Meet the risers from the #OpeningDay in Texas
The travel season is off and running in various parts in the country. Our Justin Young was in Dallas, Texas for Opening Day, presented by TB5 Reports. There were a number of players who jump-started their personal narratives with their play.
The wing from Duncanville was an eye-catcher right out of the gate with the BeastUp program. He was the alpha dog and looked really good playing in speed and shined in transition. He’s a strong player who can finish in traffic and play through contact. There is a calmness to him that will translate well to the next level. On a weekend where Texas teams thrived in the NCAA tournament, the locals were singing the chorus of the abundance of players in the Lone Star State that can help future NCAA tournament teams. Sykes is one of those types of players. He’s coming off a year of an injury and a role within the loaded Duncanville program. Now healthy and playing a big role for BeastUp, we could be watching the start of a great ascension.
Hobbs was one of the better point guards at the event. He doesn’t lack for confidence. He was slippery with the dribble and turned the tempo up with his competitive play. Because of his ball-handling (he plays really low to the ground), Hobbs was able to get into tight spots in the half court and spread the offense around. When he was open from three, he was a knockdown shooter. His recruitment is trending mid-major (offers from Troy and UT Arlington) and it wouldn’t surprise if he becomes quite the coveted floor general in the class of 2022 among the mid-level schools.
Clark was one of the best shooters that I saw in the field at Opening Day. When he was left open, he knocked down open three-point shots from all spots of the perimeter. Clark may not be the fastest guy but he’s strong with the ball and knows his strengths well. There is a calculated attack that he plays well with. He doesn’t play super athletic but he is smart enough to create space for himself with the dribble on the wing. He has the size and natural strength to be able to handle the rigors of college hoops. Taking a quick look at the local pundits rankings, I thought he was one of the best risers/surprises of the event based on what he showed at the Opening Day event.
The high-flying motor man is an attractive prospect because he just doesn’t stop. Like, at all. A highly competitive player, Clark was clutch for his team throughout the event and thrived off of the good energy inside the Duncanville Fieldhouse. He was a rim-running big man who would fly to the basket on dives off of screens and would chase down balls out of his area for rebounds. His team was fueled by his energy. His footwork and versatility in the front court caused a lot of headaches for opposing teams.
The Texan has the ball a string and picked apart defenses with his purposeful delivery in the halfcourt. The more I watched him, the more I saw his overall value. Luster is a great shooter with good patience on his shot. He’s a point producer at a high level and could be on the verge of a major come up. Luster has a wow factor to him that you can quickly become attracted to. He said he currently holds an offer from SMU and has interest from South Alabama, New Mexico State and East Carolina.
The lefty guard was really good at taking advantage of his one-on-one situations, breaking his man down and getting to the iron. He finished around the cup. When he was left open, he knocked down perimeter shots. Ramirez has a fiery competitive drive that doesn’t relent. Defensively, he was part of an aggressive rotation of 3D Empire players that guarded hard from end to end. His footwork kept in step with the opposing guards. Pepperdine has reportedly already offered.
