2023 Draft Watch: Analyzing Gradey Dick, Jarace Walker, and Mark Mitchell

August 28^th, 2022

By Alan Lu

I decided to take the time to watch a high school basketball game that was played on December 2^nd, 2021 between IMG Academy and Sunrise Christian, as it featured numerous prospects that could get selected in the 2023 draft, and I was able to see it with thanks to YouTube via The Draftmatic.  I wanted to get a better feel for Keyonte George’s game, as I felt he had struggled significantly during the high school all-star games.  Unfortunately, he didn’t play very well in this game either,  but others put forth stand out performances such as Gradey Dick, Mark Mitchell, Jett Howard, and Jarace Walker.  Here are my thoughts on how various prospects fared, as well as how their games may currently stack up for the NBA.

Kansas’ 6-8 incoming freshman sharpshooting forward, Gradey Dick had a tremendous showing to help lead Sunrise Christian to a win in this game.  He shot the ball really well, and he also made a number of impressive plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.

Dick did a terrific job of knocking down jumpers to provide floor spacing for his team on offense.  He showed a knack for making threes both off the catch and dribble, and he was able to make a couple of them from way out.  He made a smooth, step-back three from the corner, and he also ran off of a ball screen to make another three.  He also was able to make a bank three from well beyond range.  He also ran off of a curl to make a fadeaway mid-range jumper another time.  He struggled a little more to make mid-range jumpers off the dribble, but Dick did a great job of making outside shots in this game.  Plus, he also ran the floor to score on a high-flying dunk on the break.

Also, Dick showcased satisfactory playmaking skills when he was on the court.  He would throw accurate long passes to find open teammates, and he also can make solid drive and kick passes.  He also was able to set a solid off-ball screen to help get his teammate an open jump shot.

While he didn’t get many rebounds, Dick was able to collect a few rebounds.  On one play though, he didn’t properly box out his opponent, and he got outmuscled and allowed his man to score on a put back dunk.

He also played decent defense in this game.  Dick would tend to close out on threes to force misses.  He also rotated to poke a ball away to nearly get a steal.  He also managed to successfully draw a charge when defending in the post another time.  On the downside, he would sometimes struggle to defend in one-on-one situations, and he also took a bad angle to fight through a screen and gave up a three-point basket on another possession.

In general, Gradey Dick put forth a magnificent performance to help get Sunrise Christian the victory in this game.  He showed off strong all-around skills, and he especially thrived as a sharpshooter on offense.  He is a skilled swingman that can really shoot the basketball, and he is a first round prospect that could project to be a similar player to Miami Heat guard, Tyler Herro in the NBA.

Houston’s 6-8 incoming freshman forward, Jarace Walker had a solid showing for IMG Academy in his team’s loss to Sunrise Christian.  He had a slow start, but he really picked it up in the second half as the high-flyer was able to make a wealth of scintillating plays down the stretch to keep his team in the ball game.

Walker did a terrific job of scoring the basketball.  He showed a knack for scoring on left-handed drives, and he even made a switch of hands, mid-range runner while getting an extra free throw.  He was able to score on a smooth, fadeaway jumper from the post.  Walker also managed to score off of offensive rebounds, and he also ran the floor to score on a powerful dunk on the break.  He is a very athletic, strong forward that did a great job of making shots when he would take them, and he especially excelled at scoring in traffic.  On the downside, Walker was unable to make a three-point shot, and he missed all of the free throws he took from the foul line.

Also, Walker showcased average at best playmaking skills.  He is an unselfish player that will look to find the open man, and he also set a screen to help his teammate get an open jump shot.  However, sometimes he would over-dribble into traffic, which would lead him to lose the ball or to get it poked away from him, which would cause him to turn the ball over.

He also showed a decent ability to rebound the basketball.  Walker also played solid defense.  He did a very good job of rotating to block shots to help his team protect the paint.  He also showed a knack for intercepting passes, and he also would poke balls away to nearly get steals.  He also did a very good job of contesting shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force numerous misses.  On the downside, sometimes he would play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit fouls or wind up out of position at times.

