I Have A Dream Invitational Top Performers Pt. I

Kot Malou; AOSS Prep 2023

David Yapkowitz

January 29, 2023 @ 12:32 AM

Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, Grant HS in Van Nuys, CA played host to the first ever I Have A Dream Invitational. The event was held on Monday, Jan. 16 and featured a mix of both prep schools and local high school teams with a plenty of talent in the building. I was able to attend the event and here's a look at some of the top standouts I saw. 1. [player_tooltip player_id='994946' first='Kot' last='Malou'] - AOSS Prep 2023 Malou is a good wing scorer who is comfortable with the ball in his hands. He already has an offer from UCSB and is hearing from other D1 schools. He does well as the ballhandler in the halfcourt and he can has some playmaking skills as well. He did well shooting off screens. What really impressed me though was his defensive awareness. He's active in the paint and a good shot blocker. He's athletic and challenges shots well without fouling. He's quick and mobile and positions himself for rebounds. 2. Aram Soqui Urbano - Veritas 2025 Urbano stood out as a solid up and coming point guard. What stood out the most from him was his shooting. He's a shooter from three-point range who can knock down a shot from anywhere on the court. He did well moving without and being able to free himself up for jumpers; good with catch and shoot threes. He can also face up and shoot. As a ball-handler, he is solid in transition, looking ahead and finding the open teammates. Makes the right passes/decisions in the halfcourt. 3. Henry Eme - LA Premier Prep 2023 Eme is a player I've seen a couple of times and he's a bit of a combo between a forward and a big man. He is strong and does well on the glass using his strength and positioning to grab rebounds in traffic. He can operate in the midpost and hit the little turnaround jumper. Defensively is where he stands out as well. He has quick hands and he is mobile. He's got the ability to play against wings and stay in front of the ball-handler. 4. Deshawn Banks - Birmingham 2024 Banks has good size and length and what stood out to me the most from him was his activity on the glass. He rebounds well in traffic and uses his length and athleticism to sneak in and snatch boards. He stood out as a solid defender too especially in transition getting back and being a trailing shot blocker. He also stood out for his off-ball play. He runs the floor in transition and can finish. Makes strong cuts to the basket. Good catch and shoot three-point shooter.

Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, Grant HS in Van Nuys, CA played host to the first ever I Have A Dream Invitational. The event was held on Monday, Jan. 16 and featured a mix of both prep schools and local high school teams with a plenty of talent in the building. I was able to attend the event and here's a look at some of the top standouts I saw.

1. Kot Malou Kot Malou 6'7" | SF Renaissance Academy | 2023 CA-S - AOSS Prep 2023

Malou is a good wing scorer who is comfortable with the ball in his hands. He already has an offer from UCSB and is hearing from other D1 schools. He does well as the ballhandler in the halfcourt and he can has some playmaking skills as well. He did well shooting off screens. What really impressed me though was his defensive awareness. He's active in the paint and a good shot blocker. He's athletic and challenges shots well without fouling. He's quick and mobile and positions himself for rebounds.

2. Aram Soqui Urbano - Veritas 2025

Urbano stood out as a solid up and coming point guard. What stood out the most from him was his shooting. He's a shooter from three-point range who can knock down a shot from anywhere on the court. He did well moving without and being able to free himself up for jumpers; good with catch and shoot threes. He can also face up and shoot. As a ball-handler, he is solid in transition, looking ahead and finding the open teammates. Makes the right passes/decisions in the halfcourt.

3. Henry Eme - LA Premier Prep 2023

Eme is a player I've seen a couple of times and he's a bit of a combo between a forward and a big man. He is strong and does well on the glass using his strength and positioning to grab rebounds in traffic. He can operate in the midpost and hit the little turnaround jumper. Defensively is where he stands out as well. He has quick hands and he is mobile. He's got the ability to play against wings and stay in front of the ball-handler.

4. Deshawn Banks - Birmingham 2024

Banks has good size and length and what stood out to me the most from him was his activity on the glass. He rebounds well in traffic and uses his length and athleticism to sneak in and snatch boards. He stood out as a solid defender too especially in transition getting back and being a trailing shot blocker. He also stood out for his off-ball play. He runs the floor in transition and can finish. Makes strong cuts to the basket. Good catch and shoot three-point shooter.