DFW Fall Shootout RECAP 2022!

Dallas was the place to be this weekend. Tons of events, tons of players all over the city. We were blessed to be able to have 2 days to catch some under the radar teams and players from the DFW area. For OTR we don’t get to see the DFW kids as frequently so it’s always refreshing to be able have the kids and their teams in our event competing. West Side Dallas LG Pinkston HS and their nice facilities were our hosts for the weekend. Here are some of the notable things I saw from the OTR DFW Fall Shootout!

 

Christian O’Connor 6’3 | South Lake Carroll 2024, Shooting Guard

Christian plays the RIGHT way. Every correct play that was supposed to be made he made it. Pitching up to guys on time on target – kicking the ball out on penetration – talking and communicating on defense. He was especially good on the defensive rebounds, always looking to go get anything loose around the rim. Pretty much didn’t miss any of his plenty open 3s, as that is easily his strength. Has a decently tight handle. Would like to see him use his body more vs smaller defenders. Would love to see him add some extra blow by moves to his game; he handles the ball well enough that a couple extra moves I feel would allow him to get past defenders off the bounce a little bit more as a guard.

Roman Rolle 6’4 | South Lake Carroll 2023, True PG

Really loved his poise and decision making playing on the ball. Every possession down the floor he executed in the flow of the game. Played off the transition drag screen very effectively. Got into the pockets off the defense for pullups, for corner 3 kick outs, or hitting the roll man. Good size and feel at the position. Played the game at his own speed, and was never sped up even under pressure. Eyes up, vision, always looking to make the right play. Trying to utilize and show more of his athleticism- speed with the ball to more pressure on the paint in transition + athleticism for finishes around the rim. These could serve Roman well just to put some more pop to his game.

South Lake Carroll was very pleasing to watch. First game of the day I sat down to watch and they came out and hit 6 back to back to back threes, and went 7 for 9 from 3FG in literally the first 3 minutes of the game. From that point on they played extremely confident and locked in. Even without senior leader Carter Ruck, it was like they didn’t miss a beat. ’24 6’4 Jack Lawson was on fire all weekend. Letfy shot it unconsciously and most of the time never even hit the rim. And he showed grit to compete down low and battle for rebounds, defensive post position, and loose balls. Every possession is valuable to them, and they really are looking to make the extra pass, keep the dominoes falling, and find the best wide open 3 they can. Their momentum and energy builds off of it. Ran a bunch of their sets to perfection. Even had good flow in their drag screen action. Defensively they just wanted to be solid and limit as much dribble penetration as they could. No easy driving gaps. Decision making, passing, and being solid is clearly a big focus point for these guys. Would love to see them in full form with all their players- I think one of the biggest challenges they might see is against teams who are very aggressive on the glass and apply constant pressure on the ball defensively. But if you are not ready to communicate on defense or locate shooters, then it’s gonna be a long night.

 –

Jacorian Johnson 5’7 | Arlington Heights 2024, True PG

Kid is very consistent in his play. He looked the same in every game he played. He has a crafty handle with some hesi in his bag- which allowed him to get into the teeth of the defense and playmake all weekend. He got to the rim and was able to find his finishes; or draw defenders and find his shooters. Good pace. He really ignites his team with his defense though. He has a good center of gravity so he could pressure handlers and also get underneath to frustrate them. His hands are active on defense so he gets a lot of pokes and deflections. When he gets the team to running after change of possession that’s when they really get energized. He’s vocal with his teammates, and he also challenges them when they mess up. I would encourage him to be cautious/aware of his finishes and trying to finish through traffic or bigger defenders as a smaller guard- he creates space so he can get to the rim, but sometimes if you can feel that it might be a tough layup, you probably have a wide open kick out 3 somewhere that can be more valuable. Once you have that balance it is harder to guard you.

Gus Harvey 6’5 | Arlington Heights 2023, Sniper

I’ve written about Gus before at our shootout event a year ago, and one thing’s for sure is that he’s still sniping the ball. Going to always do that best. Gus has grit and toughness to him as well. He will get in and mix things up on rebounds, loose balls, and time to time with on ball defense. Good frame. He also has some ability to put the ball on the floor and try to get back to his shot. A good teammate as well, he’s vocal and is always encouraging.

Arlington Heights took a while to get going, but once they did we saw the confidence and energy turn for them. They played tougher. They played faster. They played stronger. They played with more fire. This team has some potential because they have several guys with good size good length, great athleticism. Guys who know their role and provide impact off the bench with shooting. They all seemed to have the same mindset on how they want to play defense. The biggest test they will face is just maximizing that potential and staying together as a team. Have to always come out ready to be the aggressor.

