Prep Hoops Next has gotten to get their eyes on a handful of prospects from the 2028 class and one prospect that had a really good summer in front of us at multiple events was Ethan Vahl from Illinois. Vahl is a 5’5 combo guard that plays for Illinois Flight. Vahl is coached by Titcus Pettigrew who was able to speak to us about coaching Vahl.
“It is a pleasure coaching Ethan. He is a special young kid that is a hard worker and always listens. He is an ultimate competitor and is one of those kids that you know what you are going to get out of him during games because of the way he practices. What you see in practice is what you get out of him during games.”
Because of the different tools Vahl has at the guard position, he is used as a combo guard for Illinois Flight and Pettigrew spoke on that.
“He is used in a variety of ways because there is so much he can do while on the court. He is such a good shooter but he can also handle the ball very well. He can really play the one, two or three.”
Pettigrew expects those combo guard skills to translate to the next level nicely, “I think he will continue to grow into being a combo guard because he can make point guard decisions but he is also a lethal three point shooter.”
Only in 6th grade, Vahl’s game is far from being complete and he has a lot of time even before he enters high school but one thing that will continue to help him become a better overall player in Pettigrew’s eyes is his defense.
“I want him to continue to get better on the defensive side of the ball. If he can put the same amount of energy he puts into the offensive side of the game on the defensive side, he will really be a complete player.”
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