Overall, Jarace Walker is a very athletic, energetic forward whose versatility and upside could enable him to be a lottery pick in 2023, and he could project to be a similar player to Metta World Peace in the league.  He will need to improve his jump shot and free throw shooting, but he is a versatile player whose ability to score, pass and handle the basketball, and defend could enable him to thrive in the NBA.

Duke’s 6-8 incoming freshman forward, Mark Mitchell also played very well to help lead Sunrise Christian to a win in this game.  He thrived as a scorer on offense, and he is a very athletic, energetic player that could make an immediate impact for Duke during the upcoming college basketball season.

Mitchell showed a solid ability to score in the post.  He was able to score on turnaround jumper, as well as on a jump hook.  On the downside, he missed on a tough leaner in traffic another time.  He also generally thrived at scoring on hustle plays.  He did a terrific job of scoring on strong fast break drives, and he also managed to score on a cut to the hoop.

He also showed that he can score on aggressive, right handed drives, and he was able to throw down a powerful dunk once.  On the downside, he would sometimes miss on tough, contested layups when driving to the basket.

Also, he displayed fairly average playmaking skills.  Mitchell is an unselfish player that would look to find the open man, and he also will sometimes look to set screens for his teammates.  However, he would tend to over-dribble, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers, and he also would sometimes throw passes that would get intercepted by his defenders.

Plus, Mitchell was able to haul in his fair share of rebounds to help his team out on the glass.  Defensively, he looked to be about average at best.  He was able to jump on a loose ball to help his team get a steal.  He also would contest jump shots to force misses.  On the downside, Mitchell would tend to get beat off the dribble, which would lead him to allow scores.  Another time, he over-helped and was late to rotate back, which led him to give up a three-point basket.  He also didn’t effectively communicate to his teammate that a screen was being set by an opponent and how they should defend it, which led his team to give up another three-point basket.

In summary, Mark Mitchell is a very athletic combo forward that can shoot and score the basketball, and he may be a high upside prospect that may be a sleeper for the 2023 draft.  He may be flying under the radar right now, but he is a talented prospect that could end up being a first round pick in 2023.

Michigan’s incoming freshman swingman, Jett Howard had a solid showing in IMG Academy’s loss in this game.  He thrived as a scorer when he was on the floor, and he also provided some rebounding and defense when he was on the floor.

Howard did a decent job of knocking down threes in this game.  He was able to make a smooth, step-back three early on, and he also made a quick, spot-up three off the catch.  On the downside, he was fairly streaky with his outside shot, and he struggled more to make them later on.

He also showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  Howard showed that he can go to his right to score off the dribble, but he seemed to struggle more when going to his left, and he would sometimes rush his shots and miss, especially when he wouldn’t get foul calls.

Also, Howard showcased perhaps adequate playmaking skills.  He is an unselfish player that would look for the open man, and he would look to make the extra pass.  On the other hand, he also threw a long pass that got intercepted on the break.

He did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  Howard also played adequate defense.  Howard ran in to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also rotated to poke a ball away to help his team get another.  He has active hands that would make it difficult for opponents to handle the basketball.  On the downside, sometimes he would be caught ball watching and would be late on his rotations, which would lead him to give up three-point baskets.

Overall, Jett Howard showed off a fairly solid set of all-around skills in this game, and he may be an underrated prospect that could make an immediate impact for Michigan during the upcoming season.  He is a talented prospect, and he could end up being a versatile role player in the NBA.

Alabama’s 6-3 incoming freshman point guard, Jaden Bradley also played fairly well in IMG Academy’s loss in this game.  He played much better in the second half, and he thrived as a scorer, rebounder, and facilitator when he was on the floor.

