Blake Mullaly

6-3 PG/SG Blake Mullaly from Rootstown High School (Ohio) was very impressive this season. I liked his finishing ability around the basket and downhill drives in transition. My favorite move was his Euro-step finishes around defenders at the basket. He is a great player in transition, and with a full head of steam he is very tough to guard. Blake is a really good ball handler and has skills with the ball under pressure, showing multiple double move combos like in/out crossovers and behind-the-back moves. Can get by many defenders due to his size, strength, speed, handling ability and athleticism at the rim.   I was also impressed with his defense and rebounding through the course of several games this season where he had 21 points and 9 rebounds against Ravenna. He is a versatile guard, pushing the ball in transition and making plays for his teammates with nice passes. Blake can run the offense as a point guard and can guard multiple positions on defense 1-3 with his strong frame and aggressiveness. He showed a lot of hustle plays – diving for loose balls and snatching rebounds in crowded areas. A very athletic guard who can adjust his layup mid-air and finish from one side of the basket to the other. Blake has a solid shot from 3 and can knock it down on occasion. His best attributes are putting a lot of pressure on the defense, getting downhill and finishing strong or getting to the free throw line.   Blake is the head of the snake for Rootstown and has that “dog mentality” and leadership to run his team. I’m looking for a big summer out of him, as he’s on a circuit AAU program this summer and will catch a lot of attention from coaches. He also does a great job in the classroom holding 3.6 GPA. — DJ Blanks, ScoutU Basketball Scout, DJ@ScoutU.com, 216-990-8617   Athletic Skills/Strengths: Blake is a good shooter, rebounder and ball-handler with the ability to get to the rim and finish. Led our team as a junior with 16.1 points per game, 7.7 rebounds and 74% from the free throw line. Blake is also able to guard off the dribble well and play with his feet to keep guys in front of him. He has one of our highest plus/minus on the team.   Athletic Areas to Improve: Blake still needs to improve finishing through contact instead of trying to get fouled, as well as his lateral quickness. This could improve his ability to guard along with attacking the rim on offense. It also doesn’t hurt to work on his explosion and vertical to improve his numbers.   Non-Athletic Strengths: Blake is a great kid who shows impeccable coachability and leadership. His work ethic makes him a high-character gym rat who’s constantly working on his skills to improve shooting and ball-handling. Blake just wants to win and do all he can to win games for his team no matter what. — Joseph Siciliano, Rootstown HS Coach