3d Empire, Basketball U, McBride, Shead, Mohn all with big showings

The passion in which 3d Empire’s program director Shawn Ward coaches bleeds onto the court where his teams compete. In two separate NBA Brackets, 3d Empire 16U and 17U came up short of their championship goals, but still had one of the more impressive runs at the Opening GASO just a short time ago.

There may not have been any household names on the 3d Empire roster, but this team has what many lacks, and that’s grit. I don’t think you can pinpoint one performer off this team because 3d Empire plays basketball, running through plays and sets and shares the ball.

Under-rated forward Max Valentino (Argyle High) is one of the players that has always been a factor in any game that he steps out on the court. Valentino is a rebounder and a scorer who hits shots by stepping away from the rim and has a skill level that recruiters will enjoy watching. He is tough and is one player that you can call the backbone of the team.

Evan Anderson is an intriguing point guard, who can score. A bit on the thin side, Anderson gets things going in a hurry by pushing the ball upcourt and finding his open teammates, but you cannot leave room for Anderson on the perimeter. The 6-foot-1 ish Anderson will score in a hurry from behind the arc, and he does it in bunches. He is wiry, but the once ranked Hebron high product is pushing his way back into the class of 2019’s rankings.

A lot is riding this spring for Urban ASAK 17U wing Darius McBride and the GASO was a big indication that he has turned the corner as a legit contender for the eyes of high-major programs. At 6-foot-3, McBride, a high school scoring machine from Leander Vista Ridge, showed that he is bigger, stronger and is able to get to the rim and take contact. McBride gets good position behind the arc and consistently drills the three-pointer from the corner with a soft touch and confidence. The level in which McBride competes on both ends, along with his size, quickness and scoring ability will be more than enough reason for high major coaches to seek him out. In such a crowded and great class of 2019, McBride holds the No.19 rank, but there is room to slide up as we get through April and head into the summer months.

Urban ASAK teammate, Jamal Shead (Manor High) wowed at the GASO and the dial is turning upwards from his overall play. Shead is easy to spot with his trademark headband and his aggressive style with the ball in his hands. At 6-foot-1 and a lean cut, basketball built, Shead tears through pressure and will make opponents think twice on how they will play him. Shead possesses dynamic passing abilities, a burst in both the open court and from the half-court setting, has a nice touch from behind the three-point line and will hit the hole off penetration and play through contact. He dazzled with his no-look passes and Shead puts a ton of zip on the ball as he heads up the court dodging defenders. Shead has always been on the GASO staff radar and has a solid ranking of No.19, but he is one of the more impressive class of 2020 players that we have seen in the short stint of the spring.

One of the luxuries of evaluating players at the Great American Shoot-Out is the chance to catch a prospect in a different environment from high school and then mesh both evaluations. In the case of Centex Lockdown Basketball’s guard/forward Bennett Mohn, what we quickly learned was, we undervalued his body of work after laying eyes on him during the high school season.

Mohn didn’t necessarily do anything out of the ordinary at GASO, but what he did was lead his Lockdown squad in scoring, and exploded to nearly a 30 point half in one contest. With a good stroke from deep, along with skill makes Mohn a threat from inside the arc as well. One weekend can make all the difference, and we can say that Mohn has grown at a rapid pace, but with the NCAA Open Period only a day away, can Mohn do the things that we expect him to do when coaches focus on him? Mohn isn’t a “one trick pony”, as he will grab rebounds and get the ball inside to cutting players with crisp passes.

The class of 2021 is rapidly growing in numbers and though there are some wrinkles in the youngsters game, three look to have what it takes for Houston-based Basketball University 15U Gold. Rhossi Carron already knows what it feels like to join an elite club of “summer programs” who have had the opportunity to witness the growth of a prospect blossom into a McDonald's All-American, and now the question is who will be next?

Enter Jimel Cofer, Jerrell Colbert, and Griffin Datcher. Cofer (Austin St. Andrew’s) is a 6-foot-3 guard who can get from one spot to the next in a hurry and create the separation he needs to get his shot off inside the arc. He is fast in the open floor and has a soft lefty touch and when he gets a lane, he races to the basket and finishes.

With length and instinct to change a game because of your reach are always a plus. Six-foot-9 Colbert is a long target inside the paint, and though he needs polishing, he is talented. Colbert attends Sam Rayburn (Pasadena) and he has a chance to get major attention over the next coming weeks. At the GASO, Colbert used his length to score over and around his defenders, and there aren’t many that could contain him around the rim. Still. Colbert needs to add strength, but the essentials are there for a promising three and a half years.

Datcher (Conroe Oak Ridge) is a bruiser that looks to get out in front of the defense and go to work in the open court. He will explode off the floor and finish in a crowd. Datcher is also a strong rebounder and defender and will use his body in the paint. His 6-foot-6 stature and overall game will turn heads.

We aren’t saying that one of these prospects are the next top 10 players in the nation, but from the standpoint of the state, these three could battle for top spots in the 2021 rankings.

Now, calling Urban DFW Elite, Zahad Munford a “New Kid on the Block” maybe a bit of a stretch after you look at his resume, but the 6-foot-4 junior forward from Dallas Carter needs the coaches from around the nation to take a deep look. Munford is one of those prospects that is well put together with strength and size. He is capable of scoring from all three levels of the floor and will rattle off threes in bunches. Munford uses his strength to dip inside and go to work on the boards and finish in traffic as he comes off the bounce.