Guard Prospects from TJ Ford Basketball Academy Fall League

Check out my analysis on some of the top prospects from TJ Ford Basketball Academy Fall League down in Houston, Texas! This was an intense and fun event, chock full of highlights!   Sean Dansby 2023 6'2 Pasadena Memorial High School (Pasadena Lockdown 2023)   Sean is the definition of a glue guy with his ability to lock up defensively and play out of the corners and wings. His energy on the court was impressive, wreaking havoc by playing the passing lanes and clamping up opponents on ball. His defensive awareness and intensity are already at a very high level, allowing him to dominate on this side of the court. Dansby is a willing rebounder as well, boxing out opponents and fighting on the glass. He sees the floor like a guard after a rebound, keeping his head up to make the right outlet pass, or find a streaking teammate up the court.   His awareness is not limited to the defensive side of things, he put the ball on the floor and attacked hard closeouts, or quickly got shots up in the corners. He has tremendous potential to become a high level 3 and D type shooting guard at the next level that would easily fit alongside a ball dominant wing or point guard. Pasadena Memorial has some real talent in this next year with a dominant forward prospect, a skilled point guard and Dansby as the glue guy ready to do all of the little things to help the team win. If you are in the Houston area, you need to check this team out! I would like to see Dansby focus on his consistency from the outside, as well as being a more consistent scoring option for his team.   Dorian Hayes 2025 6'3 Ridgepoint High School   Dorian is a silky smooth guard prospect who has the ability to score in bunches. He does most of his damage from the mid-range, taking defenders off the bounce in the half court and the open court and calmly getting to his spots. The ease in which he was able to attack off the bounce is already at an incredibly high level for his age. I was very impressed by his poise and calm demeanor he had with the ball. His ability to calmly put up buckets when his team was in need of it most really stood out down the stretch of games, scoring pivotal baskets to keep his team in it.   He showed an ability to knock down shots off the catch, showing good mechanics and a quick release to punish the defense after a crisp cross court pass from his point guard – TJ Ford Jr. Dorian has already showed a budding connection with the guard, and Ford seems to know exactly where he wants the ball every time down the court. He loved sneaking backdoor after his opponent played up on him too tightly, allowing him to blow past them with a simple head fake. Hayes is a 2025 prospect that will quickly garner some attention around the state of Texas this year with his lanky frame and the silkiness and ease in which he can score from all over the floor.   Khalil Adam Elbatrawy 2024 6'3 Dickinson High School   Khalil is an impressive athlete who knocks down shots from the perimeter, and also put the ball on the floor and put pressure on the defense on the interior. He is a very consistent shooter off the catch, and looks to have all the tools to become a valuable floor spacer. He has a quick release, and gets good lift on his jumper to shoot over the top of smaller defenders. His quick trigger and ability to catch and shoot should be a vital asset to Dickinson's basketball team, already boasting two division one prospects; [player_tooltip player_id='787348' first='Zyon' last='Little'] 2023 and Marcus "Smurf" Millender 2023 (South Alabama Commit). As Zyon slashes and attacks the rim, while Millender dances around guards to get to the rim, there should be plenty of opportunities to catch cross court passes in the corners.   Elbatrawy even showed off his athleticism in warmups; throwing down jaw dropping dunks and flying through the air. His frame is a bit skinny, but expected with his age. As he continues to put on more strength and add to his athleticism and ability to attack with a live dribble, he can really become an impressive prospect. I would really like to see him continue to develop as a combo guard, improving his comfort-ability with his handle and floor vision.   [player_tooltip player_id='1354704' first='Chris' last='Catchings'] 2024 6'5 Fort Bend Marshall High School    Chris is an incredibly refined wing player with the ease in which he scores off the bounce from all three levels of the floor. He is a great shot maker, even fading away and coming off the dribble. It looked like he loved working with the shot clock at TJ Ford Academy's gym, routinely getting the ball in order to bail out his teammates at the last second. He displayed elite shot making ability off the bounce, especially from beyond the arc. He knows exactly how much space he needs to get his shot off, and also how much space he needs to shift his defender to get it off. He has all the tools to become an incredibly effective Division 1 wing player or even play at the combo guard spot with his ability to handle the ball, score off the dribble and get past his defenders in both the full court and the half court.   Catchings also makes his mark with his ability to explode with a live dribble, and then detonate and finish over anyone who stands in front of him. He contorts his body well to avoid contact, and loves using his long arms to finish around his opponents. I loved watching him get out of the triple threat and get downhill, he was very skilled at using his quickness to get around his opponents in any situation possible. On the defensive side of the ball, he has incredible instincts and knows when to attack a ball handler with a trap, or rotate over to catch a cross court pass and run on the fast break. He is going to be tasked with being his team's best defender this year, and I am excited to watch him continue to develop on this side of the ball. He already makes good decisions defensively, it will be fun to see him get more aggressive and go after chase down blocks and rotating over to protect the rim. Catchings is a prospect you CANNOT miss out on.     [player_tooltip player_id='1509243' first='Jaylen' last='Reedus'] 2023 6'4 Fort Bend Marshall High School   Jaylen is an aggressive two way guard who can lock you up and then race the other way to finish on your head on the other end. I loved his determination to get to the rim when he had the ball in his hands in the open court, putting pressure on the defense with his tenacity and willingness to run the fast break. Where he really made a difference was his ability to turn defense into offense and how well he played the passing lanes. He constantly baited his opponents into bad passes, using his athleticism to quickly explode to the ball and close gaps. Reedus is a willing defender and rebounder, and already has a motor made for the next level.   Within the half court setting, he showed an ability to spot up in the corners or cut back door for easy opportunities. He was aware in picking his spots to slash and pull up, taking what the defense gave him. He showed an ability to put the ball on the floor and drive and kick as well. He was smart for attacking the rim and establishing his dominance on the interior first, before picking the defense apart with his passes. I would like to see him get more comfortable with his handle and ability to pull up in the mid-range and get to his spots off the bounce from beyond the arc.

Check out my analysis on some of the top prospects from TJ Ford Basketball Academy Fall League down in Houston, Texas! This was an intense and fun event, chock full of highlights!