G.R.I.N.D. Vol 4

One month down or the 1st quarter of the 2024/2025 high school season is in the books. We still have a couple of months remaining in the season and holiday tournaments and the winter scholastic break is quickly approaching. We have already seen teams have a rocky start to the season, which on paper they should be better than what their record is. That is just the way the ball bounces sometimes. We wish all teams a successful and competitive season. All you can do from here is build.

Coach of the Month:

Our coach of the month for November is Teddy Wheeler of Xavier Academy. Yes, I can hear the naysayers now, but he has to recruit his entire team. It's still hard to win games even when you assemble the team. They also beat So Cal Academy, a school that has produced 55 D1 scholarship athletes within the past four years. Coach Wheeler currently only has one D1 scholarship athlete on the team which just happens to be our guard of the month. He has Xavier Academy at 6-2 in November with its only two losses coming from Huntington Prep (VA) and Bella Vista (AZ). We asked Coach Wheeler what his philosophy is and the reason why he coaches. “My philosophy in brief is to get individuals to use their personal skill to benefit the team. Through that collaboration we have unforgettable experiences and life lessons that extend beyond sport.” He has his team bought into his philosophy and they go out and execute on the court while competing at a high level. “My coaching why is coaching is a calling. I’ve been a coach in some capacity my entire adult life.” I love the fact that he approaches every game like this is our state championship game. It doesn't matter who the opponent is. December 13-14 you can catch them at the Stars and Stripes Showcase here in Houston, TX..

Best Guard of the Month:

There have been some outstanding guard play early on this season. But our guard of the month goes to Montana Wheeler | 5’19” Sr. [Xavier]. The University of Bradley commit is a tough competitor on the court. He has everything you want in your lead guard. He is vocal, competes on the defensive end, can knock down perimeter shots, gets paint touches, and is a great facilitator of the rock. He never backs down from a matchup and loves to leave his imprint on the game in a potent way. He is averaging 22 points and 8 assists per game on the season this year.

Best Wing of the Month:

The wing of the month is Malachi Booker | 6’7” So. [St. John’s School]. He was named as our November freshman of the month just last season. Malachi has been putting up some really big numbers this season and I mean he is fresh off the gridiron onto the hardwood. He comes to compete every game and plays through the contact. He is playing more comfortably on the wing. He is averaging 21.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to start the season. Shooting 46% from the field and 33% from three-point land.

Best Big of the Month:

Our big of the month is Dajion Leatherman | 6’9” Sr. [Legacy School of Sport Sciences]. Who else controls and dominates the paint on a nightly basis? He has earned Fred Van Vleet all tourney team. He also has the best of his matchups at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest. Daijon is committed to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the home of the Ragin Cajuns. He has good hands, moves well on the court, and is a handful for opposing bigs.

Team of the Month:

Fort Bend Travis High School. The Tigers are just one of the few teams that are unbeaten throughout the entire first month of the season. The Tigers sat at 9-0 in November. Their point margin of average is +13.5 so far on the season over opponents. They have been led by senior guard Kameron Newsome who is a promising unsigned prospect. Coach Craig Brownson has his team bought in and not just on the varsity level but the entire program is all on the same page. The Tigers will be a tough out this season as they are rolling right now.

Freshman of the Month:

There have been a lot of fabulous freshmen so far, but our freshman for November is Ephriam Moore | 6’8” Fr. [ Beaumont United]. He is playing like a tenured varsity big and it's only his first go around on the campus. He is averaging 12 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game early this season. Out of his first six games of the season, he has recorded 3 double-doubles.

Got Bigs?:

College coaches' first question to me is “What do the bigs look like?” Height is one thing that can’t be taught, however height with a skillset or potential is an attraction. Let's take a look at some of the bigs in the area. Also, this is not in any particular order.

Jaden Jinks

6’8” PF | Ridge Point

Runs the floor well and has good hands. Finishes over the right shoulder well.

