fred was incredibly impressive during his time on the court during the Stunna 4 Hoops showcase, calmly and confidently scoring across all three levels of the court and dominated by changing speeds in transition and the half court. His sudden start and stop allows him to manipulate the defense every time he has the ball. He scored off the bounce from the mid-range and beyond the arc, and dominated the game with his aggression and willingness to hunt for his shot. I was very impressed watching him dance around his opponent with a live dribble and calmly pulling up in their face.   He thrives when he is attacking the basket, and routinely gets into the teeth of the defense and finish over bigger defenders. He knows how to calmly change his shot angles to finish around his opponent at the rim. I was very impressed with how easily he scored down low, being no bigger than 6'3. His ability to attack the rim forces a second defender to always be aware of his presence, allowing him to find the right kick out or dump off pass. Payne has all the tools, both physically and mentally to dominate at the next level, he is one to keep your eye on as he goes onto Boston College next year!   #4 [player_tooltip player_id='787348' first='Zyon' last='Little'] 2023 6'6 Dickinson High School    Zyon was the star of the show this weekend, with some jaw dropping dunks on the fast break but also in the dunk contest portion of the event! He jumped over three people to steal the show! He is an athletic monster, a true dual sport athlete who dominates on the gridiron just as well as he does on the court. He is great at getting into the paint, and thrives at scoring through contact and tough defense. He is a dominant force with his back to he basket, and can destroy his match-up out of the high post as well. I was very impressed with his handle since the last time I have seen him He can size up and bully his way through his defender to the rim.   He is great on the glass and made smart outlet passes to jump start the break. His athleticism allows him to wreak havoc on both ends of the floor and take on anyone he wants to in the air. He is a solid rim protector as well, constantly coming over at the right time to time up blocks in the paint. His ability to move makes him a real small forward, but could easily dominate the small ball four/ five spot if necessary. Little is a special player with all the tools to become a high level explosive and defending wing/ forward at the next level. I would like to see him continue to work on his handle and ability to score off the bounce from the mid-range and beyond the arc.   #3 [player_tooltip player_id='787349' first='Jaland' last='Lowe'] 2023 6'2 Fort Bend Marshall High School    Lowe has been making waves this summer in the NIKE EYBL Circuit, making the First Team selection and averaging over 17 points and nearly five assists to go along with 1.5 steals per game in the Peach Jam, one of the most coveted events of Summer Basketball. Playing against some of the top competition in the country, it was clear Lowe has recently taken his game to another level. He got to the rim at will, especially on the fast break where he pushed the tempo and flat out beat his opponents down the court, even with a live dribble. He has been especially crafty from range, using high level crossovers to free himself up and then raise up in his defenders face. I saw plenty of that coveted four level scoring last year with Fort Bend Marshall, even as an undersized guard!   He is a versatile point guard who not only has the ability to score in bunches whenever he wants, but can make pinpoint passes to set up his teammates. Last year, he had an athletic specimen (5 Star Football Player who is playing both football and basketball at Texas A&M University) Chris Marshall, who he was able to throw lob passes to any time he wanted. These passes were always only put in a place where the stud athlete could go and get it, and it was clear he was making the same kinds of passes on the circuit, one of which set up [player_tooltip player_id='1056399' first='Jace' last='Posey'] for a NASTY highlight. He always puts tremendous touch on all of his passes, even the ones beating the fast break that he drops right into his teammate's bucket for an easy look.   #2 [player_tooltip player_id='1332595' first='Keanu' last='Dawes'] 2023 6'8 Stratford High School    Keanu is a supremely athletic big man who is a paint beast. He calmly showed off his ability to dominate on the interior this weekend, finishing tip dunks and lobs with ease. He was good at timing up passes to finish them at the rim. He is a real threat to the paint as he is coming downhill full speed. He really put pressure on the defense and made defenders hesitant to jump with him. The big man has the ability to dunk everything and really seems to provide a spark with his energy and athleticism on both ends of the floor.   I really loved watching him operate in the mid post and taking one to two power dribbles and getting to his spot at the rim. He is good at hunting his shot across all three levels of the court, and makes him a real threat to score every time he touches the ball. He has a high release point on his shot, allowing him to easily shoot over the top of his opponents. His ability to maneuver with the basketball was very impressive for his size, and he should be able to easily translate into a mobile wing or stretch four/ five at the next level. Dawes is beginning to see some major attention from some high level programs, including Tennessee, Texas A&M and TCU Universities.   #1 [player_tooltip player_id='787367' first='Wesley' last='Yates'] 2023 6'5 Beaumount United High School    Wesley proved why he is a top ranked player in the state with his performance this weekend, showing off his ability to calmly score across three levels, and dance on any defender on the perimeter. He plays with confidence and swagger, and that translates in his ability to dominate his opponent with a live dribble. He made jaw dropping plays with his handle in the open court, using fake spins and low dribbles to keep his opponent off balance. He routinely made the defense look absolutely ridiculous with a power dribble into a pirouetted layup.   Whether he is getting to his shot off the dribble or getting downhill and attacking the rim, Yates always makes an impact on the offensive end. His ability to shoot the ball is a real weapon for his team, as he is able to stretch the floor out to the fourth level. I was incredibly impressed by his ability to shoot the ball off the dribble. There were multiple instances this weekend in which he pulled up from deep three point range and turned around before the shot even went in! He had the audience in awe with his ability to score across all three levels.   He also has a real nose for the ball, and is a willing rebounder on both ends of the floor, but routinely comes up with extra shot opportunities on the offensive end. He is great at using his size and aggressiveness to take the ball from his opponent. He has put in countless hours on the court, and his play-style is very evident of that. He is a few levels ahead of his competition in not only his play-style, but his vision, on court professionalism and mentality. He is the definition of a dog on the court, and you can tell he hates losing. This prospect is going to be going to one of the top schools in the country, there is no doubt in my mind.

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!