DANTE VELLA
HEIGHT: 5’11″
WEIGHT: 145 POUNDS
POSITION: SHOOTING GUARD
HIGHSCHOOL: NORTH CANYON IN ARIZONA
COLLEGE: TBD
SCOUTING REPORT
Head Coach Mike O’Guinn has done a very good job at attracting and training highly talented prospects to North Canyon. He landed a player for the class of 2024 who will have an immediate impact for the Rattlers. Dante Vella is a very athletic SG who has a very nice and versatile overall game. Vella originally committed to Horizon in 2020 before transferring and signing with North Canyon.
The 5’11″ Vella already looks like a high major player. He has good athletic ability. His combination of strength, versatility, and athleticism is what separates him from the majority of high school guards.
He is a unique player. What impresses us when watching him play is his ability to score from all 3 levels. This is why we believe he will be utilized as a combo SG and SF when he gets to college. Weighing around 145 pounds, Vella has a really soft touch for a 5’11″ player. He can knock down the mid-range jumper and has range out to the college 3-point line already. Down on the block, he overpowers high school competition. However, he will need to develop a few low-post moves for the college game. He does show flashes of nice footwork, however. To maximize his potential, developing a low-post game will be important going forward.
The North Canyon player is a fierce rebounder on both ends of the floor. He is a good outlet passer and runs the floor extremely well for a player his size. Vella is an unselfish player from what we have seen. We believe that while he will be a combo guard most likely that the “stretch-2” position would suit him best. He would cause match-up problems on a nightly basis due to his ability to score from the outside and his strength and improving low post game on the inside.
