Moussa Berete 6’4 175 2022 The Carmel School (VA) / Team Richmond AAU
One of the most intriguing prospects I watched all summer! Moussa is a long, athletic, and skilled guard, a versatile scorer who thrives in the mid-range as a shot-maker both off the dribble and off the ball. He is dynamic in transition both handling the ball and finishing and he has a solid pull-up game. Moussa has a solid handle and uses hesitations nicely and is extremely shifty attacking space. He changes speeds nicely and has a quick burst both attacking the rim and on change of direction. He is a long 6’4 and really capitalizes on his length as he attacks with rangy, quick strides and a burst the makes him appear as if he were catapulted to the rim when he spots the opportunity to attack. His long wingspan and a great touch around the rim allow him to finish from various angles at a very good rate, he uses runners effectively and has a great touch using the glass.
Moussa is so difficult to defend because of his length, quickness, and shiftiness and he changes speeds so frequently and effectively. He can rip and go by you in a flash or break you down with his solid handle and hesitations and suddenly explode to the rim where he’s a long stride away from scoring. He can use spin moves and his length allows him to eat up a lot of real estate quickly. Making him even more difficult to contain is his ability to hit pull-ups at a very efficient rate. Given his length including a super long wingspan once he elevates into that pull-up jumper it’s a wrap, and that shot seems to be his bread and butter when he’s not throwing down thunderous dunks! He’s so efficient, so comfortable and so smooth pulling up off the dribble and he just doesn’t miss!
Off the ball, he demonstrates the ability to read defenses and get open with good regularity, and has a quick release. His shot preparation is textbook! He attacks hard closeouts with length and a quick burst. Uses the dribble nicely to relocate and get to his spots. He uses jabs and shot fakes against hard closeouts as well and He just knows how to create and score the basketball, as if it’s instinctive. He’s super shifty for his length, plays on balance, and stays in attack mode. His shot mechanics are sound, fluid and he shows the ability to score from all levels. Moussa can start or finish the break and gets end to end with the dribble quickly. He can create for others, set very good screens, and is very good in pick and roll and pick and pop actions as the screener. He also likes to get the defender on his hip in high post situations where he can back him down with a couple of dribbles initiating and then playing off that contact or front pivot and shoot over the top of most defenders. His footwork is excellent!
Moussa’s length and quickness allow him to provide versatility as a defender. He moves his feet nicely and defends either wing out away from the rim effectively. He is a threat off the ball because of his length and quickness and he often baits the passer into making a pass which he, in turn, picks off and turns into quick points at the other end. He also gets deflections both defending the dribble and off the ball thanks to his length and anticipation skills. He’s a very active rebounder and his quick elevation and length allow him to rebound outside his area. Moussa has a wiry frame but demonstrates a great deal of strength as he fights inside for rebounds and for space. He’s a very good repeat jumper, an agile athlete with solid footwork and a great motor! Moussa has the potential to be a big-time scorer at the high school level and should be drawing the attention of college coaches at all levels he’s that good and that athletic! I would suggest coaches add him to their must-see list ASAP!