Hoop Review Eval & Workout from 8/27

6’4 SF Rostand Abanda of Woodside Priory HS (2023) Abanda is a very active and athletic small forward who gets a lot done through effort. He plays in attack mode at both ends of the floor and can really impact the game. He handles it ok and has a pull-up game in the half court. He can get to the basket and finish on the drive. Abanda does need to work on his perimeter shot. He moves well without the ball. Abanda is a good defender who will willingly step in and take the charge. He is a solid rebounder who will go after the ball. Very uniquely and impressively, he talks and is very vocal on the court. This kid had a bright future and is a very promising prospect.   6’0 PG Noah Berry of Central Valley Christian HS (2021) Berry is an athletic one-man with a nice burst who makes a lot of things happen. Hustle plays are a part of his impressive repertoire. He is a solid ball handler who has a consistent ability to finish in transition. He moves well without it and has a nice mid-range pull-up game in the half court. Berry is a good driver with a nice first step and an effective hesitation move. He probably needs to prove himself as a perimeter shooter. He understands help defense concepts pretty well and he is a capable rebounder. Berry certainly does belong on the 2021 radar as a college prospect.     6’6 [player_tooltip player_id="947816" first="Miles" last="Byrd"] of Lincoln HS (2022) Byrd is a long and athletic wing with a pretty solid skill set. He can finish in transition and can score in a variety of ways in the half court in addition to moving well without the ball. Byrd is a confident ball handler with a solid mid-range pull-up game. He shoots the ball well with 3 range and he is an effective driver who can break down defenders consistently. He needs to be more vocal on the court and be willing to “mix it up” and be more physical. Developing physical strength will be a critical need to prepare him for the next level. Byrd is a sure fine Division I prospect who is receiving high-major attention. It remains to be seen what level he ends up at.   5’8 PG [player_tooltip player_id="947861" first="Chance" last="Carlton"] of Newark Memorial HS (2021) Carlton is a crafty and clever one-man who makes a lot of plays for himself and others. He’s a real confident ball handler and a good passer who can find the open man. He pushes the envelope on the fast break consistently. Carlton is a nice penetrator/driver in the half court who gets in the lane and makes things happen. He can run a team and is comfortable as a facilitator/distributor. He does show some potential as an on-ball defender but can be more aggressive on that end. Carlton will attract the attention of college coaches who are looking for a true point guard.     6’2 SG Jonah Corie of Archbishop Mitty HS (2023) Corie is a hard-working two guard who plays with a lot of determination and he has a solid skill set to go along with his focused approach to the game. He can handle and pass it confidently and he does make pretty good decisions. He is a fairly good 3-point shooter and he can get to the basket on the drive. Corie is a steady performer with a high IQ. He is efficient and does not make a lot of mistakes. He is a guy who will attract the attention of college coaches.   6’6 PF Mahda Fallay of Moreau Catholic HS (2021) Fallay is an energetic four man with a pretty versatile game. He can play inside or outside and is effective at both. He handles it ok and has a pull up game mid-range in addition to be able to finish on the drive. He has a competent drop step on the block as well. Fallay could help himself by demonstrating some ability as a perimeter shooter - enough to keep the defense honest. He is a solid rebounder who will go after the ball and willing defender. Fallay is a definite college prospect with the level to be determined.     6’4 SF [player_tooltip player_id="950924" first="LeBrie" last="Goudy-Lee"] Of Moreau Catholic HS (2023) Goudy-Lee is a fairly athletic three man with a pretty complete all-around game. He is able to make a difference at both ends of the floor. He is a good passer who does a nice job finding the open man. He’s a versatile scorer who can make buckets from all three levels effectively (perimeter, mid-range, at the rim). Goudy-Lee is a capable defender and a good rebounder who is willing to do “the dirty work.” He is physically mature at a young age so his upside may be limited. But what Goudy-Lee brings to the table is more than enough to satisfy college coaches. He is a legit 2023 prospect.   6’5 PF [player_tooltip player_id="775777" first="Maurece" last="Lattimore"] of Woodcreek HS (2021) Lattimore is a big-body four man who shows some skill level. He prefers to face up and is a capable ball handler and passer. He likes to go coast-to-coast after getting a rebound if the opponent does not stop him. Lattimore needs to develop more consistency on his perimeter shot. He is willing to go inside and bang and be physical as a defender and a rebounder. He will “mix it up.” His biggest need at this point is to make his body more athletic and develop more conditioning. Lattimore will draw the attention of college coaches who need a power four man.   5’9 PG Daniel Malagon of Turlock HS (2022) Malagon is a fairly athletic one-man who plays with a lot of energy at both sides of the floor. He handles and passes it well and is unselfish (almost to a fault). He is a good shooter with 3-point range who takes good shots. He does a great job of trying to fit into a team offensively. He is about we and not me. Malagon is impressive at the defensive end. He stays in a stance and guards the ball very well. This kid is a real good fit as a team guy and college coaches need to take note.     5’10 PG Lorenzo Pardo of Heritage HS (2021) Pardo is a hustling one-man who has a motor that is always running. And he never stops running. He’s a very efficient ball handler and a good passer who is effective in the transition. He pulls up well at the end of the break. Pardo can fill a scoring or distributing role in the half court according to what the team needs. And he has the IQ to know what to do when. This is a player a college coach will know he can put a lot of trust in for sure.   6’4 PF/SF Aidan Rausch of Palo Alto HS (2021) Rausch is a ridiculously hard-working combo forward. He has an incredible work ethic and defines what it means to play hard. He moves very well without the ball and is in constant motion. He’s a competent ball handler and a good passer. He shoots the ball well enough with a lot of confidence (he could develop a quicker release). Rausch is physical and aggressive to the maximum and will challenge you from start to finish. Hustle is the name of his game and in a big way. Rausch is a great one to have on your side if you want someone with a warrior mentality (who wouldn’t?).   6’1 SG Jahlani Taylor of Envision Academy (2022) Taylor is a fairly athletic two guard who is quietly efficient. He goes about his business without a lot of fan-fare. He can handle it and get to the basket on the drive. He also has a clever floater. He does need to prove himself as a perimeter shooter. Taylor can rebound the ball ok and shows some promise as an on-ball defender. He has the efficiency that any college coach will be attracted to. 5’8 PG Jahmar Taylor of Envision Academy (2024) Taylor is a fairly athletic one-man with some tools. He can handle and pass the ball well enough and he plays unselfishly. He is a team guy first. He will be happy to fit any role the team needs. Taylor has the ability to defend on the ball. He just needs to approach it aggressively. This is a young prospect with some potential. He just needs to play with confidence and not take a back seat to anyone. If he does then he has a bright future.