Projection: JuCo/NAIA

Logan Menefee

6’10” PF | Ridge Point

Has the tools. He has been finishing above the rim a lot more than last year. Good drop stop. Good hands. He can stretch the floor out offensively.

Projection: LM/D2/JuCo

Jadyn Murray

6’8” PF | Grand Oaks

He has the potential. He is a putback king on the offensive side. Runs the floor well. Good interior defender.

Projection: JuCo/D2/NAIA

Jeremiah Cooper

6’8” PF | Westfield

Interior defense is his calling card. Finishes over both shoulders. Loves to play above the rim. Very active with solid hands.

Projection: JuCo/LM/D2

Jordan Smith

6’7” C | Barbers Hill

Traditional big who sets solid screens with solid footwork. Active on the glass.

Projection: D3/NAIA

Bennett Peters

6’8” C | Houston Christian

Runs the floor well. Plays the dunk spots on the floor. Finishes through contact.

Projection: D3/NAIA

Jude Oluokon

6’5” PF | Katy Jordan

He may not be the biggest but his impact would make you think differently. Very active on the entire floor. Plays well with back to the basket. Has a face-up game. He can take an opponent from the perimeter.

Projection: NAIA/D3 a right fit D2 could thrive

Vlad Vatrachki

6’6” PF | St. Thomas Episcopal

He can stretch out the court. He likes to play on the perimeter. Good rebounder and plays the high post well.

Projection: D3/NAIA

Anthony Andrews

6’7” PF | Bellaire

Good hands. He has a face-up game. Can knock down perimeter shots. Has a decent handle on the ball. Finishes well around the rim over both shoulders.

Projection: LM/JuCo/D2

Jacob Oman

6’9” C | College Park

He is a good offensive rebounder. Runs the floor really well. Playing above the rim more often. Finishes through contact at a high percentage. Continues to improve as an interior defender.

Projection: D2/NAIA

Jayden Evans

6’9” C | Iowa Colony

He is a rim runner. He uses his length to his advantage on the defensive side of the ball to alter shots.

Projection: D3/NAIA

Samuel Johnson

6’7” C | Washington

Old school flavor to his game. Back to the basket big that finishes through the contact. Uses his strength to his advantage to gain position.

Projection: D3/NAIA

Mathias Baye

7’0” C | Marian Academy

Rim running big. Rebounding out of position is his true calling card. He can finish through contact. Strong build with solid hands. Has a good defensive IQ as well. He is a walking double-double in high school.

Projection: LM/JuCo/D2

Kam’ron Hamilton

6’8” PF | Wheatley

Rim protector is his calling card. He can also guard wings on the perimeter. Long and athletic. Looks like a greater later player with his rawness.

Projection: JuCo

A Couple of other bigs I have not fully scouted:

Jordan Pape 6’6” PF | Cypress Ranch

Lukis Simmons 6’8” PF | Katy Paetow

Wayne Kelly 6’7” PF | Randle

Innocent Mugisha 6’8” C | CE King

Must See Unsigned Hoopers:

Here we will look at FIFTEEN of the top senior players/prospects who have been on a tear early in the season. College coaches best believe these 15 are worthy of a scholarship.

Jackson Seastrunk

6’3” SG | Xavier Academy

The motor that Jackson is playing with is on another level. He can play with and without the ball in his hands. He scores the ball on all levels and plays above the rim. He has gotten the best of every matchup thrown at him. He is averaging 20 points per game on the season.

Michael Collins

6’2” PG | Shadow Creek

Mike is one of the toughest on-ball defenders in the state of Texas. His ability to pick up 94 feet and not just contain his opponent but rip them is a reason why Universities like him. Although he holds some offers he hasn’t committed yet so he is a must-see unsigned senior for collegiate coaches.

Scottie Guillory

6’3” PG | Legacy

Scottie is a pick-n-roll set maestro on the floor. He always makes the right reads and gets his teammates involved in the game. He also has a nasty mid-range game with a mean pull-up jumper. He is very athletic and plays smart basketball on both sides of the ball.

