Houston Hoopers: 2023 Players Most Excited to Watch

As we start to gear towards the start of high school basketball season and the halfway point of fall ball leagues, check out my preview of some of the premier class of 2023 hoopers that you should be most excited to watch this season!

Joseph Tugler- Cypress Falls (Committed to Houston Cougars)

JoJo Tugler has been an impressive athlete to watch over the past few years, as he has developed into one of the best forwards on the hoops scene in Houston. Towards the end of last season in March, Joseph had been averaging a double-double for his Cypress Falls squad and made it near impossible for his matchups to compete against him. Tugler’s ability to use his wingspan and height to finish over towering defenders is quite impressive and he has also showed us that is he is developing an outside shot as well, expanding his range. He is very vocal on defense and is not afraid to get in the face of the offensive player. We will get to see Tugler take on an expanded role this year with the Eagles after the graduation of Tulsa commit Jesaiah McWright. I am excited to see Joseph take on a leader role this year on the court and only see his game trending upwards from here.

Zyon Little Zyon Little 6'6" | SF Dickinson | 2023 State TX – Dickinson (Uncommitted)

Zyon is a perfect example of a hybrid forward/post that has the immediate ability to stretch the floor for his Dickinson team if needed. Little has shown an unrelenting willingness to be physical in the post, as well as use his quickness and speed to blow by defenders to the rim on offense and stay in front of his man on defense. Little had an impressive performance this summer at the Stunna4Vegas All-Star game in Houston, where he showed off his amazing leaping ability in the Dunk Contest and also put on a tremendous display of  IQ in the game. Zyon is also never afraid to make the extra pass and is always thinking of how to keep his teammates involved. Little is an impressive forward for the Gators and I’m looking forward to seeing his play on the court bring him more offers this season. Little is currently holding interest from Texas Southern right now.

Jamari McDowell Jamari McDowell 6'5" | SG Manvel | 2023 State #137 Nation TX – Manvel (Uncommitted)

Jamari is an impressive shooting guard playing for Manvel High School and had quite a summer playing with the Houston Defenders UA team. McDowell uses his huge wingspan and quickness to blow by defenders and either finish strongly at the rim or get to the free throw line, where he shows exceptional patience and ability to knock down foul shots. Jamari currently holds 19 total offers according to Rivals including from top programs such as Kansas, Xavier, and Alabama. If he continues to play at this high level, McDowell will gather more offers headed his way and I am looking forward to seeing where he decides to play basketball at the next level. Look for him to step up into a larger role with the Mavericks this upcoming season. 

Jace Posey Jace Posey 6'4" | SG Houston Strake Jesuit | 2023 State #79 Nation TX – Strake Jesuit (Committed to TCU Horned Frogs)

Jace was an impressive athlete to watch over the summer with Houston Hoops and will play a big role for Strake Jesuit this year on the court. Posey has impressive size as a 6’5 shooting guard and has the shiftiness and speed to blow by defenders and make the right play. His IQ is very impressive as he shows his ability to either slow down or push the tempo of the game and also rarely turning the ball over. Jace has committed to the Texas Christian Horned Frogs basketball team and will look to make an immediate impact there when he gets to the next level. I cannot say enough about how impressive Posey was at Peach Jam, going up against some of the premier hoopers in the entire nation for his age, and still kept his cool and played like it was any other game for him. Coaches, look out for this young man and his impressive on court play.