Royal Crown Lions The Grind Session Toronto Team Analysis

Style of Play:

Royal Crown Prep has the personnel to play fast, with their guards able to grab defensive rebounds and be quick and explosive, pushing the pace for easy fast-break points. Their guards as ball-handlers either look to score in the paint using their athleticism and speed, find the big in the paint with a dump-off pass after attracting multiple defenders, or find the leak-out man in transition for a high-percentage shot in the paint or a catch and shoot pull-up three. In the half-court, they have the bigs to run a pick and roll offense setting good hard picks, getting screen assists that free the pick and roll ball-handler for a quality shot, and opening up driving lanes for constant dribble penetration and drive and kick offense. Their bigs run dribble handoffs for off-ball players giving them catch and shoot opportunities or getting them to the rim.

A big part of their offense is getting extra possessions and second-chance opportunities. They are high-level offensive rebounding team and opposing teams have trouble containing them on the glass. They have a true center that grabs rebounds due to his size and the guards are aggressive crashing the glass using their athletic tools and good frame to grab rebounds.

On the defensive end, they apply pressure and pick up opposing team's ball-handlers from the backcourt making it tough to advance the ball, forcing them to speed up, and forcing turnovers so they can get out in transition and create offense from their defense. In the half-court, when they are guarding a pick and roll, with their big being a rim protector, they go to drop coverage. Their guards fight through picks with their defensive lateral quickness and lateral movement, so their bigs don't have to switch out and create mismatches. As a result, the bigs stay in the paint to protect the rim, alter, and block shots.  

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Player Analysis:

Kymani Walters

Position: G

Height: 6 Feet 1 Inch

Team: Royal Crown

Class: 2027

Uncommitted

Kymani Walters pushes the pace in transition as both a ball-handler and leak-out man. As a ball-handler, he is quick and explosive with long strides for his size allowing him to get all the way to the rim. He has an attack mindset in transition and looks to convert on those easy fast-break points. His ability to grab defensive rebounds and push the pace is vital for Royal Crown to play at a fast pace, making him a catalyst in setting up their transition offense. When opposing teams send multiple bodies into the paint to slow down his drives, he can navigate around them by being both an athletic above the rim finisher on some possessions and a crafty finisher with good footwork. In the half-court, he can operate on-ball and off-ball. With the ball in his hands, he can blow by defenders and get all the way to the rim. He gets free-throw opportunities with his aggressiveness attacking the rim, feeling the contact, and absorbing it where he converts free-throws efficiently and at a high rate. Off the ball, he moves well along the three-point line and cutting backdoor to the rim. As a backdoor cutter, he hesitates when moving without the ball which gets defenders off-balance and then he has the quickness and explosiveness to blow by the off-ball defender and get into the paint. When shooting catch and shoot threes he has a quick release and fluid shooting mechanics. He has a knack for being an offensive rebounder for his size and for converting putback dunks as a guard, helping Royal Crown be the offensive rebounding team that they are. He jumps high for rebounds and can grab them through traffic.

The situations in which he is best as a passer are drive and kick, dribble penetration, transition, and pick and roll. On drive and kick and off dribble penetration he gets deep in the paint, attracts multiple defenders, collapses the defense, and kicks it out for a catch and shoot three-pointer. In transition, he either finds the leak-out man or gets into the paint and does a dump-off pass to the big after attracting a crowd in the paint. He is one of the primary pick and roll ball-handlers on his team and he is quick to find the big rolling to the rim and set them up for a high-percentage shot inside.

He is an active defender picking up the ball-handler from the backcourt, applying resistance, and making it tough for them to cross the half-court line. He can play passing lanes well or use his quick, strong, and active hands to poke the ball away allowing him to create offense and transition opportunities from his defense. When defending the pick and roll ball-handler, he communicates and is loud on the floor calling for switches or going through them. He fights through picks using his defensive lateral quickness and ability to move well laterally through them.

Andy Gemao

Position: PG

Height: 6 Feet 0 Inches

Team: Royal Crown

Class: 2026

Uncommitted

Andy Gemao is a slashing guard who is aggressive at attacking the rim and putting pressure. He looks to get into the paint and break down the defense, whether it is in transition as a ball-handler and on leak-outs or in the half-court on isolations and pick and roll. His ability to grab defensive rebounds allows him to push the pace and operate as a ball-handler, speeding up his team's pace and allowing Royal Crown to play at the fast tempo they thrive in. He has a quick and explosive first step to blow by defenders. He changes speed and direction as he brings the ball up making it hard for defenders to stay in front of him. He is more of a straight-line driver, but he has shown flashes and potential as a crafty finisher with good footwork to get around defenders when the paint gets crowded. He can initiate and absorb contact, draw fouls, and get to the free-throw line at a high rate. An improvement area for him is that at times he can get overzealous and out of control pushing the pace and playing fast which makes his handle way looser resulting in turnovers or lost body control at the rim. He isn't a volume three-point shooter, but when teams want to take away his drives, he has shown a willingness to take and make them with a quick release and fluid shooting mechanics, making him an inside-out player.

