Now that we’ve reached the month of July, basically every game represents the opportunity for players to be seen, evaluated, and offered by college coaches. While this notion is more applicable to seniors, several juniors and multiple sophomores will inevitably put themselves on the radars of next-level programs. Over the few months, we will take a closer look at various players who should warrant attention as scholarship-level prospects. The intent of this article series is simply to provide breakdowns of guys who coaches should know about. We will continue by looking at Miki Gacic of the Asheville School.
It probably goes without saying, but point guard play is incredibly important. We’ve watched true point guards steadily dwindle in favor of combo guards throughout the last decade. However, it’s impossible to deny the value of having a smart, reliable conductor who organizes a team and dictates the action. That description fits Gacic like a glove. We’ve seen him in basically every possible setting, and he brings the same approach to each contest. Gacic runs a team in an intelligent, methodical manner with the perfect balance between being unselfish and assertive. He handles the ball with care, plays with phenomenal pace, and seemingly never gets sped up. Gacic utilizes his body well to get where he wants off the bounce. He sees the entire floor and makes terrific decisions as a playmaker. Gacic is an efficient scorer with the necessary polish, creation ability, and spot-up instincts to apply pressure in various ways. He understands angles far better than most players and keeps the ball in motion without hesitation. Defensively, Gacic does a quality job of staying in front of opposing ball-handlers and playing the passing lanes to force turnovers.
In looking at the success that Derin Saran had during his lone season at UC Irvine, it wouldn’t be surprising if Gacic were able to follow a similar path. Obviously, they are different from each other but the IQ, pace, and general instincts definitely separate both from their peers. Add in the fact that Saran and Gacic both played for Asheville School and 1 of 1 Elite, and it’s easy to draw comparisons. Although Gacic doesn’t currently hold any offers, he’s guaranteed to see an uptick in his recruitment sooner than later. His game-changing presence will surely be recognized and coveted by a variety of programs.