 –

Trae Nunn 6’3 | Waxahachie 2026, Shooting Guard

If I know one thing, I know Trae Nunn is going to shoot that ball. And he’s going to knock it down from deep. And that’s what he did very well for sure. But we all know about his strengths. I liked how he showed all the intangibles. Playing heavy minutes and undermanned he competed on both ends. He was physical and boxed out on every possession. Crack down box outs are usually the most difficult but he made the effort to come up with those plays whether that’s a rebound for himself or teammates. In halfcourt defense, he showed physicality on switches and active hands on the perimeter. Was able to get some steals and deflections. Not things that show up on the stat sheet always, but plays that show playing the right way, playing hard, and executing.

Isayah Pankey 6’2 | Waxahachie 2024, True PG

Waxahachie was short-handed but Isayah didn’t let that determine how hard he played and how he performed. Another who played heavy minutes, and yet still was active and energetic on both ends. Defensively was challenged to pick up full and frustrate ball handlers; which he did well. Often times he sparked his team energy wise with his steals and instincts in the passing lanes. Offensively he had to carry a lot of the responsibility of getting his team a look and also scoring it- so I thought he did a good job relieving the team of pressure as well as balancing facilitating and scoring. He has a very twitchy handle, showed great stop and go game that was pretty hard for defenders to keep up with or keep him from where he wanted to go. Solid weekend for him, he could potentially be more vocal with his guys and just make sure his presence is always felt on the floor as a floor general.

Ben & John Price 6’6 | WT White 2024, Athletic Utility Forwards

WT White had a lot of length, and the twins are big make up of that. Ben was all over the glass. He was active body flying around for rebounds and loose balls. As well deflecting passes getting steals, that sometimes would turn into fastbreak dunks. Easily one of the best athletes in the whole event (at least that we were able to see who produced). John Price in my opinion showed a little more ability to cut and move without the ball into the midrange. Saw a couple of middy jumpers off curls, and other cuts. He is athletic and springy as well. They both move well without the ball in their hands, and know how to find open space. Need to continue to play to their strengths: rebounding, sprinting the lanes hard, being huge defensive presences. At the same time, they must make sure that they are providing enough impact on the offensive end to help put up points on the board. May also mean making a few more catch and shoot 3s in the course of a game.

– 

Gracious Tabe 6’1 | Good Vision National 2025, True PG

One of the better weekends I’ve seen Gracious play. He has some physical tools that can allow him to be really good defensively, especially on the ball. He utilized those tools and showed it this weekend jamming a lot of ballhandlers and making them uncomfortable with his physicality. When he gets active on defense it tends to lead to transition buckets for him and the team. Strong on the ball handle, he can play through bumps and hand checks. Uses his spin dribble to good effect when going downhill. Made some open threes, and had several mid range pullups or up & under moves. Gracious’ challenge will be his consistency and using his tools to always be impactful and not getting lost in the shuffle of the game.

Kuol Atak 6’8 | Haltom 2024, Spacing Forward

Kuol is very savvy and knows himself and his strengths. His perimeter shooting was on full display. He is very concise with his movements and how he wants to get his shots off. Jab game, no dribble, shoot over the top when he wasn’t getting catch and shoots. Has the ability to turn his dribble drives into midpost game with the spin dribble, which shows a high level understanding. Cracks down for blocks and help side defense really well. Would’ve liked to see him get more midpost touches from his teammates to help get them more easy looks at the basket. Kuol’s continued growth will be expected. Learning to play vs same size physical defenders will be critical down the line. Also want to see him be more vocal about what he sees/wants on the floor. I feel players who are smart and have good understanding and back it up with their play earn the right to be trusted. And as good as Kuol is, he is a mismatch problem that can create easy offensive looks for the team.

Max Ndiaye 6’3 | Spring Creek Academy 2023, Scoring Handler

He was on point the entire event. I remember every game players from the opposing team were like “damn he can shoot.” Lefty had a real knack for how to get to his spots and get to the shots he wanted. In the midrange he gets great elevation on his jumper and was putting those in all weekend. From 3 if he was uncontested even from deep it was cash. There were even times off the dribble where he showed the ability to rise up and elevate from 3. His handle on the ball is simple but effective. Has a good feel when driving of when to shoot the floater or how to navigate around the defense and find the finish. Had a nifty feel of how to pause around 15-18 feet to get the defense to freeze and then find his opportunity to re-attack. Good poise, control, and makes good reads. Making his presence felt on the court at all times is one of the only things I can see for the future that must remain consistent.

Yassin Abdel’wahab 6’5 | Spring Creek Academy 2023, Wing

Had a very good showing this weekend. He has to be at the pinnacle of 2 feet finishing. Poised and patient around the rim. If he couldn’t get all the way to the basket then it was a touch floater everytime. He has a good understanding of where to go with the ball while it’s in his hands, just as well as he knows how to cut and move without the ball. Uses ball screens pretty efficiently. Always looking to make the correct basketball play. Scored the ball at a high rate in all of their games. Lived in the paint. Created extra opportunities via offensive rebounds as well. Showed he was a vocal leader for the team. He should look to continue to work on his 3pt shooting so that he can be knockdown when it comes to him in catch and shoot situations, or shooting behind the screen in PNR.

