2023 City Rankings: Austin (5-1)

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!   (Honorable Mention: [player_tooltip player_id='787332' first='Jaden' last='Greathouse'] 6'4 2023 Austin Westlake High School (Commit to Notre Dame, Football)   Jaden is an athletic force on both ends of the floor. It is not hard to find this elite dual sport athlete on the court, his broad shoulders allow him to fight through contact and consistently finish in the lane. His ability to get to the rim when he puts his head down and rise up and finish with ease with either hand allows him to be an elite offensive weapon. He is patient in the paint and has an array of post moves to bully smaller defenders with. He is explosive out of the triple threat and always seems to have a step on his opponents, he is great at turning the corner and getting into the paint or stopping on a dime and rising up in the space he created. Most of his opponents seemed scared to square up and really put their chest in front of him, which allowed him to live at the free throw line as well.    He is an aggressive player on both sides of the floor, who rebounds the ball at a very high level. He is active on the offensive glass, which allows him to get easy second chance points. He is great at turning defensive rebounds into offensive opportunities for his team with his ability to push the pace after skying for a rebound. Greathouse is a dynamic athlete who is willing to defend, even when he is tired. He is agile and can move his feet to keep his defender in front of him with ease.    #5 Cade Kitrell 2023 6'8 Cedar Ridge High School (ProSkills ATX Brown)   Cade might have been the most polished big prospect I saw this summer, naturally and calmly finishing on either side of the basket, and dominating his opponents in the paint on the defensive end. I was very impressed with how well he could play out of the high post, handling the ball and orchestrating dribble hand-offs and screened at a very high level. He created space every time he went to set his feet, allowing his guards ample time to get around him. He is good at sealing the last defender when his lead guard and him are looking at the rim after a ball screen. On the defensive side of things, he is an ideal post defender, and tied up his opponents on their way up. He snatched the ball and came up with blocks time and time again. On the glass, he was active on the offensive end of things coming up with tip ins and easy second chance points. Every time I looked over at him play he seemed to be rejecting a shot or spinning off his defender for an easy look in the paint. Be sure to keep your eyes on Kitrell as he is going into his senior year!   #4 [player_tooltip player_id='787335' first='Ma'Shy' last='Hill'] 2023 6'9 (Austin) St. Michaels High School (ASAK 17U Elite)    Ma'Shy is a very intriguing athlete with his rare blend of size, strength and athleticism. I was very impressed with how well he moved laterally, with his incredibly broad shoulders, looking like he could also line up at linebacker in a pinch for his football team. His strength bled through onto the basketball court, seeming to strike fear into his opponents when matched up down low. No one wanted to jump with him, allowing him to flush dunks on seemingly anyone with his natural bounce. I was very impressed with the energy he brought for his team every time he stepped on the court, that kind of thing definitely caught college coaches eyes from this weekend. He had one play where he almost finished a dunk through a hard foul, made the first free throw, and snatched the second one off the rim and finished it. I was very impressed with how naturally he finished with either hand underneath the basket. I would like to see him work on his ability to affect the game from the mid-range and out of the triple threat, once he begins to attack more out of the face up and with a quick one to two dribble move, I am not sure there are many kids in Texas who can defend him!   #3 [player_tooltip player_id='957936' first='Kaden' last='Gumbs'] 2023 6'2 San Marcos High School    Kaden seems to have the ball on a string with his ability to break down defenses in the full court. I was blown away by his ability to score and control the game. He has the awareness of when to slow down and even slow up into defenders to get an easy and one underneath the basket. I loved watching him manipulate the defense out of the pick and roll as well, calmly waiting for the screen to be set and then exploding to his spot and forcing the defender to make a decision. His quick change of speeds allows him to get downhill with that much more success! He has a soft floater in his bag that he loves to get to when he knows he cannot shoot over the help side big, and he always puts the right amount of touch on it. Grumbs is a patient offensive weapon who can get it done in the mid-range as well. His ability to calmly and smoothly score off the bounce in bunches makes him a coveted weapon, especially at this stage in the game. Texas State has gotten their hands on a real offensive weapon, and the hometown kid might actually prove to become a real difference maker for the Bobcats!   #2 Joshua Jones 2023 6'9 St. Michaels High School   Joshua is a high level forward who can dominate you from the outside in and take you off the bounce, or bully you with his size and strength in the post. He is a force down low, constantly pushing people off of their spots and underneath the cylinder where they have no chance to affect his shot. What really sets him apart is his overall vision and ability to play out of the high post. He is great when paired with another big, and knows how to pick apart defenses out of the pick and roll, both as a screener and a ball handler. He constantly found teammates on open back cuts and threw picture perfect passes to set them up.   Defensively, he is great at coming over from the weak side to protect the rim, and has a great amount of success affecting shots and tipping them out of bounds. He loves coming in from behind and chasing down kids who think they have time to finish at the rim. He gets a number of blocks this way. His incredible frame allows him to make anything difficult, even with his hands just straight up. He is a great outlet passer after snatching a board as well. He always has his head up to quickly fire a pass to jump start the break.   #1 [player_tooltip player_id='892139' first='Malik' last='Presley'] 2023 6'6 San Marcos High School    Malik is a show stopping athlete who can finish over anyone in his path on the way to the rim. He has the ability to throw down jaw dropping dunks on you in a moment's notice. He has a smooth handle and is great at using his frame and athleticism to get to his spots in the lane. He quickly attacks bigger and slower defenders on the perimeter, and the threat of his outside shot opens the floor that much more for him. I was very impressed to watch him use his athleticism to blow by guards and wings alike, and then use his frame to finish over anyone he wanted to down low. His ability to hang in the air, take contact and then adjust his shot angle and finish his shot allows him to easily score at moment's notice in the paint. On the fast break, he is a man amongst boys, constantly powering dunks and raising the intensity in the gym and through his teammates. Presley is one of the top recruits in Texas for a reason, and truly has all the physical tools a college coach could want at any level.

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!