Check out my analysis on some of the top 2024 wing 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…
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SubscribeCheck out my analysis on some of the top 2024 wing 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!
Malek Archie Malek Archie 6'3" | CG McKinney | 2024 State TX 2024 6’4 McKinney High School
Malek is the ideal two way player whose energy and willingness to scrap and do the little things on the court to make his team have success. He willingly slides over as a help defender to protect the rim, and has active hands to poke the ball free or meet them at the rim to pack it. His active hands are always on display when he is an on ball defender with how well he moves his feet and can cut off angles. He knows how to funnel his defender to the help of the defense, allowing his big man to come over and easily deflect the shot. He is not just a defender, he handles the ball well and can get into the teeth of the defense and either finish or fire the perfect kick out pass to his shooters on the perimeter. Their offense allows for a lot of space and is a hybrid five out system with their versatile center. It allows Malek to slash and get to the rim and finish at a high level, but his unselfishness and willingness to make the right play is always enjoyable to watch. He is getting some high level coaching at McKinney, who is bringing back a plethora of weapons and will still be a real competitor for State this year. Archie’s willingness to be an effective glue guy on both ends is sure to stand out this year.
Alantheon Winn 2024 6’5 Little Cypress Mauriceville High School
Alantheon is always dominant with his size and strength down low, bruising his opponents with his back to the basket. He is the ideal finisher in the paint who uses a blend of patience, strength and athleticism to finish at the rim. He is an incredibly strong finisher in the paint, and has all of the athleticism to get him into the teeth of the defense every time down the court. The consistency that he showed in the paint was at an elite, as he displayed impressive layups with either hand and contorted his body in the air to avoid contact. He is not just a high level finisher with his jaw dropping athleticism and skill at the rim, he is a valuable weapons on the wings and in the corners, allowing his team to space the floor with more ease. It was a real weapon for hims, especially over the summer he really plays with a ton of space and it allows him to make smart reads and finish at the rim or make the defense pay for sitting back to protect the rim. The attention that he draws also allows him to be a smart play maker, and make all of the right reads. I was most impressed by his overall on court intelligence he displayed on both ends of the floor. You can tell he is really thinking the game at a very high level, and mistakes he makes once normally do not happen again. He has a very impressive leaping ability that allows him to play down low whenever is necessary on the defensive end, and is a good help side defender. He knows when to slide over to help a teammate who got beat off the bounce, and has quick feet to go defend the pass to the perimeter. I would like to see him continue to tighten up his handle and improve his overall ability to get to the rim with his handle within the half court.
Trevis Black 2024 6’4 Foster High School
Trevis is an athletic prospect who can handle the ball and get to his spots, break down defenders and is always a threat to snap your ankles! His ability to quickly change directions is at an elite level with the ball, and it constantly forces his opponents to play a step back and wait for him to go, allowing him more separation on the perimeter and a bigger gap to cut to the rim. He is a very impressive player in the full court where he routinely got around his opponent with not only his handle but his creative spin moves and euro steps to evade a second defender. I was very impressed with the agility he displayed in the full court and the ease in which he got to the basket. He showed an ability to catch and shoot from the corners and the wings as well, and with how well he is able to move and handle the ball that should easily translate over to the next level. I would like to see him defend with more consistency and force ball handlers to be uncomfortable with his intense pressure he could bring.
Clarence Payia Clarence Payia 6'6" | SF Beaumont United | 2024 State TX 2024 6’5 Beaumont United High School
Clarence is a strong player both physically and with how he attacks the rim. He has the ideal frame to be a switchable two or three at the next level. Over the summer he has made a tremendous leap and showed a much more efficient ability to get to his spots off the dribble and score from all three levels of the floor. His ability to calmly break down defenders and rise up beyond the arc was very impressive. His ability to get to the rim and absorb contact allowed him to convert a few and-1 opportunities on his way to the rim. He has a great frame already allowing him to finish through the chest of his opponents and slam it on the fast break.Payia is an active player in the paint on both ends of the floor, he rebounds the ball at a high level, finishes through contact at the rim and is patient down low. On the defensive end of the floor, he has great instincts already as a help defender. He is good at recognizing which order in which he should be rotating to help over and protects the rim with ferocity. His defensive instincts allow him to pick off passes in the passing lanes, play lock-down on ball defense, or defend you in the paint.
Chris Catchings
Chris
Catchings
6'6" | SF
Fort Bend Marshall | 2024
State
TX
2024 6’5 Fort Bend Marshall High School
Chris is an elite shot maker off the catch, constantly making the defense pay with how quickly he can get his shot up. He can easily get his shot up over any defender, wether that means dance around and side step them to find some space, attack the rim and stop on a dime in the mid-range or step back and punish you from NBA range. He is an incredibly refined wing player with the ease in which he scores off the bounce and fading away. He is a special weapon with how well he can get to the rim and fight through contact. He contorts his body and can hang in the air and avoid contact, he loves using his long arms to finish around his opponents. I was very impressed with the speed in which he displayed after coming out of the triple threat, and it really caught his opponents by surprise. 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 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 is a prospect you CANNOT miss out on.
