Christmas Week Houston Upperclassmen Stock Risers

Some athletes were relaxing at home the week of Christmas, but other players were out here putting the work in to get better. Several holiday showcases and tournaments took place over the break, and I was able to watch several familiar athletes as well as some new faces on the court. Here are the players who stood out to me the most and joined my watch list for this season!    [player_tooltip player_id='2830995' first='Hasting' last='Stewart III'] was one of the best playmakers in attendance whenever he was on the court. He is very unselfish with the basketball and knows how to keep teammates involved at all times, often good at setting the pace of the game to his team's advantage. His spot up shooting can be underrated on the perimeter as he is able to knock down open jumpers when left alone by defenders and he consistently fights through tough perimeter defense to get to his spots.     [player_tooltip player_id='2198640' first='Gavin' last='Green'] showcased scoring from all three levels and elite decision making with the ball in his hands. Green has the speed to outrun opponents in transition and has great court vision when distributing and looking for the open man/open shot. He can create his own pull ups off the dribble well and he is a great ballhandler in pick and roll situations. Gavin had a fantastic summer with Fam Elite and continues to build off this momentum going into a good year with Covenant Prep as one of the top 2027 prospects in the private school scene.     Adam McIntyre is beginning to put himself on notice as one of the more athletic guard prospects in the city of Houston. He had several finishes at the rim and found his way through multiple defenders to the basket consistently. Adam has a tough, aggressive brand of perimeter defense as well and this led to several steals and transition points for his team in clutch situations. One of the leaders on Lamar this season, McIntyre has shown he can be relied upon to get buckets from anywhere on the court and his stock has risen tremendously since last year. Look for some collegiate offers to come his way soon!     Fola Sodipo made a tremendous impact on me this week as this was my first time getting to watch him in action. Sodipo commands respect in the paint with and-one finishes, good fundamental defense, and athletic ability to protect the rim and run on fastbreaks. Fola has a good variety of post moves that allow him to score at the basket and shoot an efficient field goal percentage. I like that he is unselfish with the ball too, never hesitant to pass out of the post if he is doubled or doesn't feel like he has a good look at the basket. I will be watching Fola again at the beginning of January as he looks to prove himself even more against a tough Seven Lakes squad.     Kayden was one of the prospects I was able to watch during the course of this week, and he came away with several big moments. He is one of the players that you know will consistently give 100% on both ends of the court and he battles hard for loose balls and second chance points. Shak is a great hustle player, and he only shoots when he has a good look at the basket, never forcing anything at the rim. I enjoyed watching Kayden play and I think he has a big year ahead of him as one of the leaders for Deer Park.

Some athletes were relaxing at home the week of Christmas, but other players were out here putting the work in to get better. Several holiday showcases and tournaments took place over the break, and I was able to watch several familiar athletes as well as some new faces on the court. Here are the players who stood out to me the most and joined my watch list for this season!