Texas Hoops Rewind - A look back at a week of tournament coverage
It was a long week of basketball with the after Christmas Tournaments across the state. TexasHoops.com/GASO analyst Blue Zertuche has collected his thoughts on players that made an impact and left a lasting impression over the several hours of basketball.
Note: Drew Timme and Zhaire Smith have both had separate articles published, so they are not a part of this write-up. Click on their names for their individual articles.
Class of 2017 Rankings | Class of 2018 Rankings | Top 20 class of 2019
Grayson Carter - Carter is quickly becoming one of the must-see post players as he has done a great job under Guyer head coach Grant Long in developing a back to the basket game. After watching Carter in several games this season, he has made a smooth transition from a perimeter stretch forward to using the block as his main source for scoring. He is a big 6-foot-9 interior presence and once he steps away from the paint, he dials in his perimeter touch and feel. At one point, TexasHoops staff was unsure if Carter would like to be in the mix down low, but he has shut down those thoughts with being a double-double threat and is playing for a top 10 spot in the future TexasHoops.com Rankings. Currently, Carter sits at the No.15 spot of the mid-season ranking updates.
Cameron Christon - Christon is another of the top unsigned seniors of the class that has shown consistency throughout the fall. He is part of an Allen team that is equipped with guards and shooters but Christon is the focal point. Be ready for a burst of scoring from Christon which happens in seconds. Christon scores in numerous ways. First, it looks like he prefers the ball beyond the arc to catch and shoot. Secondly, he will drive the ball to the paint and use his strong frame to fight through contact and score, but he will also pull up for soft jumpers and use floaters. Finally, Christon makes a fair amount of free-throws after taking the bumps and slaps on his way to the basket.
Let's not forget that Christon will stick his nose in the middle of a play to rebound and will head up the court to start the break. Recruitment is picking up, and Christon has a proven coach in Jeff McCullough to lead him in the right direction.
Kyler Edwards - Edwards was pegged by the TexasHoops staff as a player that was on the verge of being a top 10 player in the state before the season starter. His play and recruitment have both exploded, and the Bowie High School wing has backed those offers up with his game-changing shot making ability, speed, and athleticism.
Edwards is a one-two punch alongside freshman Cade Cunningham, but Edwards experience and star power gives him an edge each time he steps out onto the court. There is no lack of confidence from Edwards, and he sprinkles his game with a bit of slashing, mid-range jumpers and hitting shots behind the arc. The No.7 overall player in the state has proven the staff right.
Darius McBride - Only a sophomore, McBride Is ready to compete from the tip. During the Dallas Invitational McBride gave glimpses into his future as a Division I player slashing through defenses and rattling in jumpers and hitting his runners. McBride has taken some time and has added weight to his 6-foot-3 body which allows him to bounce off his opponents. McBride is comfortable playing with the ball in his hands or moving on the perimeter getting himself in striking distance of the basket. He is long, strong and has a good skill set. Easy to see why he is among the TexasHoops.com's top 20 sophomores.
David Nzekwesi - The performances that Nzekwesi gave during the Byron Nelson Tournament was so impressive that North Texas, Texas State, UTA, and UTSA offered (each program in attendance) after his double-double game against Richardson, as he scored 23 points and pulled down countless rebounds. Nzekwesi was strong and gained position on the block to back down his defender using a soft over the shoulder scoring touch. The junior big has noticeably shed pounds and has grown an inch or two, and if he continues to progress, there will be many more offers which could include higher level programs. At 6-foot-8, Nzekwesi can definitely score around the hoop and within the offense, Nzekwesi can stroke the three.
Nicolas Rene - When your teammates of seniors Zhaire Smith and Brendan Brooks, by default you are the third option, but Rene will continue the tradition as top guards coming out of JT Lockear's Lakeview Centennial program. It was pleasing to watch Rene score as much as he did with little touches. In the championship of the Whataburger Tourney versus Denton Guyer, Rene was spot on hitting threes and scoring through contact as he got the ball to the rim. More of a three-point threat, Rene showed that he could bring the ball up the court and defensively he was quick and applied pressure. Rene's current ranking of 100 doesn't do his game justice and there is room to move up.
