Too early preview: Houston Mustangs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Houston Mustangs will enter the 2024 season with bigger expectations than they did a season ago.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rising sophomores <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2101889' first='Justin' last='Frison']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2111892' first='Jordan' last='Myles']</strong> are promising prospects that have gotten much-needed experience and reps playing for Hoop City 16U this AAU season. Facing stiff competition on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit typically has a nice payoff. Frison had to carry a huge load last year as the team's starting point guard. Myles, a 6-foot-5 wing that averaged 10.9 points last season, had to show confidence in big spots each time Frison found him on the wing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Neither player was a disappointment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Add in rising seniors <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1532545' first='Keron' last='Jackson']</strong> (10.9 PPG) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1672419' first='Kaleb' last='Jeffries']</strong> (9.6 PPG), Houston has a core it can lean on for the entire 2024 season. Jackson, a 6-6 forward, has shown his ability to make shots from 17-feet out. Jeffries is a 6-1 guard that can also make shots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But, there's a big “what if.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This “what if” won't hurt the Mustangs' chances of being a TSSAA Class 4A contender. There's a high chance of it helping.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What if senior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1400889' first='Jacob' last='Walker']</strong>, who's playing with Mustangs (18-16 in 2023) for the month of June, decides to end his high school basketball career at Houston? What if Walker, who led First Assembly Christian School to a TSSAA Division II-A Boys' state title last season, is fine with sharing point guard duties with Frison - a talented prospect that was given the keys to the Corvette as soon as he walked through the doors - on a nightly basis?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Walker and the trust from the rest of the team will be able to answer those two questions at some point during the 2024 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But, the duo of Walker and Frison can work. In Friday's scrimmage against Bartlett in Penny Hardaway's Basketball Team Camp, the ball movement was excellent. Both guards were unselfish, got into the lane with ease and made shots from the perimeter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Walker will take a lot of attention off of Frison, who saw double teams a lot during his freshman season. Spacing won't be an issue with a starting five of Myles, Jackson, Jeffries, Frison, and Walker on the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All of this sounds good. The idea of Walker playing alongside Frison looks promising and exciting, but it's only June, and Walker is testing the waters for his next and final stop.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->