As a passer, he can set up teammates off dribble penetration and drive and kick for three-point shots or find the big inside with a dump-off pass. He makes athletic passes in mid-air to offset the pressure and length he matches up against.

On the defensive end, he is quick on rotations and closing out on three-point shooters limiting the good looks they get from three-point range.

Caleb Zhu

Position: C

Height: 6 Feet 10 Inches

Team: Royal Crown

Class: 2026

Uncommitted

Caleb Zhu is a traditional big. He operates in pick and roll. He is one of the better pick and roll threats at the high school level. He sets hard picks and absorbs contact freeing up the pick and roll ball-handler to get to their spot for a high-percentage shot. He gets a lot of screen assists freeing up his teammates and giving them quality looks to convert into points. His picks open up driving lanes for guards who like to attack which is how the Royal Crown guards operate. He has a two man game with the guards initiating dribble handoffs and setting a pick giving shooters a good catch and shoot three-point look or drivers a lane to use their momentum to carry themselves towards the rim. He is effective as a cutter and playing out of the dunker's spot. He shows flashes of being an athletic finisher in the paint. At times, he needs a better finishing touch in the paint and more poise not rushing his shots. He has a big size advantage allowing him to dominate and control the glass. He can grab tough contested rebounds through traffic, keep the ball high so he doesn't get stripped, and has good hands to maintain possession. He struggles in the post. He has a weak lower body, is weak in the hips, and lacks mobility to get deep post positioning or to spin off in the post. He has more success in the post when he gets a non-big smaller defender on a switch where he can back them down and go for a dunk in the paint.

He can make the right reads as a pick and roll passer in the short roll finding shooters or cutters from the high post. He struggles making decisions out of double teams in the post and finding the open man forcing tough contested passes through tight windows and traffic resulting in steals or deflections.

On the defensive end,  he is a rim protector and defensive anchor. He uses his size and length to alter shots in the paint and goes up vertically without fouling. He is quick to rotate from the weak side to the strong side to challenge shots.

Jacob McGregor

Position: G

Height: 6 Feet 3 Inches

Team: Royal Crown

Class: 2026

Uncommitted

Jacob McGregor is an effective off-ball guard. He can receive dribble handoffs and let his momentum carry him all the way to the rim. He is one of the go-to options on those dribble handoffs for Royal Crown. He is low on drives to the rim making it harder for bigger players to stay in front of him. He has quickness and explosiveness when attacking the rim. He uses his body and frame to shield off defenders and keep them on his hips when driving to the rim. He can change speed starting fast on drives and going slower as he approaches the rim to invite and initiate contact. He can also move well without the ball and find the open space for catch and shoot three-pointers. He has a quick release, fluid shooting mechanics, and deep range. He has lift and elevates on his jump shot making him unaffected by closeouts. He can operate as both a wing shooter and a corner shooter. He can also play in the open court as a leak-out man. He runs the floor well and fills the lanes well allowing him to get all the way to the rim after receiving an outlet pass.

On the defensive end, he applies pressure on the ball-handler as they advance the ball, making it tough for them.

Isaiah Headley-Smith

Position: SG/SF

Height: 6 Feet 5 Inches

Team: Royal Crown

Class: 2026

Uncommitted

Isaiah Headley-Smith is a wing who looks to attack the rim and get downhill. He has a strong body, which he uses to shield off defenders and create separation. He can bring the ball as a ball-handler in transition using his quickness and explosiveness to go the length of the court. He can also leak-out in transition being quick, explosive, and filling the lane well. He loses body control when faced with bigger bodies in the paint. He relies on straight-line drives and doesn't really have craftiness or footwork in his game. He has shown moments when he is an above the rim finisher. He is always in attack mode even if it means forcing a tough shot in the paint. He is an inside-out player prioritizing inside scoring but he can also occasionally knock down catch and shoot three-pointers when opposing teams take away his drives and sag off him daring him to shoot.