Noah Thomas - Thomas is a transfer from Houston Christian and has settled in nicely with Cy-Fair and has made an impact. Once a football wideout, Thomas says that he is done with football, at least for now after stepping away midway through the football season. On the court, he is shifty and plays with a lot of flash. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard can catch fire and score in bunches. A newcomer to the latest TexasHoop.com 2018 rankings (No.75), if Thomas stays on the hardwood, many recruiters will line up to watch Thomas who can drain the three and the deep perimeter shot off the dribble.
Feron Hunt - DeSoto High has had two McDonald's All-America's in recent four-year cycles (Marques Bolden and Matt Jones), and this year's team is far from being a state contender and doesn't have another All-American, but Hunt is an intriguing prospect at the Division I level. He is long and is trim built. Many things on the court come naturally for Hunt, and he can score around the rim and step out to the perimeter. He is far from being a polish player, but he has shown skills that once he puts them, or if he puts them all together, he will be looked at strongly as a versatile forward. So much to like, and he clearly showed flashes.
Jase Townsend - Another prospect that will get a nudge in the next rankings will be Townsend who displays a scorers mentality. The rangy guard likes to set up behind the three-point line and take open shots, but he has a quick step to the basket where he can turn his body away from defenders to lay it in. Townsend scores in bunches and has the length to compete and to defend. He is skilled and will fly up the court with the ball and makes floaters and short range jumpers.
Keaton Wallace - In the two contest that I have witnessed this season, Wallace has been an efficient scorer, and the available senior guard has the stat line to prove it. I charted his productivity in both games, and the numbers are outstanding. In games against Rowlett and Byron Nelson, Wallace combined for 48 points on 17-for-31 shooting, 8-for-13 from 3-pointers, 6-for-10 on free throws and added a total of eight rebounds and six assists during those two outings. Averaging 24 points, four rebounds and three assists per game, not bad.
With the ball in his hands, Wallace has the freedom to score and he is one of the best off the dribble scorers I have seen all year. He creates space for himself and creates scoring opportunities for his teammates. To add to his scoring prowess, Wallace has a soft touch on his passes. He is good with at finding teammates once the defenders collapse on him. The lefty is one of the state's top unsigned seniors and his recruitment has started to turn the corner.
Maitlind Wanza - There may be some questions marks with Wanza's overall offensive game, but he caught my eye at the Kingwood Tournament. A lean 6-foot-7, Wanza has nice hands and footwork around the block. Wanza is a player who knows what he can do and what his limitations are as a player. Raw offensively, Wanza displayed a few moves off his defender's body to score. He averages around five points a game and four rebounds on the season, but his presence in the middle of the paint can be intimidating with his size, length, and quickness off the floor. He altered a handful of shots on the defensive end and gave the college coaches on hand and me enough to scratch our heads about as we move forward and when bigs become scarce, Wanza maybe a prospect that sees nterest by programs.
Shahada Wells - Tascosa has been among the best teams from West Texas and Wells is leading this year's squad. A fun player to watch, Wells is fast in transition and can pick apart his opponents from the perimeter, especially from behind the arc. A smaller shooting guard at an even 6-feet, but Wells doesn't need much room to get his shot off. Defenders have to be light on their feet when facing Wells because you never know when he will pull up in transition to drain a three. He is the type of player that will bury jumper after jumper and put up double digit points in a quarter. For his size, Wells is a great athlete and will finish on the break. His athleticism and quickness can be seen on the defensive side of the ball as well. He is a pesky defender getting his hands on loose balls and stripping his opponents.
Jalen Wilson - Some may disagree, but Wilson is a player that could squeeze into the top-five in the class of 2019. I will say it may be hard for that to actually happen but what is there not to love about Wilson's game? He has always struck me as a stat filler with his ability to see over defenders for assists, his willingness to get in the mix for a rebound, and he scores moving to the basket and is a decent three-point shooter.
The class is deep as we have mentioned before, but the 6-foot-5 forward brings a lot of basketball savviness. Nothing he does is done with a flare, he simply hits the court and plays basketball.