GASO San Antonio Player Recap

San Antonio - The class of 2018 was front and center at the yearly Great American Shoot-Out (GASO) in San Antonio, and like always, new faces rose to the occasion with the Texas Hoops/GASO staff watching.

In the class of 2017, there are plenty of players to talk about, and those that will climb in the rankings.

Analyst Blue Zertuche dives into future transfers, rising sophomores and juniors, and fresh faces from around the state. Also the most requested part of any TexasHoops.com article, NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK.

TX D1 Ambassadors 17's, Sean Phillips showed during the Great American Shoot-Out that he is an under-ranked shooting guard. The 6-foot-5 All Saints (Tyler) standout is ranked No.130 but is demonstrating that he is a player that will push his way into the TexasHoops.com Top 100 Class of 2017.The lanky shooter has a pure stroke and surprisingly has a good burst to the basket where he can throw in a dunk, and has the body control to finish in a crowd. Phillips is a player who is at the top of the TexasHoops/GASO staff list to watch at the Memorial GASO.

Moving off the football field to a full-time basketball player, Dayante McClellan (2017/Del Valle) suiting up for Austin Blazers is a versatile forward with next level athleticism and an active body. McClellan is a slashing forward who can end an offensive play over defenders. At a lengthy 6-foot-6, McLellan nails the three-ball, and when he dives inside, he gets put-backs and a ton of rebounds. He will make an appearance in the next rankings.

Burone Edwards showed all the characteristics of a Top 50 player in the state with his explosive first step to the hole and his smooth stroke coming off the dribble. Edwards is sitting as the No.147th ranked player in the state that will change, and if he continues his high level of play, he will find his way into the top 50.

If your point guard is Johnathan Reyes (2017/San Antonio Clark), you better be ready. Reyes is a magician on the court with the ball, feeding his teammates with crisp passes, and he is talented from end to end with great court vision. If there is ant daylight between the defense, Reyes will find it. He makes passes the length of the court and hits his teammates in stride to the rim. Reyes makes playing the point look effortless, and he can sneak his way to the basket and finish. Reyes is a complete point guard with weapons.

D.J. Peavy (2018/Spring Dekaney)has always been a versatile guard, but his game looks more natural as he plays with and without the ball. HARDWORK (Under Armour) out of San Antonio didn't have a great weekend going 0-3, but Peavy was one of the bright spots for the 16U circuit team. He brought energy and was active on both ends of the court.

Peavey, a sophomore was attacking the basket every opportunity he had and finishing strong in the paint. Physically, Peavy has a mature body and absorbs contact on his way to the rim. He also had his jumper working as he came off the dribble and created space. As a lead ball handler, he pushed the ball up the court with his head up looking for teammates and creases. Peavy worked hard and played with his foot on the accelerator.

Transferring to Austin Westlake from the state of Colorado is sophomore shooting guard, Keonte Kennedy. In his first outing in from of the GASO staff, Kennedy quickly made an impression hitting clutch three-pointers. At 6-foot-3, Kennedy has a nice game slashing to the basket as well as hitting his outside shots.

Every team needs a guy that can be versatile and do multiple things out on the court, so meet 6-foot-4 Jonathan Salazar (2018/San Antonio Stevens/Next level Raiders), 6-foot-7 Harrison Martin (2017/Blue Ridge/Texas Impact 4:13) and 6-foot-5 Matthew Escheik (2018/Plano Prestonwood/Nike D1 Premier Bennett). These three forwards/guards move around the perimeter sniffing out the open area of the court and setting up to score and putting themselves into high percentage situations. The trio are skilled, and will rebound, handle the ball, and they are excellent passers finding open teammates.

Escheik has a sweet stroke from behind the arc and plays off the bounce. Martin hits the boards and gets putbacks and hits the 15-footer. Salazar can play will pick and pop and will score inside.

Texas PRO traveled to San Antonio to take on two opponents to get some run in against HARDWORK and Urban ASAK 17s. PRO came away with two victories and won by 27 versus ASAK (74 -47) and took a five-point win over HARDWORK (81-76).

John Walker (video above) continued his journey as a rising junior putting together solid performances. The wiry Walker (2017/Fort Bend Marshall) Hit threes and maneuvered his way to the basket extending his arms around defenders. Walker's game is effortless, especially when he has Kendric Davis (2018) dishing out the ball. Davis is fluid in his approach and understands the how to play. The 5-foot-9 point guard from Houston Sam Houston has a high-level feel to his game and glides past opponents and uses a dangerous mid-range jumper. Jase Febres (2017/Spring Westfield) came alive sinking three after three. During the first GASO of the spring, Febres left the tournament due to an injury. After stepping back on the floor at Adidas in mid-April, and then in San Antonio, the 6-foot-4 shooter is looking polished.

Patrick Harris (2017) Klein Collins - Harris is a wiry guard that can run the floor and find open space behind the arc to catch and shoot. The wiry Harris plays at a fast pace and beats his opponents to spots on the floor. Harris found the cup six times in one game for Alevel Eagles 2017.

Matthew Glaze (2017) Killeen Shoemaker - Urban ASAK 17s found themselves a gem in Galze who is a slasher and has a long reach. Glaze scores over his opponents on the offensive side and he will lock up on the defensive end.

