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Five-star Trae Young headlines Elite 14

Trae Young
Trae Young (USA Basketball)

WICHITA FALLS, Texas --For many teams in Texas and Oklahoma, the Elite 14 serves as a sort of unofficial kickoff to the high school season. This year, five-star point guard Trae Young headlined a field loaded with Division One prospects.

YOUNG CREATES WITH EASE

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It was November of 2013 at the Elite 14 when five-star point guard Trae Young put himself on the map. In his fourth and final appearance at the event with Norman (Okla.) North the senior showed why he's one of the top 15 players in the senior class.

Looking on with interest as Young hit tough jumpers, used his skill to create off the bounce and played fast were Oklahoma's entire staff, Kansas head coach Bill Self plus an assistant and an assistant from Oklahoma State.

Young -- who is also considering Kentucky and Texas Tech -- remains steadfast that he will not sign in the early period.

WOOTEN DRAWS BIG TIME LOOKS

Last week we profiled newly available power forward Kenny Wooten in our Starting Five. Saturday, we were able to see the super athletic 6-foot-8 power forward in person for the first time since the summer of 2015 and he didn't disappoint.

Originally signed with Nevada, Wooten has received his full release and is an intriguing prospect who deserves serious consideration for four-star status. He is long and lean with elite level leaping ability and quickness in the lane. He does need to add strength and he's a bit raw overall, but there are tools to work with as his shot doesn't look bad and he made good decisions in each of the three games Rivals watched.

Wooten was watched by Bill Self and an assistant from Oregon and said that Kansas is the one school he for sure wants to visit.

MORE TO WATCH FROM ELITE 14

Coming out of the summer, combo guard Trey'Von Hopkins just missed the cut for the 2018 Rivals150. It's hard to imagine the explosive athlete and scorer missing when it gets updated after the high school season. He was wearing out the mid range pull-up, hit some deep shots and exploded for acrobatic finishes at the rim. Nebraska, DePaul, Boise State and Tulsa have offered while Gonzaga, Wichita State, Louisiana Tech, Oklahoma State, Santa Clara, Creighton ,Illinois State and Missouri are all keeping tabs.

The No. 19 ranked player in the class of 2019, combo guard Grant Sherfield is settling in with his new program at Ft. Worth (Texas) North Crowley. During a morning game he was efficient in burying open looks from mid range and beyond the three point line. He's strong and crafty, eventually plans to run the point full time and reminds us some of a young Romelo Trimble. He recently checked out Kansas and Kentucky.

High major programs are going to keep close tabs on Houston (Texas) Global Learning Village's sophomore small forward Jordan Turner. Pushing 6-foot-7, Turner has length and size and most of all he's a dangerous jump shooter to beyond the three point line with some crafty game off the bounce. He checked out Texas a few weekends ago and his twin brother Jalyn Turner looks like he will be a nice prospect as well.

The way things look, a few years down the road people are going to be wondering how UT San Antonio got three-star combo guard Jhivvan Jackson. Certainly more of a scorer than a true setup guy at 5-foot-11, Jackson is strong, tough and can flat out fill it up off the bounce or via the jump shot. Were he to have waited until the spring, he likely could have ended up at a high major but at UTSA he'll be an immediate impact player.

Keep an eye out for athletic 6-foot-6 junior wing Jordan Phillips of Cedar Hill (Texas) High. Phillips already looks like a college player physically and has some burst off the dribble and is a bouncy finisher. Tulsa, Louisiana Tech and Rice are among his early offers but he had at least half of the Big 12 watching on Saturday.

A nice late option at the mid to upper mid major level is going to be Kortrijk Miles. A sturdy 6-foot-5 wing from Dallas (Texas) Lincoln, he does a lot of the little things well and is a tough athlete who plays hard on both ends. UT-Arlington and Lamar are among those who have offered but more should be headed his way if he waits until the spring to sign.

Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy was on hand with two assistants Saturday and he kept a close eye on point guard commit T.J. Starks. The four-star struggled some with his shot but there's no denying his toughness, strength and aggressive nature. In many ways, he plays a similar style to Kansas point guard Frank Mason. Keep an eye out for Starks teammate at Lancaster (Texas) High, Darius Miles. A 6-foot-8, 230 pound center, Miles is just a freshman and looks to have a bright future.

Wichita (Kans.) Life Prep has a nice looking wing duo in 2018 Tyreese Davis and 2017 Curtis Hollis. Davis has strength and loves to attack from transition while Hollis is a skinny athlete who can play above the rim. Davis said that Central Arkansas has offered but Wichita State, UNC Wilmington, Florida Gulf Coast, Bradley, Drake, Denver and more are watching close. Hollis listed Wichita State, New Mexico State, Duquesne and Wyoming and said that Indiana recently fielded a call.

As usual, Wichita (Kans.) Sunrise Christian is loaded with talent that comes from far and wide. On Saturday, four players caught our eye in 2018 point guard Isaiah Bujdoso, 2018 small forward Marek Nelson, 2019 small forward Malik Hall and 2018 shooting guard Khaleem Bennett. Bujdoso is a big, skilled and under control point guard from Canada who looks like he will get recruited on the mid to high major level. Nelson is a long and agile athlete from Texas learning to play the wing while Hall is a talented wing from Illinois with a good looking jumper and nice size. Another Canadian, Bennett is a big time athlete who plays an aggressive style of ball and attacks in transition.

SMU had three assistants on hand and they were able to watch their 2017 recruiting class of three-stars Elijah Landrum, Ethan Chargois and Everette Ray. Though he's only 5-foot-9 or so, Landrum is a crazy athletic floor general capable of playing above the rim in traffic and he's got a fearless style. Chargois is a skilled big man who can really shoot and pass from the mid range while Ray has gotten much stronger and turned into a very physical rebounder and defender.

Finally, we want to keep close tabs on the development of Dallas (Texas) Universal Academy power forward Jamal Gaines. The 6-foot-8 junior is a high end athlete with length and the ability to be a pest on the glass and in transition. His footwork and overall skill are a little raw but there is clear upside with him and there looks to be a lot of it.

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