Under Armour made it to D-Town for their second session of the UA Rise. Day one brought out numerous TBB prospects in one roof so we are going to go through my timeline from Friday Night
6:00pm
Big-time Performances ft Cade Hornecker, Finley Bizjack.
Fought through a lot of Dallas Traffic to catch the 6pm games but well worth it as I got another look at 22’ big man Cade Hornecker of the Lonestar Mustangs. Cade is big, holds length and his combination of mobility, feel & touch around the rim was on full display. Accumulated a double-double in his team’s convincing victory.
Bizjack hasn’t started high school yet but playing against high school boys is a norm. Finley was a key cog in Texas Hardwork’s close victory vs Oklahoma PWP. Yes, he holds the moniker as a knock down shooter but Bizjack knows how to get his shot off vs length around the rim. One of the most consistent performers in his class.
7:10pm
“Throw It Inside” Ft. Texas Impact 4:13
Texas Impact made it known early where most of their points were going to come and that was in the paint. 20’ Cameron Kahn was physical inside, tracking offensive rebounds and finishing through contact. Kahn has a nose for the ball and that was evident Friday night. 2021 Tay Mosher looked like the player we believed he could become. Not only made shots from deep but showed fluidity when getting into his in-between game. A combination of Preston Aymond, Micaiah Abii & Jonathan Aku contributed to a dominant inside game as well.
Morris, Sykes Stood Stood Out In Showtyme 15U’s Narrow Victory
It was a tug of war for the most part in Showtyme’s Inaugural match up in Session II but the Gorillas came out on top. Electric guard Arterio Morris showcased his big-time athleticism and effectiveness once he gets downhill. There were spurts when he got careless with the ball but he still showed why we are very high on him. Duncanville‘s Davion Sykes played with more of a sense of urgency and subsequently led to a nice outing. Mid-range game ☑️, translatable length ☑️ are just a couple of boxes the Cream of The Crop Alum checks.
8:20pm
Bucket Getters Ft Lonestar Mustangs’ Guards
When your starting back-court combined for 59pts, especially in a grassroots game, the outcome will probably go your way and that was the case for Lonestar Mustangs on Friday Night. Mekai Pope (30pts) & Devon Hancock (29pts) were a handful for the opposing defense. Connecting on shots from deep, slicing & dicing their way to the paint, the duo were the show on Court 3. Hancock is hearing from UNO & Loyola.
Chris Marshall Deserves His Own Segment.
The outcome for Houston Superstars wasn’t ideal by any means but rising sophomore played that good. Made sound decisions with the ball in his hands, a dynamic scorer, Marshall looked the part and played the part on Friday. A no-brainer Top 10 player in his class.
Dallas Showtyme Was…. Dallas Showtyme
Ervin “Big E” Davis’ squad looks to disrupt the oppositions’ offensive flow and they accomplished that last night. The in-your-face, physical brand of basketball brought out strong performances from 20’ Dayday Hall, Wallace Onditi & Sherman Brashear. Hall plays with an attack-dog mentality and contributes in multiple ways. Onditi hands are all over the ball and he’s effective as a back-line defender. Brashear strung together impressive plays on both ends and the lefty can make defenders pay from deep.
9:30pm
Jahari Long, Cooz Elite Concluded the Night
Ah the late night gym days but I’ll catch a 9:30pm game if the set of D1 players Cooz Elite hold are on the court. Premier 20’ guard Jahari Long played at a high level. Cerebral and ability to probe with the ball and see the play before the play was refreshing to see. Jahari was the offensive engine on Friday and scoring came secondary. 2020 Rubin Jones moved the ball as his defensive versatility and eagerness to crash the boards helped his team. Forward Nate Lacewell connected on two jumpers from deep and in spurts made an impact from an interior aspect. DA Houston is a handful in transition. He’s strong, has burst and welcomed contact as he bowling-balled his way to the paint. Rising senior Elijah Elliot scoring punch was needed. A scrappy guard that is s prospect we will continue to look at.