Under-The-Radar 2023 Forwards (2/2)

<p>Check out my analysis on some prospects who need to be on your radar with how they produced during the live period. These guys really were turning heads every time they were in the gym! </p>   <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='892145' first='Chase' last='Cain']</strong> 2023 6'6 Shadow Creek High School (JL3 Elite Moochie)</h2>   <p>Chase is continuing to develop at a fantastic rate, getting smarter and more aware with every game. He is adjusting to becoming the focal point of an offense and having the ball run through him at both the high post and on the block. He is garnering a double team almost every time he touches the ball, and is accurately passing out to his teammates on the back side. He is continuing to make the right reads and create looks for his teammates. He is an incredibly lanky and a long athlete whose size seemed to fill up the paint and affect opponents on both sides of the floor. He moves very well for his size and showed a real ability to stay in front of quicker guards on the perimeter and hold his own against larger forwards looking to bang down low. Where he really makes his mark on the game is his non stop energy in transition, on both ends of the floor. He is great at grabbing rebounds and making the right outlet pass and then sprinting down the court to be a threat to the rim as he dives in the open court. Where I have seen the most growth from him this morning was his natural leadership abilities, taking control of the huddle and inspiring his teammates. I would like to see continued development with his handle and working more out of the triple threat and facing up to pair with his ability to score with his back to the basket. </p>   <h2><strong>Croix Cole </strong>2023 6'9 Universal Academy, Dallas (Team Grrr)</h2>   <p>Croix is another intriguing prospect with his special blend of size and how well he moves his feet. I was very impressed with how well he was able to maneuver up and down the court, with and without a live dribble. He loves running the floor as an easy option in the paint, but also chasing down his opponents on the fast break to smack their shot off the backboard. Croix showed an ability to handle the ball in the open court to attack any defender in the paint, or force the last two defenders to make a decision. I would like to see him work on scoring with more consistency from the second and third level of the of the defense, especially off the bounce. He has all the physical tools to be a mid major prospect, but will need to refine his skill and game a bit more to get there. He is not far, and has a bunch of tantalizing playmaking attributes that make him a must see prospect.</p>   <h2><strong>MJ Thomas</strong> 2023 6'7 Denton High School </h2>   <p>MJ is a fluid athlete standing at 6'7 with room to grow. Thomas is great at using his steps to create distance from his opponent when attacking the rim going downhill. He knows how to use his length to outstep his defender and turn the corner. He is great with a power step on the block but could use more post moves in his arsenal. He is a very good passer when he gets focused by the defense. I was impressed with his ability to make the right reads and skip passes out to his shooters. He is a good shooter with a high release; however, I would like to see him speed up his release and stay ready when he picks and pops. I am really excited to watch him develop, as he is beginning to face more stout competition.</p>   <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='787335' first='Ma'Shy' last='Hill']</strong> 2023 6'9 (Austin) St. Michaels High School (ASAK 17U Elite)</h2>   <p>Ma'Shy is a very intriguing athlete with his rare blend of size, strength and athleticism. I was very impressed with how well he moved laterally, with his incredibly broad shoulders, looking like he could also line up at linebacker in a pinch for his football team. His strength bled through onto the basketball court, seeming to strike fear into his opponents when matched up down low. No one wanted to jump with him, allowing him to flush dunks on seemingly anyone with his natural bounce. I was very impressed with the energy he brought for his team every time he stepped on the court, that kind of thing definitely caught college coaches eyes from this weekend. He had one play where he almost finished a dunk through a hard foul, made the first free throw, and snatched the second one off the rim and finished it. I was very impressed with how naturally he finished with either hand underneath the basket. I would like to see him work on his ability to affect the game from the mid-range and out of the triple threat, once he begins to attack more out of the face up and with a quick one to two dribble move, I am not sure there are many kids in Texas who can defend him!</p>   <h2><strong>Cade Kitrell </strong>2023 6'8 Cedar Ridge High School (ProSkills ATX Brown)</h2>   <p>Cade might have been the most polished big prospect I saw this summer, naturally and calmly finishing on either side of the basket, and dominating his opponents in the paint on the defensive end. I was very impressed with how well he could play out of the high post, handling the ball and orchestrating dribble hand-offs and screened at a very high level. He created space every time he went to set his feet, allowing his guards ample time to get around him. He is good at sealing the last defender when his lead guard and him are looking at the rim after a ball screen. On the defensive side of things, he is an ideal post defender, and tied up his opponents on their way up. He snatched the ball and came up with blocks time and time again. On the glass, he was active on the offensive end of things coming up with tip ins and easy second chance points. Every time I looked over at him play he seemed to be rejecting a shot or spinning off his defender for an easy look in the paint. Be sure to keep your eyes on Kitrell as he is going into his senior year!</p>

Check out my analysis on some prospects who need to be on your radar with how they produced during the live period. These guys really were turning heads every time they were in the gym!