Fall Ball Overview - 2021 Prospect Recap

Fall Ball in Houston seems a bit different this year. Due to the pandemic and many players electing to forgo the Summer season, it appears that Fall ball events has meant more than years in the past. There has been a few events that I was privileged enough to attend this fall: Ball So Hard Preseason Jam, OTR HS Shootout, RCS Sports Super 16, All-N-One Sports Varsity Showdown. With everything that has happened, the class that has arguably been through the most and has had the toughest time recruitment wise has been the class of 2021. So let’s shed a little light on some of the 2021 players who has been productive this fall.   Khi Watkins 6’2 Combo | Paetow HS | 2021 [embed]https://youtu.be/WBUp7R0a8xA[/embed] Participant in the OTR HS Shootout and the RCS Sports Super 16 Khi has shown an ability to effect the game in multiple ways. Offensively, he picks his spots and has been pretty efficient as a scorer, particularly from the mid range. Defensively, he has rebounded well, blocked shots, created turnovers and shown his understanding of defensive rotations. Part of the game that some overlook is communication. And because of his ability to communicate, Khi’s team always remain on the same page and they find a ton of success because of it. Coming back from an injury, Khi looks 100% and ready to make an instance impact on his new team.   Jordan Fitch 5’11 PG | Lake Creek HS | 2021 [embed]https://youtu.be/0rXih9vQOu0[/embed] Participant in the OTR HS Shootout and the All-N-One Sports Varsity League Jordan’s fiery competitiveness is always fun to watch, and he has brought that with him to every event he has played in this fall. He has been a constant threat from the perimeter which typically opens everything else up for him. As a result, he has been able to get into the teeth of the defense and make plays for himself and others. Defensively, he has been playing with active hands and living in the passing lane which has allowed him to create turnovers and get into transition.   Hudson Boyd 6’3 SG | Lake Creek HS | 2021 [embed]https://youtu.be/Zlei301Uf_U[/embed] Participant in the OTR HS Shootout and the All-N-One Sports Varsity League Hudson has been one of the most consistent deep threats that I have seen this fall. He has been knocking down the long ball whether it is off the dribble or in a catch and shoot type of situation. Hudson has also shown growth in his ability to find ways to get to his spots and create good shots from the mid range area. Throughout this fall he has defended multiple positions and its his effort on that side of the floor that allows him to do so.   Shane Bell 6’2 Combo | Elkins HS | 2021 [embed]https://youtu.be/0tO6iobbZwM[/embed] Participant in the OTR HS Shootout and the RCS Sports Super 16 Shane is extremely well rounded as a player and he has shown that this fall. Offensively, he has taken care of the ball, been able to get into the paint and finish in traffic and he has also been efficient for the three point line. The most overlooked area of his game is his vision. This fall he has gotten his teammates a lot of good looks because of his vision and his willingness to pass. Defensively, Bell has been an absolute "dawg" on the ball. He uses his body well and has the lateral flexibility to stay in front of ball handlers. Due to Bell’s all around game, Shane helped Elkins win the RCS Sports Super 16 Championship.   [player_tooltip player_id="887052" first="Noah" last="Kon"] 6’1 PG | Houston Christian HS | 2021 [embed]https://youtu.be/ZzB7dS13Xzk[/embed] Participant in the RCS Sports Super 16 One of the top unsigned PG’s in Houston, Kon played with a chip on his shoulder at the RCS Sports Super 16 and led his team to the championship game. His biggest game was against Cy Ranch where he shot 8 for 11 from the field and scored 26 points. Kon has been extremely crafty at getting to the rim and when he has been in attack mode he has been able to get "And-1s." This has complimented his ability to create great looks on the perimeter for himself and the other two members of Houston Christian’s 3-Headed-Monster trio (Elijah Bernstein and Kobe Haynes.)   [player_tooltip player_id="887086" first="Damian" last="Watson"] 6’4 PG | Cy Woods HS | 2021 [embed]https://youtu.be/cVzugdHEHrc[/embed] Participant in the RCS Sports Super 16 and All-N-One Sports Varsity Showdown Damian has been a constant vertical threat throughout the fall. He has great size for the positions and he is extremely athletic. In one of the All-N-One Varsity Showdown games, Watson posted 10 dunks! That's not what you typically see from the point guard position and thats a testament to his athletic ability. He has also been passing the ball well, which is easily overlooked because of his "splash" plays. Defensively, Watson has been opportunistic in how he has gone about creating turnovers. And that often leads to the part of the game that he excels...the open court.   Pierce Mathews 6'4 G | Cy Woods HS | 2021 [embed]https://youtu.be/0vYTzg52-ZM[/embed] Participant in the RCS Sports Super 16 and All-N-One Sports Varsity Showdown Pierce has been lights out from deep, although he hasn't taken as many as one would imagine. Instead, he has been showing that he is more well rounded offensively by creating good opportunities in the mid ranged area and by attacking the rim. Pierce has also emerged as a vocal leader for his team, making sure that everyone communicates (especially on defense) and on the same page. Effort and energy has never been a question for Mathews, and this fall is no different. He has afforded his team multiple opportunities to score based on his energy and effort alone.   Mekhi Mcintyre 6'2 PG | Fort Bend Travis HS | 2021 [embed]https://youtu.be/JlnV0Q9Q_K0[/embed] Participant in the All-N-One Sports Varsity Showdown Mekhi has looked poised to have an outstanding senior season for his high school. He scored 30 points in a Varsity Showdown game (one 15 minute game, running clock) and did it by being efficient on every area of the floor. Inside, outside, in the middle, Mcintyre has beat teams regardless of how they have tried to play him. He has an uncanny knack of getting to the rim and it has been on full display. He has also shown that he can be a floor general, post up and play with his back to the basket, and find open guys for high percentage shots.