Demorae Pritchett

6’5” SG | Summer Creek

He has been displaying more of his athleticism this year than ever before. He was known as a three-point shooter but he has been showcasing a ton of athleticism and I don’t just mean in his bounce, although he has been posterizing opponents, his quickness and his strength are on full display as well.

Omarion Harvey

6’7” SF | St. Francis Episcopal

Another uber-athletic wing that has had a lot of strong showings this year so far. Harvey has the measurables and has been playing a good brand of basketball. He can guard multiple positions on the court. He’s a very active rebounder in and out of position. Has been more consistent as a three-point shooter.

Christian Hodge

6’3” G | St. Francis Episcopal

Player, that's all that needs to be said about this prospect. He is the best out-of-position rebounder in Greater Houston, arguably in the state. He also is a tough on-ball defender. Very scrappy player that is like a true swiss army knife, whatever you need done Hodge will get it done on the floor.

Kevin Sargeant

6’5” SF | Marshall

Player 2.0, another prospect that gets it done and brings about winning basketball. A super high-energy guy that is all over the floor. You name it, it will get done. Rebounds over bigger opponents, he finishes around the rim, and through contact, he can guard anyone on the floor. He will thrive at the next level. Hey, Coaches trust me he got the goods.

Kendarius Johnson

6’5” SG | Cy-Fair

He has been on a tear this season. Playing the passing lanes well. Playing above the rim every chance he gets. Knocking down tough contested three-pointers. KJ has been as smooth as they come this season.

Aidan Williams

6’7” SF | Barbers Hill

Ace has been on a mission since June at TABC and hasn’t stopped at all early on in the season. He has been consistently good every time he touches the floor he leaves a positive impact. His perimeter shooting has gotten better and the game is starting to slow down for him you can see it in how he reads the defense and makes plays. He is averaging 20.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game.

Matthew Bingham

6’7” SF | Hargrave

This prospect has had multiple double-doubles early on this season. His energy and winning play mentality is a big reason for his teams' early success this year. He can play inside and out as a dual forward. He’s very active on the interior defensively. He can finish above and through opponents on the offensive side of the ball as well. He is averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds per game on the season.

Noah Stull

6’5” SF | Montgomery

Noah has had two 30+ point outings this season. He also cleans the house on the glass and is a really good interior defender. He guards on the perimeter well too. He is averaging 20.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1 block per game on the season so far.

Kameron Newsome

6’3” SG | Travis

Kam has been on a tear this senior campaign. His high of the season so far is a 32-point outing. He is uber-bouncy and is a crafty scorer off the bounce. He is averaging 23.7 points per game on the season. He is worth the look of coaches.

Jordan Buckner

6’0” PG | South Houston

He has had a couple of 30+ point outings and even a game where he dropped 15 assists in a game. Last year as a junior he set the school record for career assists. He is a playmaking lead guard who just happens to be able to put the ball in the bucket. He is also a good on-ball defender with great lateral movement and brings that toughnes to the floor.

Noah Neumann

5’11” PG | Good Vision

He has been playing well this year. He is known as a three-point shooter and his NBA rangeability makes him a threat as a shooter. He has been showing that he can be a facilitator also and is a good on-ball defender as well.

Prince Jones-Bynum

6’1” PG | Cinco Ranch

Prince is a really smart lead guard who is an extension of his coach on the floor. He is a playmaking guard who is a tough on-ball defender. He can score on all three levels of the floor and is a great teammate.

Underclassman to Watch:

The month of November has come to a close. We got to witness a lot of good underclassmen do their thing. Here are 5 juniors and 5 sophomores to watch for throughout December and the rest of the season.

Reginald Rideau

5’10” PG | Summer Creek | Jr.

Shia Francis

6’2” G | Second Baptist | Jr.

Brody Thorton

6’5” SG | Bush | Jr.

Shawndrick “SJ” Young

6’4” SG | Willis | Jr.

Tyce Blodget

6’1” G | Katy Taylor | Jr.

Christian Brown

5’11” PG | Clear Brook | So.