Spring Creek Academy always reloads with some guys. Got to see some new faces, who apparently seemed to be fresh off the plane. And were missing Nazar Mahmoud due to camp. These boys are always ones who play extremely hard and execute what they’re told. They pounded and crashed the offensive glass like crazy. Still seeming to work out the kinks with each other; they moved the ball side to side well and ran through some of their motion actions. When teams would deny, they would start to backdoor. Ndiaye & Abdel’wahab took most of the scoring duties this weekend. However other players played their roles to the best of their abilities and didn’t do anything uncharacteristic. Biggest thing with SC I see is how well they communicate. They all seem to like each other and want each other to be successful on the floor. Good culture is always prevalent in their program you can see it and hear it. Want to see them continue to work to grow their skill and get better. Spring Creek is always going to give you a battle no matter what. It’s who they are.

– 

Dink Pate 6’7 | Pinkston 2024, True PG

This kid is wired different! Haven’t seen him since May. But he keeps improving that’s for sure. He was a man on a mission in our shootout. What stands out clear as day is his motor, but I like how he used it for rebounding. He attacked every defensive rebound- and if he’s getting the rebound… and then pushing it with the speed and pace that he plays at… that’s a lot of constant pressure on the defense. A lot of dunks. He used his length to make 1 move and go past defenders, and then showed the body control to go play through fouls and find his finish/get to the free throw line. Defensively I mean he has gifts a lot of people are not blessed with, and he uses them. Long arms to get deflections, lateral quickness to sit down on any tough handler, playing the passing lanes getting steals starting the break. His passing was on point, had barely any turnovers. Competitive wanted to win. Had a game-winning buzzer beater 3 off the dribble. Kid is going to be great. Still want to see him continue to make strides in his 3pt shooting- maybe shot selection, maybe mechanics… either way he made quite a few still. I believe in trends. The best predictor for future performance, is prior behavior. Kids like Dink, who improve year after year, and bloom late are the ones to watch out for and the ones you can bank on. Truly he still is not even as good as he going to be yet. It’s going to keep getting better with this one.

Des’meon “NuNu” Jones 5’10 | Pinkston 2025, True PG

This is one exciting guard to watch. Everything he does is loud. His presence is felt from the jump. I know he has a lot of nicknames, but I’m giving him another one. “Bink Bink Jones.” LIVES in the paint rent free. You can’t really stop him from getting to where he wants to go. Hesi package; spin dribble change direction; pullup/stepback game. And he can knockdown the trey ball with consistency. Ultra confident kid. And he’s tough. Doesn’t bow down to anyone and accepts any & all challenges in front of him. Good luck to anyone getting caught on Nu Nu Island. He also has elite vision, and elite instincts on when to pass and where the pass needs to go. Pick and roll game was tough to guard as well. He passes as equally well as he creates off the bounce. Only thing he has to do is play his game! Once he gets the right matchups and the time is right, you will have no choice but to pay attention. As good as he is, I would encourage Nu Nu to continue to have a positive mindset/outlook even when things are tough and adversity or challenges hit. Sometimes teammates won’t catch the ball or won’t see what you see.. so instead have effective communication with your teammates so you all can achieve together. Trust that your teammates and coaches have your back and want to see you be great. “Bink Bink & Dink” sounds like an elite backcourt duo, just as much as their game is elite!

 –

Duncanville generally when you see something about Duncanville you know to expect the usual suspects. Well the kids that played in the shootout were more than usual to say the least. In probably any other situation these guys are main contributors on other teams. However, Duncanville has so much talent that sometimes these boys get overshadowed. ’23 6’0 Evan Phelps led the way. His speed was lethal. Change of possession or even off the inbound he was coming downhill aggressively, and he has a good enough handle that 1 move will have you stuck and boom he’s at the rim. Layups, paint touches, assists, and he was making his 3ptrs. Big thing I recognized is how hard Duncanville sprinted the floor in transition. If you are a shooter they make a concentrated effort on racing down the floor to the open space in hopes to get a kick out 3. ’23 Jackson Prince as we all know does what he does best. One game had 6 threes and finished with 20p. But we knew that already. Jackson was easily the most vocal on the team. Very communicative in timeouts, asking questions, engaging with his teammates. And he just has a happy spirit to himself which makes it easy to follow him as a leader. We cannot forget his other running mate, Kayden “Bugg” Edwards. Bugg has that calm killer demeanor. He is a threat to shoot/score as soon as he steps in the gym. He attacks closeouts extremely well. Another kid with ultimate confidence, he will be heated up after 1 made shot. He plays with speed and is looking to get stuff done. He also had 20p in a game. Big glue guy who may not always get the credit is ’23 Rasaun “Ra” Collier. Reserved, but does so many things on the floor. Made shots from mid range & 3pt, was being a primary handler and initiator, defends multiple positions, and more importantly just gives the team a calming presence on the floor. These guys often get overshadowed, but what they do is necessary to success. There’s a reason why Duncanville is “D1fferent.” Their culture still holds firm even when they are missing guys!

Categories