Scouting Report: Catalina Foothills vs. Agua Fria (D2 Quarterfinals)
Overivew: Catalina Foothills was able to grab the lead at halftime; however, Agua Fria turned up the pressure in the second half with a 2-2-1 full court which sparked a 15 to 4 run and an eventual 44 to 36 lead…
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Continue ReadingOverivew: Catalina Foothills was able to grab the lead at halftime; however, Agua Fria turned up the pressure in the second half with a 2-2-1 full court which sparked a 15 to 4 run and an eventual 44 to 36 lead at the end of the 3rd quarter. Even though it felt as though Agua Fria was going to be able to run away with it due to having all of the momentum, 6’2″Sophomore G Sam Beskind had different plans. He played well beyond his grade level as he finished the game with a double-double and seemed to hit all of the big shots that Catalina needed to hit in order to stay in. Unfortunately Beskind and Catalina, their efforts fell of just short due to the heroics of 5’10” Senior PG/SG Jordan McCants and 6’6″ Senior PF/C Darnell Cowart.
Catalina Foothills
Sam Beskind 6’2″ 2018 G – Beskind was quite impressive as he hit big shot after big shot. He played with a poise and confidence that greatly exceeded his Sophomore label. In addition to being a strong shooter, he finished the game as the team’s leading rebounder with 10, and he displayed size and toughness that make him a definite next level player.
Jared Irwin 6’3″ 2017 G – Irwin shot the heck out of the basketball as he was able to knock down 5 threes while only attempting 11. Irwin hit two huge threes in the second half that provided much needed momentum for Foothills. Much like Beskind, his size, toughness, and high basketball IQ make him a good prospect for the next level. Catalina should be on team’s radars next season with Beskind and Irwin returning.
Agua Fria
Jordan Mccants 5’10” 2016 G – Mccants was an absolute monster in this one as no one could seem to keep him out of the lane. Any time he needed to get to the rim in order to preserve the tournament life of Agua Fria, he was able to. Mccants also knocked down a much needed three in the 4th quarter. Due to his aggressive style of play and ability to get into the lane, Mccants career should not be over at the conclusion of this season.
Isaiah Olvera 5’11” 2016 G – Olvera tends to be the X-Factor for this group. Mccants, