Edmond, Oklahoma — The Prep Hoops Next Southwest Kick Off, hosted at The Hive, brought some of the best rising talents out of Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The competition was competitive and high scoring for all ages, these…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inEdmond, Oklahoma — The Prep Hoops Next Southwest Kick Off, hosted at The Hive, brought some of the best rising talents out of Arkansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The competition was competitive and high scoring for all ages, these prospects brought an abundance of intensity and energy from day to day. Here we’ll take a look at a few of the most effective and most skilled ball-handling standouts from this fantastic weekend.
Billy Crockett | Crowley, TX | Tarrant Elite 2026
Tarrant Elite guard, Billy Crockett was highly impressive offensively throughout this tournament, he appears to be someone on the way to becoming an elite shot creator with excellent ball skills. The Texas native displayed a nice set of handles, pulling a plethora of moves out of his bag that got him through the teeth of the defense after eating up unsuspecting defenders by getting them leaning one way or throwing them off-balance or slightly out of position with his sneaky shiftiness. Good quick-moving feet, impressive footwork when creating a shot, and solid body control on the dribble-drive, Crockett attacked the hip of his defender before using very creative hop steps to split traps and slice through traffic before going up and completing the play with one of his many acrobatic finger-rolls under the basket. Billy Crockett proved to be an incredibly crafty finisher in the paint, killing the defense in congested lanes and contesting big men with beautiful reverse and up-and-under layups.
Rylan Austin | Arlington, TX | Dallas Blue 2027
Rylan Austin quickly caught my attention with his ultra-smooth deceptive ball-handling, showing great balance, control, instincts, and counter moves. Austin had the ball on a string, snapping ankles with a shifty in-and-out crossover pullback that left defenders looking silly.
Jonathan Rodriguez | Dallas, TX | AKR Texas Summitt / Vols Elite 2028
Jonathan Rodriguez might have been faster with the ball than without, this speedster constantly went coast to coast in a blink of an eye, burning teams in the open floor by changing directions, making timely passes, and uncontested layups, showing the ability to start and finish the fast break. The speed he put on display was a game-changer, he easily blew by defenders off the dribble with his first step
Banks Turner | Fayetteville, AR | Arkansas Athletes Outreach 2029
Banks Turner’s dime-dropping potential was on full display. Somehow, someway, he always found the open guy wherever they were on the floor, no pass was off-limits for Turner.
Zai’lee Thompson | Fort Smith, AR | Hoyas Elite 2029
Zai’lee Thompson excelled as a true lead guard, pushing the ball up the court every play looking to hit his big man in the post or teammate cutting through the lane. Solid court vision, dribbles with his head up at all times, and always looking for dump-off or kick out before his own shot. When locked in and focus Thompson was at his best, there was no slowing him down or keeping Thompson away from the middle of the floor where he thrived and loved to attack the hole and touch the paint on a consistent basis. Zai’lee was one of, if not, the best facilitator of the weekend.
