Dallas GASO Fall Classic

Duncanville - The Great American Shoot-Out Fall Classic made it's second stop out of three in South Dallas. Duncanville, the home of basketball in the metroplex played host to 66 teams from Dallas, Central Texas, and San Antonio. TexasHoops.com/GASO staff went off in a different direction than most of the crowd to spot some rising players from different classifications.

The one player that left the biggest impression was 6-foot-6 Ty Weaver of Red Oak. Weaver is a forward that has a polished all-around game, and he did everything for his Red Oak squad that were without 6-foot-9 Adrean Johnson, who has been sitting out with a stress fracture in his foot. Weaver was magnificent as a scorer making shots from 12-15 feet away from the basket, and when he gets to the rim, he explodes above the defense. Because of his athleticism, Weaver was asked to move his game inside on both ends. The long and rangy Weaver got his hands on several shots that opponents attempted around his area of the paint, and he was very convincing as a shot blocker. Weaver is active and energetic up and down the court and demands a ton of attention. It will be interesting to see how his game develops once he gets his post player back on the court.

Not to be outdone was a freshman by the name of Bryce Cook, a 5-foot-5 point guard out of South Grand Prairie. Cook was fun to watch as he did not withdraw himself from bigger and stronger competition. He was crafty and extremely fast up the court handling pressure. He hit shots from the perimeter and penetrated to the basket where he took contact. Cook's overall game came off as a two or three-year veteran understanding the offense and who needed to get the ball in situations. He also showed that he was a gritty defender knocking the ball away from opponents hands.

Larry Wise is a smooth off the bounce scorer for Waxahachie, who plays out on the wing. Wise is 6-foot-5 and covers a lot of ground with his athleticism and skill. In transition, Wise would pull up and hit the mid-range jumper or take it to the bucket and finish. There is no doubt that Wise, who is only a sophomore, has a ton of upside.

Out of Copperas Cove, the TexasHoops.com staff liked what we saw from prospect Quinton Ford. The 6-foot-3 wing slashed his way by defenders and finish in traffic. Ford was aggressive and played hard at both ends of the ball. He's a wiry frame athlete but wasn't afraid to attack the basket. Ford plays with energy and instincts.

Dallas Jesuit has two players that are on the list of many college coaches and both 2018 standouts already have had visitors. Michael Jankovich and Marcus Hill are two young guns that are showing a high ceiling. Jankovich is a shooter that can get hot and score in bunches for the Rangers. The 6-foot-2 sharpshooter is the son of SMU associate head coach Tim Jankovich. Hill, on the other hand, is a competitor that looks to make plays off the bounce. It may be tough to pinpoint his natural position, but the 5-foot-11 Hill hits the court and makes plays. Whether his job is to rebound, bring the ball up the court, or defend, Hill showed a versatility that coaches will like.

Kortrijk Miles is a skinny forward that shoots the ball from behind the arc. Miles needs to add strength as getting bigger may be a harder task, but his frame doesn't stop him from grabbing rebounds. Miles is skilled and crafty for Dallas Lincoln.

Making a bigger splash than before was 6-foot-4 forward Isaiah Brown from Flower Mound High School. The uncommitted senior is excelling in every part o his game. Brown had the green light to do whatever he wanted, and he showed his range hitting multiple threes from NBA distance. Known more for slicing through defenders, Brown took on the role of scorer first, and his teammates didn't have a problem giving up the rock to Brown, who was making plays all over the court. Brown is thin on top, but he is mature in the way that he plays and has the versatility to be a rebounder and ball handler.

Another 2016 that made a big impression was 6-foot-10 Ryan Evans of Plano High. Evans has always been tall, but the game looks to have finally caught up with his size. In the game that TexasHoops.com watched, Evans rebounded and made moves around the rim that looked polished and natural. Evans has taken his time to develop showed that he has confidence under the basket rebounding and blocking shots. There still is some rawness to his game, but Evans could be in for a big year.

TexasHoops.com Jukes and Jumpers...

• Niko Bossinakis of Colleyville Heritage is in his freshman year, and he showed an ability to stroke the three and handled the ball in the open court. Bossinakis is a 6-foot-2 guard that has the length to compete for rebounds when he decides to attack the glass.

• Flower Mound Marcus's senior, Hunter Martin is a 6-foot-6 forward that has size and the ability to score from the perimeter. He doesn't mind taking his game inside and mixing it up.

• Chris Parker is the son of former college and NBA coach Charlie Paker, who coached his son's Plano East team during the GASO Fall Classic. Chis is a guard that can play on and off the ball and he will not hesitate to let it fly from behind the three-point line. Chris hit big threes throughout the weekend and displayed his ball handling skills. Chris could be a sleeper with his background and his style that would fit any coach. He is a heady player that makes good decisions and gets his team going.

• A player to watch in the class of 2017 is Garland Lakeview's Brendan Brooks. A speedy point guard, Brooks looks to hustle the ball upcourt and take his shots off the dribble. Lakeview has always had the reputation of playing fast, and Brooks fits that mold. Brooks is 5-foot-11 with decent size.

• Nolan Johnson of Hallsville is a player that not many have heard of as you move west out of East Texas. Johnson made some noise as a point guard that can setup his teammates and take on the scoring load for his team. He is quick with the ball in his hands and has a quick trigger from behind the arc. Where Johnson can hurt his opponent is when he penetrates the defense and makes a decision to score or dump the ball off.

• Another intriguing player from East Texas was from the class of 2018, Jason Bush. A 6-foot-5 power forward plays inside muscling up to experienced players at his position. TexasHoops.com had a chance to get a few glances at the sophomore, and the body of work is there. However, in the short time of watching him, he still needs to iron out the wrinkles. Bush will rebound and run the floor.

• As a team, Irving MacArthur can heat up quickly from behind the three-point arc and get themselves back into a game or run away with it. In the thick of the bombs being shot is Kennie Cooper. It was noticeable that Cooper has picked up where he left off in the summer. The sub par 6-footer drains the three and weaves in and out of trouble.

• Big men are always in demand, and 2017 prospect Zach Simmons of Abilene Cooper is slowly developing into a force in the middle of the paint. Simmons has the size as he is stretching into a 6-foot-9 paint player with a soft touch around the rim. He did what you want from an interior player, he defended well, rebounded and blocked shots.

Additional Notes...

• Garrett Shaw from Mansfield High can stroke the three ball with a nice touch. He creates his separation by racing down the floor and setting his feet. Shaw is a good shooter in the 2017 class.

• From Plano High, 2016 Brandon Headroe was tough with his 6-foot-5 frame. Headroe was solid and is an all-purpose forward who is asked to defend, rebound, and score moving to the basket.

• A pair of 2016 uncommitted players gave a taste of what their upside is as a player. Six-foot-1 Carter Brown was terrific for Frisco Liberty, who was without Reggie Chaney as he plays football. Carter played the role as both distributor and scorer. Plano East's Devin Gifford is a 6-foot-2 baller that has a nice lefty touch that stretches beyond the three-point arc.

• In the class of 2017, Red Oak's Donovan Burks is only 5-foot-10 but has the range and uses his shooting ability to offset his opponent. He is a good ball-handler and plays the point, but Burks finds ways to beat defenders to spots on the floor to get clean looks at the rim.

• Hans Burwitz of Allen is 6-foot-7 and shapes up well in the middle of the paint. He post up on the block, will make moves over either shoulder and score, is strong and competes on both ends.

• Crowley High's Elijah Jones is a great looking athlete and has the look when he steps out onto the court. Jones is a 6-foot-1 guard that handles the ball and nails the 18-footer.