Las Vegas Shootout Top Performers

With so much high school basketball being played in Las Vegas this weekend, the Las Vegas Shootout also took place this weekend in Las Vegas for unsigned junior college and high school prospects in the West.  Organized by legendary top-rated national basketball scout Jerry Mullen and Area Codes' organizer Chad Groth, this event was very good and involved many unheralded prospects that helped themselves this weekend.

Here are my overall prospects from the day.  Each of these prospects improved their college recruitment on the day, and earned some serious college interest as a result of the event.

Mufaro Murinda  6-7  SOPH  SG/SF  Chaffey College (CA)  (pictured)

- Murinda was one of the major bright spots from the day.  He is a big-time talent with excellent length and athleticism and a serious motor that competes all over the floor.  Body and game resembles NBA player Corey Brewer (Houston Rockets).  Very good scorer.  Good shooter with 3-point range.  Good ball handler and passer.  Plays well above the rim.  Has excellent potential and should be an immediate impact guy for a mid-major program.  Ready to go academically.

Rashad Brackeen  6-1  SOPH  PG  Las Positas College (CA)

- Brackeen is a very athletic guard prospect with an excellent overall feel and an excellent handle of the basketball.  A very good ball handler and passer.  Has command-presence on the floor.  A very good scorer.  Good shooter with range.  Can create his own shot almost at will.  Good penetrator and finisher.  Creates for himself and others.  Good defender.  Pushes the basketball and can be a floro general.  Excellent sleeper prospect.

Tayler Thompson  6-9  SOPH  PF/C  Cuesta College (CA)

- Thompson was the top post player on the day.  An active post prospect that is capable of playing either post position. Very good finisher.  Runs the floor hard.  Good low post scorer.  Has good hands.  Competes on both ends of the floor.  Immediate impact post player.  Very mobile.  Active shotblocker.  Sleeper prospect.

Leo Goodman  6-5  Prep  SG/SF  Elite 1 Academy  (Phoenix, AZ)

- Good man got hurt in the first game of the event, but he played enough to really help himself with his performance.  Goodman is a nice-looking wing prospect with loads of potential as a skilled wing.  He has a very good overall skill level, led by a nice perimeter shooting stroke.  He also has a good mid-range game, which allows him to make plays for himself and others off the dribble.  A good athlete and finisher.  Solid rebounder.  Good defender.  Gaining interest from Cal State Bakersfield, Portland State and Stetson University.

Ted McCree  6-4  SR  SG/SF  Westwind Prep Academy  (Phoenix, AZ)

- McCree really helped himself this weekend with a strong ability to shoot the basketball.  He made numerous shots from many spots on the floor, and with a quick release.  McCree is almost a scoring machine, as he is able to make plays for himself and makes it look easy.  Has great energy and a nice motor.  Very good slasher and open court player.  Good defender with excellent lateral quickness.  Very thin physically.  A very good sleeper prospect.  Mid-major talent.

Nate Moore  6-2  FR  PG  Arizona Western JC  (Yuma, AZ)

- Moore is a native of Milwaukee, WI, so he is very tough and plays with superior confidence.  A member of the ACCAC, Moore is coming off an honorable mention for All-Conference this season.  His participation in this year's camp was an important one for him, as he is currently looking to transfer schools this summer.  Moore made some noise, as he displayed really nice skills and a good feel for the game.  A crafty guard prospect.

Chaz Mack  6-6  Prep  PF  Hillcrest Academy  (Phoenix, AZ)

- Mack is an active and hard-working post prospect that is undersized but gets a lot done.  He competes at a high level and is relentless on both ends of the floor.  An excellent finisher.  Runs the flor hard.  Very good rebounder on both ends and especially is effective on the offensive glass.  Good defender that is capable of guarding opposition on the low block or on the wing.  OK ballhandler.  Good mid-range scorer and a solid shooter from the perimeter.  Good sleeper prospect.

 Jonathan Wilson  6-7  FR  SF/PF  Mesa JC  (Mesa, AZ)

- Wilson was not healthy in this event and so he sat out some of the action due to pain in his knee.  But Wilson is a sure-fire athletic talent with a nice upside.  He is a very active rebounder and shotblocker.  Good finisher.  OK post moves.  Solid shooter but has limited range on his shot.  Runs the floor hard.  Great attitude and character.  Has very good work ethic.  With hard work, Wilson has the potential to be a player.

Brannon Cresanto  6-1   FR   SG  Salt Lake City JC  (UT)

- Cresanto is a very athletic guard prospect that showed superior athleticism on the day.  An excellent finisher and slasher.  Thrives in the open floor.  Has a long wingspan.  Very good shooter with range.  Good passer.  Excellent competitor.   Capable of playing both guard positions.  Sleeper for a smaller program.

Osahon Eghosa  6-8  FR  PF  Colorado Northwestern JC  (CO)

- Big body post player with excellent size on his frame.  Not overly athletic.  A true post player that likes to score with his back to the basket and does not mind physical contact.  Has good hands.  Solid finisher.  Has a good wingspan.  Capable of running the floor, but not fast.  Gets to the free-throw line quite often.  OK shooter and footwork.  Still raw offensively.  Good shotblocker.

Daniel Busto  6-8  SOPH  PF  Ohlone College (CA)

- Has 2 years of eligivility remaining.  An active post player with good size and length.  Good finisher and an active rebounder.  Still raw offensively.  Good shotblocker.  Runs the floor.  Ex-Real Madrid player that was on the National Team.

Brenden Otero  6-7  SOPH  SF  College of the Canyons (CA)

- Otero has very good size and skill level; versatility.  Is a very good shooter of the basketball with unlimited range.  Plays inside and out.  Able to stretch the defense.  Good low post player.  Good ball handler and passer.  Fundamentally sound performer.  OK defender.

Shane Smith  6-3  SOPH  SG  La Harbor College (CA)

- A very good athlete with a nice body.  Good shooter with range on his shot.  Crafty guard prospect.  Good open court player and finisher.  Slasher.  God defender.  Solid ball handler and passer.  Good defender.

Tajai Johnson  6-2  SOPH  PG/SG  Contra Costa College (CA)

- An athletic guard prospect with a strong, well-built physical frame.  Left hander.  Solid shooter with range.  Slasher.  Good ball handler and passer.  Solid finisher.  Good penetrator.  Good defender.

Travis Arenas  6-5  SOPH  SG/SF  Columbia College (CA)

- Arenas is an excellent shooter with unlimited range on his shot.  Has very good size as a shooter.  Has a good overall feel.  Makes good decisions with the ball.  A good ball handler and passer.  Good rebounder.  Solid defender.

Ian Merzwinski  6-4  SOPH  PF  Columbia College (CA)

- A strong low-post player.  Excellent finisher.  A tweener.  Works hard in the post.  Has a strong, well-built physique.  Competes hard.  An active and strong rebounder and finisher.  Good mid-range shooter.  Good low-post defender.