High School Notes: Scouting the Duncanville Panthers
The Duncanville Panthers have been a staple in high school basketball rankings over the last few years, as the team has gone 80-3 since the start of the 2020-21 season. This year’s squad, highlighted by projected 2024 NBA lottery pick Ron Holland, has a number of prospects who are expected to make an impact at the college level and could potentially find their way to the NBA during the next few years.
Ron Holland
6’8” Forward | Class of 2023 | Committed to Texas
Holland stands out immediately on film, not only for his athletic profile but also due to his versatility as an offensive player.
Standing at 6-foot-8 with long legs and arms, Holland’s combination of size, speed, fluidity, body control and open-court athleticism make him a difficult match up for opponents when he attacks the rim, even though he doesn’t have the quickest first step or the most explosive ability to change directions with the ball. At the rim, his length and level of touch are incredible, as he’s not just able to finish over defenders with extension, but also to use floaters to convert difficult shots a few feet away from the rim.
Holland is also a threat from deep, as he shows compact, repeatable mechanics off the catch and an impressive ability to hit jumpers off movement, especially in the midrange, being able to stop on a dime and pull-up off the bounce, showing a great level of touch and deceleration.
Despite his scoring prowess, Holland knows how to get teammates involved by using his scoring gravity to create open shot opportunities for others, bringing the ball up and making quick decisions in transition and executing simple drive-and-kick reads in the half-court.
Defensively, Holland shows an interesting level of versatility, being tall and long enough to play either forward spot, but being mobile enough to switch against smaller opponents occasionally and contain drivers to a certain degree.
Holland is undoubtedly the star of a really talented Duncanville team and it’s easy why he’s considered as a near consensus top ten recruit in the class of 2023. Considering his combination of size, offensive versatility and defensive potential, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him at the top of draft boards by the end of the 2024 NBA Draft cycle, the potential as a versatile two-way forward is just that enticing.
Cameron Barnes
6’10” Big | Class of 2023 | Uncommitted
Barnes is a lanky 6-foot-10 Center who makes an impact as an interior defender, rebounder and finisher, despite not having elite strength for the position. Barnes combines his profile as a two-way interior threat with some flashes of fluid ball-handling for his size, which allows him to take one or two dribbles in the post to find the best position to convert shots.
His shooting is probably the most intriguing part of his skillset, as he has gone 5-for-8 from beyond the arc across 12 games this season according to Cerebro Sports’ database. Despite the small sample size, the level of touch and his compact mechanics are good indicators for him potentially developing into a stretch big in the future. If the shooting materializes into a consistent offensive weapon for him, it wouldn’t surprise me if he finds himself on NBA radars at some point in his career.
KJ Lewis
6’5” Wing | Class of 2023 | Committed to Arizona
Lewis is a strong 6-foot-5 wing who makes an impact by utilizing his combination of strength, handling ability and body control to get to the rim, being able to create space against opponents with sheer physicality. Around the basket, Lewis is a downright impressive finisher with an excellent combination of length and hangtime to convert tough shots over defenders. Lewis also utilizes his size and strength to play bigger than his size and make an impact as a perimeter defender.
While the 3 pointers are not falling for him this season (as he’s shooting just 3-for-25 from beyond the according to Cerebro Sports’ database), it’s easy to envision him making an impact on both ends of the floor at the college level.
Kayden Edwards
6’2” Guard | Class of 2025 | Uncommitted
Edwards is just a sophomore, but has been able to carve a role in one of the top high school teams in the nation with his shooting versatility, as he has converted on 37.8% of his 3 pointers on over five attempts per game this season according to Cerebro Sports’ database. Offensively, Edwards also contributes as a playmaker, utilizing his scoring gravity to draw multiple defenders and find open teammates.
Standing at 6-foot-2, Edwards is still really skinny and will need to develop physically before getting to the college level, but it’s extremely easy to envision him becoming one of the top shooters in the nation in time. If he can continue to take on more on-ball responsibilities as he goes through high school career, he will become even more enticing as a future college and NBA prospect.
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