Brenton Mills Allen High - Javian Williams Little Elm

Both players travel with Nike D1 Premier Bennett, a group made up of 2018s. Mills is a rangy two-guard that looks the part of a next level shooter. He can get the ball off quickly and has perimeter skills. Williams falls under the "smaller-type" point guard at 5-foot-6ish. Very fast penetrating guard who takes pumps in the lane that doesn't bother him or throw off his game.

Jakobe Dill (2018) Beaumont Central - Houston Defenders 16s combo guard Dill has already received an offer from Long Island-Brooklyn, and after putting eyes on the 6-foot-1 he showed all facets of his game from a ball handler, a passer, a shooter, and a defender.

Josh Pitts (2017/San Antonio Memorial) is a dual threat footballer who plays both Defensive End and Wideout, but the 6-foot-9 240-pound post flexes his muscle inside the paint of the basketball court too. The HD Toros big man has an intimidating stature and plays physical. It goes without saying that Pitts is an athlete who runs the floor, and plays above the rim.

Quintin Morris (2017) is an active forward that can drill the three-pointer, and he hit seven in one game. The 6-foot-4 Geroge Ranch prospect is a Wide Receiver/Free Safety, and he takes his high-level football instincts and uses them on the court. He rebounds and plays with a fearless attitude.

The most basketball ready is Alevel Eagles 2017 guard Kenneth Morris (2017/Klein Forest) who is a jet in the open court. The high-flying guard zigzags through traffic and finishes. He has a good skill set and will make smart easy plays.

· Currently attending Austin Bowie, Will Baker is a 6-foot-10 inside player that has ways to go, but he showed some potential while playing for Urban ASAK 16U. Baker obviously needs to add strength, but he will get position inside the paint and work to get on the boards, and he runs the floor. Baker scores around the rim and steps out to the arc and hits the three. Baker is an intriguing prospect that TexasHoops/GASO staffers will be watching.

· Because of his age, Morris Udeze suits up for Houston Defenders 16U, but he is part of the class of 2017. Regardless, Udeze is built to be physical, and he uses his body to create room to grab rebounds and finish above the rim. At the Great American Shoot-Out, Udeze, who attends Fort Bend Travis, made getting to the basket difficult for his opponents as he altered/blocked shots. Not an over the offensive scorer, Udeze is a rim protector.

· Unranked Home Schooler George Wilkerson of SATCH in Houston suits up for RYTES Warriors 2018. Wilkerson is a strong 6-foot-8 banger that uses his athleticism and is very mobile. He uses his athleticism to score and rebounder. Wilkerson will be in the next publication of the TexasHoops.com 2018 rankings.

· Adam Rivera of Amarillo High and the TX D1 Ambassadors-West Texas group has an impressive "ups" around the basket. A bit undersized, Rivera will power his way around the rim. Rivera holds an offer from Lubbock Christian (Division 2).

AT A GLANCE...

· Class of 2018 Souleymone Doumbia has upside as he showed he could run the floor and stretch his arms out for an easy target in transition. The 6-foot-10 post from San Antonio Athlos is nowhere near a finished product, but he has the length, the stride to get up and down the floor and the ability to block shots. Raw offensively, Doumbia is a player that will need more court time to polish up his game, but keep in mind that the Nigerian is an excellent looking prospect.

· Jack Neely of the Texas Tigers Gold is a 6-foot-8 product from San Antonio Churchill. Neely had good balance on the block and looked to get the ball to work over his shoulders. He had a bit of a face-up game, but too early to pinpoint the class of 2018's full potential.

· Down south in Corpus Christi, Will Chayer (2018) is a player to keep an eye on. The Veteran's Memorial High School big is a 6-foot-6 muscle man under the basket for the Corpus Christi Bruins. He showed good hands and footwork and a good touch.

A small scoring point guard at 5-foot-6, Eden Holt (Fort Bend Austin) of RYTES Warriors 2018 is fast up the court and has a quick trigger from behind the arc. He will get penetration and score using a pull-up jumper and floaters.

Coming back from a season-ending wrist injury, Stanley Umude (2017/San Antonio Stevens) of the Next Level Raiders isn't to his old self yet, but he was getting comfortable shooting from behind the arc and from mid-range. Umude is a top 100 player in the state, and we will track his progress.

Next Level Raiders has one of the top guards in San Antonio. Quenton Coleman (2018/Stevens), is a teammate of Umude in both high school and summer, Coleman is an explosive scorer that can get by defenders and score in traffic.

Another Great American Shoot-Out, same results in the box score for Ajare Sanni (2018/Clear Lake) of Sanni Hoops. The sharp-shooting guard continues to rip apart defenses with his soft touch from all over the floor. Sanni has a slender built and makes scoring in the flow of the game look easy.

Timothy Benavides (2018) has varsity experience at San Antonio Reagan and plays for GATA V. He has a solid frame and a really nice touch from behind the arc. He showed that he can play at a fast pace and quickly hit his open teammates. He also reads the defense and will drop threes.

Shooter John Cantu (2017/Corpus Christi Moody) put together a couple of solid games for the Corpus Christi Bruins with a fast release from behind the arc. Cantu will stroke the three as he gets his feet set and will score in the flow of the game.

SABO Gold won a championship, and River Reed took flight playing a key role at the GASO. Out of San Antonio Reagan, Reed reached for rebounds, hits his jumpers and competed inside and out.