Marietta, GA – Next Gen Academy brought together a talented group of young prospects at NextPlay 360 for a full day of competition. There were plenty of players that made an impression throughout the event, with several young guards and wings showing why their names are worth keeping an eye on. Below are a few prospects that stood out during the day.
’30 Undrae Battle | 6’0” CG | Rockdale HS (GA)
Strong and fast guard with good explosiveness off the bounce. Has a really good first step and can get into the paint before defenders have a chance to really get set. Made a lot of his plays once he got downhill. Strong enough to absorb some contact and still get where he wanted to go. He also has a smooth release on his shot and didn’t need much time to get it off. What I liked most was the urgency he played with. He was looking to make something happen and put pressure on the defense. His first step is probably what stood out the most because he could get a defender leaning and get past them pretty quickly to either hand. Strong guard that should only get better as he continues to develop.
31 Taylor Ricketts-Knowles | 5’9” PG
Crafty floor general that routinely beat his man off the dribble. Did a really good job getting into the paint and still keeping his head up once he got there. Scored it well, but never looked like a guard that was only worried about getting his own points. He remained a reliable distributor and made a lot of good decisions with the ball. Excellent job taking care of the basketball. Didn’t give defenders a lot of easy opportunities to speed him up or force him into bad decisions. He also has long arms for a player his size, which shows up when he’s handling the ball and trying to get passes around defenders. Looks bound to grow more too. If he adds some size to what he already has as a ball-handler and passer, he could become a really good point guard prospect. Has a good feel for the position.
’31 Shane Gordon | 6’0” CG
Pure scoring guard that can stretch the floor and is as competitive as they come. Gordon is one of those kids that seems to seek out a matchup. If somebody scores on him or starts talking a little bit, you can almost see him turn it up another level. He competes on both ends and plays with a lot of confidence. Really good shooting threat from the outside, but he’s not just standing around waiting for catch-and-shoot opportunities. Can get to his spots and score it in different ways. Also showed that he can play with his back to the basket. Not afraid at all to take a smaller guard to the block and shoot it over the top of him. Most guards his age aren’t looking to do that, so it adds a layer of versatility to his game that not many guards possess. Really competitive scoring guard with some toughness to him.
’30 Charlie Wonder | 6’4” SF | Watauga HS (NC)
Strong wing that crashed the glass at a high level and showed off his athleticism in transition. Wonder got after rebounds and wasn’t afraid to mix it up inside. Did a good job using his strength to create space and came away with a lot of balls in traffic. Athleticism really showed once he got out in the open floor. Not afraid to throw down a two-handed dunk in transition and he seeks out contact. Doesn’t play like someone trying to avoid defenders around the basket. He’ll go through them if he has to. Also has a solid turn-around jumper, especially from the mid-post. Looked pretty comfortable getting into his shot and has enough touch to make it consistently. There’s a lot to work with. Good size, strong frame, rebounds it, can run the floor and has some skill. Lots of potential long term.
’32 Dawson Nasrallah | 5’7” PG
Shifty guard prospect that can adjust to different defensive looks within the flow of the game. Has deep range, creativity with his handle and a really good finishing touch around the rim. Defenders couldn’t really guard him one way because he would figure out another way to attack. Keeps his head up when handling the basketball and does a good job seeing the floor. He can score it, but he also racks up assists alongside his point totals. His kick ahead passing stood out. A few times he got the ball and already knew where he wanted to throw it before the defense could get back. Really crafty with the ball and comfortable changing speeds. Can make the deep shot, get by his man or get all the way to the rim. What makes him tough is that he doesn’t have to dominate the basketball to make plays.
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