DENTON, Texas -- At one of the nation's premier preseason showcase events, the Elite 14, Daishen Nix proved that he belongs in the conversation with 2020's top point guards.
The floor general from Las Vegas (Nev.) Trinity International headlines national basketball analyst Eric Bossi's takeaways from opening night of the stacked event in Texas.
DAISHEN NIX PROVES HE BELONGS AMONG 2020'S ELITE POINT GUARDS
While the offers have started to pour in, 2020 point guard Daishen Nix doesn't yet enjoy a huge national reputation. Check that, the native of Alaska who plays at Las Vegas (Nev.) Trinity International is a guy what we've liked for a bit now. On Friday night he proved that our belief in him as one of the premier point guards is well placed.
I love everything about the way Nix plays the game. Scoring point guards are all the rage and there's no doubt that Nix can get buckets off the dribble or via deep jumpers. But, it's his ability to lead a team and his pinpoint passing that makes him one of the top five point guards in his class. He had it all on display on Friday night.
Arizona, Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma, TCU (watched Friday night), UNLV and Washington have now offered. Arizona State watched as well on Friday and I'd bet offers from the Sun Devils and others will make their way to Nix sooner than later.
ARTHUR KALUMA AND JAYLIN POSEY ARE A NICE DUO FOR UNIVERSAL
One is starting to build his reputation and opens eyes while the other is a point guard who has already racked up some offers. Both 2021 forward Arthur Kaluma and 2020 point guard Jaylin Posey help to make Irving (Texas) Universal Academy a must stop for college programs.
Universal took a loss to a stacked Bel Aire (Kans.) Sunrise Christian squad, but Kaluma and Posey each impressed for different reasons.
I don't really want to label Kaluma a small forward or a power forward, he's versatile and can play both roles. I do want to label the 6-foot-7 sophomore a playmaker and a bonafide high major prospect. Even though he played 17U for the Houston Hoops in the EYBL last summer, Kaluma is really just starting to hit the scene and he left an imprint on coaches from programs like Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Georgetown, TexasA&M, TCU, North Texas, Weber State, Cal Poly, Hofstra and others who were in the building. He attacks off the dribble, pounds the glass, plays with energy and shows a promising jump shot. He's a strong candidate for the national 2021 rankings when we update them this winter.
Already carrying offers from programs like Houston, Texas A&M, TCU and Texas Tech, Posey is unquestionably a high major athlete. The junior has big time quickness, is bouncy and sits down in front of his opponent and locks him up defensively. He likes to play fast and looks to have some scoring pop as well. He's a tough cookie and has energy.
NICK ONGENDA LIKELY TO MOVE TO 2019
During October, Rick Stansbury picked up a high upside big man in Canadian Nick Ongenda.
We've had the 6-foot-9 jumping jack who plays for Little Rock (Ark.) Southwest Christian listed as a class of 2020 prospect for a bit now, but it appears that he'll make his way to Western a bit sooner than that.
Ongenda's coaches confirmed that he's on track to graduate as a 2019 prospect and that he's likely going to end up a member of the current senior class.
He needs strength and isn't the most confident scorer just yet, but he moves extremely well, has some touch and is very nice pickup for the Hilltoppers, especially since they will likely be needing to replace freshman center Charles Bassey after this season.
OPTIONS EXPANDING FOR JORDAN NESBITT AFTER MOVE TO 2021
A big and strong wing from St. Louis, Jordan Nesbitt was already getting offers and attention as a member of the class of 2020. However, he decided to move to 2021 in an effort to give schools more time to get to know about him and to fine tune his game even more before hitting a college campus.
Based on what I saw on Friday, the four-star prospect has made a solid decision.
He is tough when going to the rim, he can make some shots from deep and he's in the process of rounding out his overall game at St. Louis Christian.
Nesbitt told me that Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Michigan and some others have been in to see him this fall. Couple that with early offers from Ole Miss, Tulane and Louisiana-Monroe and he's off to a good start to his sophomore year.