Bradley showed a knack for scoring off the dribble, and he tended to go to his left to score or get to the free throw line.  He also did a good job of making pull-up, mid-range jumpers.  On the downside, he missed on a tip-in once, and he would sometimes rush shots that would lead to misses.  He also did not take a single three-point shot in this game.

He also showcased solid playmaking skills.  Bradley excelled at making passes off the dribble and in transition, and he would find the open man to get his teammates the basketball.  On one play though, he attempted to drive to the hoop, but ended up committing a ball-handling turnover when pressured that time.

Also, Bradley did a great job of rebounding the basketball, and he would sometimes push the ball up the court off of defensive boards.  Defensively, he looked to be about average at best.  He ran in to poke a ball away to nearly get a steal.  However, he would tend to over-help in the paint, which would lead him to give up open threes and to commit reach-in fouls.  He also took a bad angle to fight through a screen, and allowed his opponent to score on a mid-range jump shot.

Overall, Jaden Bradley is an athletic, energetic playmaker that can score and pass the basketball.  He will need to trust his three-point shot more, and he will need to be a more focused defender in games.  He may need some time to polish up his skills and hone his game, but he could end up going in the late first to the second round range if he plays well this season.

Maryland’s 6-6 incoming freshman forward, Noah Batchelor had a decent showing in IMG Academy’s loss to Sunrise Christian.  Batchelor played really well in the first half, but he was virtually a non-factor in the second half.  He shot the ball really well, and he showed a penchant for scoring on quick, spot-up threes.  He also would move off the ball to make three-pointers, and Batchelor excelled as a movement shooter.  He’s only an average athlete, but he is a sharpshooter that moves well off the ball and could thrive in a motion offense.

On one play though, he walked before he dribbled, and was called for traveling.  He did a decent job of rebounding the basketball, and was able to haul in his fair share of defensive boards.  He struggled defensively, and he generally struggled to stay in front of quicker players, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Noah Batchelor is a sharpshooter that can really space the floor on offense.  He will need to be more assertive on offense, and his athletic limitations may prevent him from being a shot creator or an elite defender, but his jump shot could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA.  If he makes it to the NBA, he could end up being a shooting specialist in the league.

Other Notes:

Here were my thoughts on other notable prospects that may not have played quite as well as the other prospects listed above, but made notable contributions or made enough plays for me to give them an assessment here.

Florida State’s 6-10 incoming freshman big man, Cameron Corhen had his ups and downs in Sunrise Christian’s win over IMG Academy.  He showed off versatile scoring skills, but he also would sometimes commit turnovers on offense.

Corhen did a decent job of making shots to space the floor on offense.  He was able to make a quick, open deep three to showcase his shooting potential, and he has great size to shoot over the top of defenders.  He also ran in to score on a tip dunk.  On the downside, he didn’t take enough shots on offense.

He also showed off average at best playmaking skills.  He also is an unselfish player that would make the extra pass to find open teammates on the break.  On the downside, he would sometimes commit careless turnovers.  He threw a hasty pass that got intercepted.  He also set a moving screen that led him to commit an offensive foul and a turnover.

Plus, he showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball, and Corhen was able to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor.  He played adequate defense in this game.  Corhen was able to jump on a loose ball to get a steal, and he also rotated to poke a ball away to get another.  On the downside, he was late to get back on defense once, which led his team to give up a dunk on the break.

Overall, Cameron Cohen is a tall, mobile big man that showed off versatile scoring skills, and he also would look to pass the ball quite often.  However, he would sometimes fade into the background on offense too much.  He will need to be more assertive when he is on the floor, but he is a talented prospect that may have considerable upside as a prospect for the NBA.

Bobi Klintman played fairly well to help lead Sunrise Christian to a win in this game.  The 6-9 Swedish forward and Wake Forest’s incoming freshman forward excelled as a passer, rebounder, and defender, and he also made a timely three-pointer late to help seal the win for his team.

