Kahihl Venable 5'10 155 2021 Varina High School, Richmond VA
Kahihl is a pure, pass-first point guard, incredibly smart, strong and tough. His best attribute is his incredible floor vision both in the half-court and transition. The game just slows down for him due to his feel, sound fundamentals and an incredible knack for running a basketball team. He has excellent anticipation as a passer and is able to deliver various passes right where his teammates want it. His high-level passing skills work in perfect harmony with his roving peripheral vision. He executes the drive and dish game effectively, hitting his shooters in rhythm on the perimeter and cutters in stride and seems to be a play ahead of everyone else. Strong leadership skills and court presence! Kahihl is a very good athlete possessing a quick first step and a nice burst off the dribble hesitation and over screens. So dangerous when he turns the corner putting defenses at his mercy as he uses his passing skills to find cutters and his ability to score inside and at the rim. He has an outstanding handle and his lethal crossover allows him to drive either right or left with equal effectiveness.
Although quick, his sound footwork, ability to change speeds and his ability to read and use angles makes him appear much quicker. He manages to get into the lane with good regularity and get wherever he needs to with the dribble. Kahihl plays with incredible patience and composure, has a great court demeanor and oozes with confidence. Kahihl shows a nice touch on floaters over opposing bigs inside, his strong compact frame allows him to play through contact and get his shot off at the rim or draw contact and get to the free-throw line. He demonstrates fluid and mechanically sound shooting fundamentals and a sense of comfort shooting both off the dribble and the catch. Kahihl is a good three-point shooter and that threat allows him to stretch the floor for teammates and also bring defenders out where he does a great job using hesitations, shot fakes and crafty ball handling to attack aggressive closeouts and establish dribble penetration. He does a great job with his decision making running the break.
On the defensive end, he uses his excellent footwork and lateral quickness, quick hands and upper body strength and is a solid on-ball defender. Doesn't gamble much and maintains a good position, doesn't get beat! Kahihl uses his great court sense and anticipation skills in passing lanes and averages over two steals per game. A very intelligent player who always brings energy and effort and consistency on both ends of the floor. He is a very good rebounder for a guard and doesn't mind getting inside and battling for position. Kahihl is a solid student/athlete who gets it done in the classroom as well as on the court. He enjoys volunteering his time working with younger kids at various recreation centers throughout Richmond and passing along his knowledge and game tips to up and coming players. Look for his stock to improve throughout the rest of this junior year and throughout the summer as he should begin picking up college interest.
From the Virginia Phenom Top 150 Showcase:
'Kahihl operated as the glue guy for his team…He's a smart, very well rounded guard prospect that plays bigger than his size on both ends of the floor…Kahihl scores the ball effectively from all three levels while setting up his teammates but is best when getting downhill and finishing around the basket…A scrappy defender who knows how to clear out space nicely for rebounds'. Coach Myron Prescott coached Kahihl at the camp and added 'I loved Kahihl's heart. He plays hard and listens very well. He displayed a great attitude throughout the day.'
