Top 2023 Forward Prospects from October Fall Ball

Check out my analysis on some of the top 2023 forward prospects who have really been making noise through their stellar play this fall! I have been traveling all over Texas all October, and here is my list of some of the top performers since we wrapped up Summer Ball!

Glenn Bishop 2023 6’6 Stafford High School

Glenn is a dynamic athlete who excels at turning defense into offense and finishing on the fast break.He has a real nose for the ball, and is great at timing up steals by playing the passing lanes. I was very impressed by how well he was able to handle the ball in the open court, and get to the spots in which he needed to be successful. He never seemed to over dribble, and every time he put the ball on the floor it was to get downhill or set up a teammate by filling in an open space. He was great at getting into his spots in the paint, hitting tough runners and floaters in the paint. He showed an ability to knock down shots across all three levels of the floor off the bounce, and really impressed me during his time on the court.Without the ball, Bishop cut backdoor to catch his defender slipping and was able to get lots of easy opportunities by playing in his defender’s blind spot. He ran the floor hard, and let his teammates hit him with timely passes to set himself up.

Donovan Matthews 2023 6’5 Cypress Park High School

Donovan was a man amongst boys during his time on the court, and not only dominated with his size and frame but his overall basketball IQ and natural leadership tendencies. He was the loudest player on the court every time he stepped on the court, calling out defensive assignments and coverage to his teammates. He was a natural leader and players followed his every move when they were on the same team. Another elite aspect to his game had to been his energy and hustle. He is willing to dive on the floor to grab extra possessions or end defensive possessions. I was very impressed by his nose for the basketball, seeming to act like a middle linebacker the way he sniffed out the ball every time down the court.

He is a special prospect with his ability to dominate on the interior, consistently beating up his opponents with his strength and ability to back down his opponents. He is a bruising force in the paint, and knows how to move his opponent with and without the ball in the post. He backed down strong opponents and maneuvered them wherever he wanted them to go. Matthews is going to be playing college ball somewhere, based on how well he was able to communicate, defend and dominate on the interior. He has all the tools to become a dynamic small ball 4/5, an ever increasingly valuable position on the basketball court.

Aydan Perdue 2023 6’5 Katy High School

Aydan is continuing to develop all aspects of his game, including his shot from the outside and his handle. He showed an ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket but also stretch the floor off the catch and score off the bounce. He showed an ability to play out of the high post and make good decisions with the ball in his hands. He made the right extra swing pass to set up his teammates and never seemed to over dribbled the ball. He looks to be an even more complete player than the last time I saw him.

He has a great frame with broad shoulders but more importantly quick feet to switch and defend any position on the court. I was very impressed with how well he did all of the little things like switching onto guards on the perimeter but also dominating down low with his length. Defensively, he is an elite help side defender who is great at coming over at the right time to protect the rim, or force his opponent to pass out of his shot attempt. His intensity on the glass is continuing to improve as well, rebounding the ball at a high level and went after long rebounds and loose balls to get an extra possession for his team.

Eddie McAfee 2023 6’7 San Antonio- Brennan High School

Eddie is a skilled forward who can handle the ball and dominate with his back to the basket, and has been handling the ball more often on the perimeter. I would like to see him continue to develop his shot off the bounce from the mid-range, he has a good set shot and smooth mechanics but is a bit inconsistent when trying to shoot off the dribble. He is good at keeping the ball out of the reach of his opponents and has great hands to catch and finish in one smooth motion. I was very impressed with how well he caught passes down low and was able to quickly do something productive with it. He has quick post moves to quickly attack an opponent with his back to the basket. He showed incredible consistency down low, routinely finishing over smaller defenders who got switched onto him and punishing the defense for that mistake.

On the defensive side of the court, he rejected shots and came over at the right time as a second defender to make life difficult for his opponents. He has the ability to anchors his team’s defense and it allows his guards to defend the perimeter with even more tenacity. I would like to see him add more strength to his frame over his senior year, to get him more ready for the next level! Brennan has likely four players who will play high level basketball at the next level, two elite guards and two skilled big men who can play off of each other. Coaches, you need to get out to Brennan this year!

Zion Harper Zion Harper 6'5" | PF Lutheran North (Houston) | 2023 TX 2023 6’5 Lutheran North High School

Zion is a bruising forward who works hard to find space down low and scores well with his back to the basket. He was good at finding space and getting his defender to bite with up-fakes and up and under to create some separation out of the post. He has a reliable handle for his size, allowing him to get to his spots in the mid-range and below. He hit multiple tough turn around jumpers on the block, fading away over a defender’s outstretched arms. I was very impressed with his natural basketball agility; moving laterally and with the ball in his hands. I would like to see him get more consistent with his set shot from the outside, and continuing to working on developing that handle into a pull up jumper versus pulling up out of the post. He has all the physical tools to defend positions 3-4 and maybe 5 at the next level, and if he continues to work on his handle an shot from the perimeter, he could become a valuable asset.