He is an aggressive defender playing up tight on guards and throwing his body through picks. He is slow and flat-footed on rotations and getting out to three-point shooters. He shows indecision hesitating between whether to get out to the shooter or play back. By the time he gets to the three-point shooter they get their shot off cleanly with little to no resistance. If he can improve on this aspect of his game and get out to the three-point shooter, he possesses the length to make it hard for them to get their shot off.

Bieva Cabant

Position: G

Height: 5 Feet 11 Inches

Team: Royal Crown

Class: 2027

Uncommitted

Bieva Cabant is a combo guard who thrives attacking the rim in transition as a ball-handler. He is quick and explosive pushing the pace and getting all the way to the rim. In the half-court, he moves well without the ball and receives handoffs and dribble handoffs for catch and shoot three-pointers. He is shot ready, doesn't hesitate, and shoots the ball confidently. He is a bit stiff shooting catch and shoot threes but displays a quick release and good mechanics. He doesn't get off the ground on his jump shot enough, contributing to his struggles to get his shot off over closeouts and missing short off the front rim.

On the defensive end, his main skillset is anticipating and getting into passing lanes for steals and deflections sparking fast-break opportunities as a ball-handler and creating offense from his defense. Despite being undersized, he has the strength and physicality to defend bigger players off the ball and limit them from getting good off-ball movement either along the three-point line or cutting to the rim, which showcases his off-ball defensive versatility. He guards bigger players effectively and has the length to contest shots. He is slow to fight through picks, is flat-footed, and doesn't put effort into getting back into the possession. He relies on switches and help defense, which forces his team to get out of its drop coverage with the big.

Cordell Dias

Position: G

Height: 6 Feet 3 Inches

Team: Royal Crown

Class: 2027

Uncommitted

Cordell Dias is an off-ball playing guard. In the open floor, he leaks out in transition where he can catch the ball, take a few dribbles, and get to the rim. He is a crafty finisher with good footwork. In the half-court, he would execute cuts to the rim. When getting the ball in the corner he would put it on the floor and get to the rim attacking the closeout. He doesn't absorb contact well and loses body control in the paint when attacking the rim, resulting in tough off-balance low-percentage shots which affect his efficiency as a finisher. He isn't an effective catch and shoot three-point shooter. He has a very wide base, stiffness in his hips, and inconsistent shooting mechanics with his shooting motion going to the side. When he is setting screens in guard-to-guard actions, he doesn't free up his teammates.

On the defensive end, he uses his hands a lot rather than moving his feet and staying in front, which gets him into foul trouble. He struggles to fight through picks and takes those hits, which eliminates him from the possession. He relies on his teammates to play help defense and switch. As a team defender, he is quick on rotations and at closing out to three-point shooters contesting the shot without fouling and jumping into the shooter.

Overall to improve his game, he needs to add more strength which would help him stay in front of guys on the defensive end, become a more high-percentage finisher, set better picks or off-ball screens, improve his body control, and play through more physicality and contact.

Ivan Marasovic

Position: F

Height: 6 Feet 8 Inches

Team: Royal Crown

Class: 2027

Uncommitted

Ivan Marasovic is a player whose main skillset is crashing the glass for offensive rebounds and creating opportunities for himself. He is aggressive and relentless chasing extra possessions and second-chance opportunities. He finishes putbacks with a nice finishing touch in the paint on tip-ins. He operates as a backdoor cutter to the rim. He gets a bit too loose with the ball, loses body control, and needs better hands when trying to catch and finish cuts. He can also slip picks and get to the open space.

On the defensive end, he picks up the ball-handler from the backcourt and applies resistance. He moves his feet well and has good defensive positioning for his size despite lacking lateral quickness.

Luka Boras

Position: F

Height: 6 Feet 8 Inches

Team: Royal Crown

Class: 2027

Uncommitted

Luke Boras is best as a catch and shoot three-point shooter. He has a quick release and fluid shooting mechanics. He isn't quick and explosive, but he can find holes in the defense and get to the open space as a cutter. He can get out of control in transition on leak-outs. He rushes shots and is slow getting up the floor resulting in tough contested off-balance shots in the paint.

On the defensive end, he has shown flashes of staying in front of smaller guards. He isn't the quickest and lacks footspeed, but his physicality and ability to move his feet to cut off driving lanes make his presence felt against smaller quicker guards.

Matteo N'Koumngock

Position: F

Height: 6 Feet 7 Inches

Team: Royal Crown

Class: 2028

Uncommitted

Matteo N'Koumngock is a forward who plays on the inside. He cuts to the rim fluidly and makes himself available. His struggles come from finishing in the paint through physicality, contact, and size taking an off-balance shot, shying away from contact, and losing body control.