Central Cali Hoops: Underclass Players to Watch

During the month of June is always a fun time of the high school basketball calendar, as it provides an opportunity to see the next wave of high school basketball players. In particular, it is always a great chance to see the top incoming freshman, as well as some rising sophomores that saw limited to no time on varsity as freshman. This past June was a really good one, with a few guys that have the potential to be special prospects when their high school careers are done, along with some new names and players that saw limited to no varsity action this past season but have made strides in their games that will likely earn them quality varsity playing time this coming basketball season. In this article I take a look at 7 rising sophomores and freshman that caught my attention over the Summer. They are not listed in any ranked order, but alphabetically. I begin with one of the more impressive guards I watch this Summer in Dasani Davis.    Davis was one of the more intriguing rising sophomore lead guards I saw over the Summer, and I was able to watch him live in multiple events to get a good feel for his game. The 6-foot-1 point guard has a nice handle on the ball, shifty moves to keep his defender on his heels, makes good use of the hesitation to keep his opponent on his hip, plays with good speed and body control getting downhill, and is a skilled finisher around the basket. Davis is effective with the jumper, with the ability to connect on the 3-ball off the dribble or the catch with accuracy.     Dixon is an athletic and bouncy up-and-coming prospect that will see his on-court time increase this coming season for the Knights. The 6-foot-3 wing/slasher crashes the boards on the regular, has nice touch on putbacks off the glass, runs the floor well in the open court, and gets ahead of the pack to be the recipient of easy transition buckets. Dixon has a great motor, moves well laterally to be a solid on-ball defender, with the active hands to deflect passes on the perimeter or on the entry to the paint, and still seems to just be scratching the surface of his game.     Felix is one of the top incoming freshmen in the state, and he performed well in the games I watched him play for Clovis in early June. The 6-foot-6 wing/forward alters/blocks shots around the basket, with the agility to step out and defend perimeter players, runs the floor well and gets to the open spot, is effective with the 3-ball off the dribble or the catch, and has nice touch around the basket. Felix showed enough handle to attack from the top of the key, with a smooth mid-range jumper he can shoot over most players, or get by bigger players for finishes at the basket. Felix impacts both ends of the floor and could be one of the next players to break onto the regional/national scene if he continues to develop as a wing/guard.     Mason is a physical and skilled player that impacts both ends of the court, as was evident by his play in June with the Knights. Mason has a strong handle on the ball, makes good use of the crossover to create space from his defender, looks to attack the defense and get into the paint, and has the strength to absorb and finish through contact down the lane, or at the basket. Mason has solid court vision, makes good reads to players cutting off the ball, has active hands to poke the ball out from perimeter players, and get out in the open court. Another rising sophomore that could benefit from some of the recent player movement at Bullard.     Nance is a lengthy and rangy player that is just scratching the surface of his potential, but with his frame and natural abilities, he is definitely a player to keep an eye on over the next few years. The 6-foot-5 forward has good timing around the basket to alter or block shots, is active on the glass to provide his team with second chance opportunities on offense, and displayed good touch on shots in the painted area. Nance has the wingspan to deflect entry passes to the post, as well as poke the ball out to his teammates to get out in transition. If he can develop a consistent shot from the mid-range area, as well as the handle to create off the dribble, he could make a significant jump in the rising sophomore class.     Powell is a player I am familiar with from middle school hoops, as I saw him the last few years in the annual TTP Middle School All-Star Game, and he looked ready to make the jump to varsity in the one weekend I watched the Falcons at the Fresno State Team Camp. Powell is a relentless on-ball defender, with nice footwork and lateral quickness to stay in front of the opponent's primary ball handler, and forces his man into poor decisions and turnovers. Offensively, Powell has the handle and crossover move to get by his defender, has the strength to finish through contact down the lane, and good touch on the float shot, as well as crafty finishes around the basket. Powell will be part of a young squad for the Falcons and will see plenty of minutes, which could help his game progress quicker than some incoming freshmen that may not see as much floor time at the varsity level.     Sligh was another one of the more impressive rising freshmen I was able to view in person during the month of June, and the potential for him as a four-year prospect is for real. The 6-foot-5 wing/forward is active on the boards, keeps the ball high for easy put-back buckets, alters shots in the paint, has good feel playing off screens, has good form on the perimeter shot, and runs the floor well in the open court. Sligh has a great feel for the game and leaves his imprint on both ends, with the ability to defend in the post and the perimeter. Could be a high impact freshman for the Knights, with rising senior Ja'Vance Coleman Jr. to run pick and rolls with all day.

During the month of June is always a fun time of the high school basketball calendar, as it provides an opportunity to see the next wave of high school basketball players. In particular, it is always a great chance to see the top incoming freshman, as well as some rising sophomores that saw limited to no time on varsity as freshman. This past June was a really good one, with a few guys that have the potential to be special prospects when their high school careers are done, along with some new names and players that saw limited to no varsity action this past season but have made strides in their games that will likely earn them quality varsity playing time this coming basketball season. In this article I take a look at 7 rising sophomores and freshman that caught my attention over the Summer. They are not listed in any ranked order, but alphabetically. I begin with one of the more impressive guards I watch this Summer in Dasani Davis.