Klintman was able to move off the ball to make a clutch three-point basket from beyond the arc.  He also managed to score on a quick, backdoor cut in traffic.  He also pulled up to take a mid-range jumper, but missed that time.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills.  He did a good job of finding cutters, and he would throw timely passes to set up scores for them.  On the downside, he threw a hasty pass that got intercepted late in this match, as he probably should’ve tried to get fouled to get to the free throw line, as his team was up late in this game.

Also, Klintman showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball.  He also defended well.  He was able to intercept a quick pass to get a steal.  He also would contest shots off of drives to force misses.  Overall, Klintman is a skilled, versatile combo forward that can shoot, pass, and defend, and he could project to be a versatile role player in the NBA.

Sunrise Christian’s 6-7 point forward and Ohio State commit, Scotty Middleton had a fairly solid showing to help lead his team to a win over the IMG Academy.  He didn’t take many shots, but he shot the ball well, and he also excelled as a playmaker and defender in this match.

Middleton did a good job of making open, spot-up threes, and he also moved off the ball to knock down a three-pointer late in this contest.  He also was able to utilize a pump fake, but missed on a mid-range jump shot.

He also generally passed the ball well.  Middleton is an unselfish player that did a good job of passing off the dribble and in transition to set up scores for his teammates, and he also set a screen to help get his teammate an open driving lane.  On the downside, he threw one pass that got intercepted, and he also threw an inaccurate pass that went out of bounds another time.

Also, Middleton was able to get his fair share of rebounds, and he would bring the ball up after getting defensive boards for his team.  He also played satisfactory defense.  Middleton was able to block a shot off of a put back, and he would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses.  On the downside, sometimes he would struggle to stay in front of his opponents, which would lead him to commit reach-in fouls and to occasionally allow three-point baskets.

Overall, Scotty Middleton is a talented prospect that can shoot, pass, and defend.  He will need to be more assertive on offense, but his versatility could enable him to be a solid role player in the NBA someday.

Keyonte George struggled to make shots and he was turnover prone in his team’s loss to Sunrise Christian.  He was streaky as an outside shooter, he struggled to consistently create his own shot, and tended to commit careless ball-handling turnovers at times.  On the plus side, he showed the ability to be a movement shooter, and he also defended well in this game.

George showed an adequate ability to knock down jumpers when he was on the floor.  He was able to make a smooth, step-back three from the corner.  He also ran off the ball and used a misdirection play to make a quick, corner three.  George was much better at making corner threes than from other spots on the floor, but he also missed his fair share of outside shots from beyond the arc.

He also drove the ball up court and utilized a Euro-step move to score on an aggressive drive in transition.  George was able to draw non-shooting fouls when driving to the rim.  On the downside, sometimes he would miss on tough, contested shots in traffic off of drives or cuts, and his lack of elite size or athleticism would make it tough for him to plays around the basket.

Also, he showcased fairly average playmaking skills at best.  George would sometimes look to find the open man, and he was ale to throw a long outlet pass to set up a score for a teammate on the break.  Sometimes though, he would try to do too much and be careless with the ball, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.  He also was called for stepping over the line when trying to pass the ball inbounds late in the game, which led to another team turnover.

While he didn’t grab many boards in this game, George was able to leap up to get multiple offensive boards when he was on the floor.  Also, George played solid defense in this game.  George would get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections, and he also would contest threes to force misses.  He also managed to successfully draw a charge when defending an opposing ball handler.  On the downside, sometimes he would sag too far off of shooters, which would lead him to allow them to score on three-point shots. Overall, Keyonte George didn’t have a great game, but he still managed to do some good things in his team’s loss to Sunrise Christian.  While he’s not overwhelmingly athletic, he showed the potential to be a movement shooter, and he also defended well when he was on the court.  He will need to show that he can guard multiple positions and he will need to be a much more consistent shooter when he is on the floor.  Currently, George’s draft stock may be a bit inflated right now, but he is a second round prospect that would project into a 3 and D type of role similar to Orlando Magic’s guard, Garry Harris in the NBA.