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The Cassidy Awards: The Scrimmage

Ronald Holland
Ronald Holland (Rivals.com)

DUNCANVILLE, Texas -- One of the first notable events of the 2021-22 high school season, The Scrimmage presented by The TB5 Reports attracted some of the best high school teams in Texas and beyond to the Dallas suburbs on Saturday.

Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy took in all of the day’s action and hands out some metaphysical hardware below.

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Cassidy's Takeaways: The Scrimmage

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Rivals150

2024 Rankings: Top 40

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NEW WRINKLE: Ron Holland 

Already the No. 24 prospect in the class of 2023, Holland has a well-earned reputation and is a high-motor rim-attacker that can finish through contact and dazzle with his athletic ability. The knock on him used to be the lack of a consistent jumper … used to be.

Holland looked comfortable from range in both games he played Saturday and knocked down 3-pointers that were both contested and uncontested. Holland's extended range, paired with his motor and transition game, will equate to the bump in the rankings down the road.

RECRUITMENT: On Saturday, Holland said Memphis, Oregon, Tennessee State, Texas, UCLA, Kentucky and Arkansas are the schools he’s most interested in as things stand. Kentucky has not offered him a scholarship but has been in contact.

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DO IT ALL: Arterio Morris

Morris showed the ability to score at all three levels in a game against powerhouse Sunrise Christian on Saturday, finishing the contest with 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting. A hyper-athletic lead guard that plays with an alpha mentality, Morris creates for himself and others, and flashes elite athleticism with moments like this put-back dunk.

RECRUITMENT: Morris is committed to Texas.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS FANS AT ORANGEBLOODS.COM

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STOCK UP: Chauncey Gibson

Morris’ backcourt-mate and a recent Clemson commit, Gibson doesn’t get the same level of press as his Texas-bound teammate. He shined just as brightly against Sunrise Academy, however, pouring in 17 points at an efficient 7-for-10 clip.

Gibson is capable of scoring in traffic but shined as a long-range shooter, knocking down 50 percent of the 3-pointers he attempted. The 17-year old guard could end up being a nice addition for the Tigers, which landed his commitment over Texas Tech, Old Dominion, Creighton and others. The three-star shot-maker could flirt with the back end of the Rivals150 down the road.

RECRUITMENT: Gibson is committed to Clemson.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT TIGERILLUSTRATED.COM

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STEP FORWARD: Ashton Hardaway 

The son of Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, Ashton Hardaway has long been an intriguing prospect because of his size and bloodlines. These days, however, the 6-foot-7 forward is proving to have a smooth and consistent jumper from deep. The class-of-2023 four-star looked better than his current banking of 115th on Saturday, as he showed the ability to stretch the floor and create matchup issues. He’ll need to work on his body and his handle going forward, but his trajectory is certainly encouraging.

RECRUITMENT: Hardaway’s eventual landing place seems obvious, but stranger things have happened in recruiting. He won’t sign a letter of intent until a year from now, after all. That said, his father’s standing as Memphis’ head coach may make other programs hesitant to sink too much effort into courting the emerging prospect.

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DIRTY WORK: Anthony Black 

Saturday wasn’t Black’s best day from an offensive standpoint and he was haunted by turnovers and missed shots. Still, he managed to show his unique skill set and prove that he can impact games significantly even when things aren’t clicking on the offensive end. No point guard in the country rebounds as well as the Duncanville High School star and his length and motor give him tremendous defensive versatility.

Despite his frustration on offense, Black was able to compose himself and hit a game-winning free-throw in his team’s first outing of the day. The four-star guard’s potential has long been obvious, as he does so many different things reasonably well.

RECRUITMENT: Black is expected to announce a commitment in the coming weeks. Oklahoma State seems to lead his recruitment, but his visit to Gonzaga gave him plenty to consider. Arkansas is also lying in the weeds.

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BRIGHT SPOT: Mark Mitchell   

It was a rough day for Mitchell’s Sunrise Academy team, which went 0-2 in Dallas, but the five-star forward managed to shine nevertheless. He notched 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting against Kimball High to start the day and followed that up with another strong showing that included a pair of highlight dunks against juggernaut Duncanville.

The long, explosive athlete shined as a slasher and finished with both hands with regularity. His broad-shouldered build allows him to impact the game on the boards and the defensive end.

RECRUITMENT: Mitchell is officially down to UCLA, Missouri and Duke but the Tigers seem to be in a distant third. A decision can’t be far off, and it will almost certainly be the Blue Devils or Bruins. UCLA assistant coach Darren Savino was in attendance at Saturday’s event.

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