Cassidy Awards: HoopHall West
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The first two days of the annual HoopHall West showcase are in the books and Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy was on hand for the event’s first two days of action. Thursday and Friday featured nine games and no shortage of big-time individual performances. Below, Cassidy dishes out awards based on his two days of observations.
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More: Cassidy's takeaways from Day 1 of HoopHall West
2023 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2025 Rankings: Top 40
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DECISION MAKER: Bryson Tucker
What he did: Simply put, Tucker rarely seems to make poor choices on the floor. Whether it’s avoiding bad shots, playing within the offense, avoiding silly fouls or making the right pass, he's as trustworthy as prospects come and can be hyper-efficient because of it. On Saturday, Tucker shot 8-for-14 on his way to 24 points and three assists. One of the two turnovers he registered was on a questionable offensive foul call. Otherwise, the five-star junior always seems to be in control of both his emotions and his body. On top of his obvious talent, is a steadying force for an IMG Academy team stocked with star players.
Recruitment: Programs such as Duke and Auburn are in play for Tucker, but he’s yet to take a single campus visit. He says he intends to take an official to Michigan State in the spring and seems intrigued by the Spartans in addition to the Blue Devils and Tigers.
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MR. UPSIDE: Godswill Erheriene
What he did: Erheriene missed a good chunk of the offseason due to injury, but he’s healthy now and oozing potential. On Saturday, the 6-foot-9, Long Island Lutheran junior showed off a well-rounded skill set and posted an 18-point, 12-rebound effort that showcased his agility, motor and ultra-reliable hands. He still needs some work when it comes to his face-up game and he didn’t show much as a shooter, but it’s impossible to argue with his work in the paint, where he significantly changed the game on both ends against an IMG Academy team chock full of high-major prospects. Erheriene has tools in spades. How far he’ll go is a matter of polish, which he may lack because of the time he missed injured. Either way, he played better than his already lofty top-100 ranking and has some of the best hands of any big man in the 2024 class.
Recruitment: Erheriene’s recruitment is still very much in its infancy, as he’s had extended conversations with very few college coaches. He holds offers from Georgia Tech, Maryland, USC and others.
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POTENTIAL STEAL: Kevin Patton, Jr.
What he did: Patton is still uncommitted and declined to sign during the early signing period despite having a handful of offers to his name. His length and athleticism make him one of the more intriguing available prospects in the class of 2023, and he flashed his full range of skill on Friday evening. Patton scored 16 points while showing off a little pull-up, mid-range jumper to go along with his explosive athleticism and ability to finish through contact. He didn't show much from beyond the arc, but his shot-blocking ability, size and ability to score off the bounce make him tantalizing to say the least.
Recruitment: San Diego feels like the front-runner as things stand, but Arizona State has also offered and may decide to push for the senior’s commitment based on his impressive senior season this far.
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WELL ROUNDED: Caleb Foster
What he did: Foster did not have his best day from a shooting standpoint on Friday. In fact, the Duke-bound guard was just 6-for-19 from the floor, but he still managed to positively impact the game with his peripheral skills.. Foster’s 10 rebounds and six assists stuffed the stat sheet and helped his Notre Dame Prep team secure a victory in a game that was much closer than it should have been based on talent level. Foster’s ability to help keep his squad afloat despite not having his A game shouldn’t be overlooked as an important part of his long-term projection, as prospects of his calibur oftentimes can see things go from bad to worse after poor starts.
Recruitment: Foster is signed with Duke.
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NATURAL SCORER: Ian Jackson
What he did: There aren’t a lot of ways that Jackson didn’t put the ball through the hoop on this weekend. The five-star junior is a true three-level scorer capable of hiring you off the dribble, in transition and from behind the arc. He finished Friday’s game against loaded Duncanville with a game-high 23 points that included four 3-pointers, layups through traffic and at least one transition dunk. Jackson has some work to do when it comes to ball security, but his scoring ability speaks for itself and has for some time.
Recruitment: Kentucky, North Carolina and Oregon seem to be serious players. Jackson also said that he also hopes to visit Texas and Arkansas down the road. A decision could come as early as this spring.
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RAIN MAN: Dusty Stromer
What he did: Stromer knocked down six 3-pointers to propel his Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame Prep to a win on Friday night, but the manner in which the points game was more impressive than the scoring surge itself. He has a quick release that works in pull-up situations as well as in catch-and-shoot settings. His first three-pointer of the contest came from near NBA range and a couple of others were created with step-backs. Stromer finished the contest with 28 points and was named game MVP.
Recruitment: Stromer is signed with Gonzaga.
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LOCK DOWN: Marquis Cook
What he did: Cook impacted his Arizona Compass Prep team’s Saturday win in a number of ways, not the least of which were his four steals and multiple pass deflections. When motivated, as he was on Saturday, Cook is quick, disciplined and athletic defenders capable of forcing turnovers and turning them into points. At one point in the early second half, Cook recorded a steal at half court, raced down the floor and converted a two-handed dunk that breathed life into his team and the gym as whole. Cook’s defensive energy was infectious and helped spark an effort that saw Compass prep force 23 turnovers and hold Wasatch Academy to just 37 percent shooting in the contest. Cook was no slouch on the offensive end either, where he managed a game-high 17 points on 10 shots.
Recruitment: Cook is signed with Oregon.
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STATEMENT MAKER: Ronald Holland
What he did: Holland helped his team get the better of Friday’s marquee matchup as he willed his Duncanville (Texas) High School team over a Cardinal Hayes squad led by No. 3 overall prospect Ian Jackson (2024). The win itself was a statement, sure, but the fact that Holland shot the ball well means something, seeing as that’s long been the knock on the five-star prospect’s game. Holland shot 2-for-4 from three-point range and 7-for-13 from the floor on Friday and looked confident while pulling up from the mid-range and behind the arc. That part of his game still needs to become more consistent, but it’s clear that Holland continues to put in the work to improve as a long-range threat.
Recruitment: Holland is signed with Texas.
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COURT VISIONARY: Rodney Brown
What he did: A future Cal Golden Bear, Brown will need to add significant muscle at the next level but he certainly has the court vision of a college-ready prospect as is. On Friday, Brown was creative without being reckless and found the open man even on occasions where it was difficult to figure out how he saw him. Brown racked up seven assists and just one turnover in his team’s win. He also managed 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
Recruitment: Brown is signed with Cal.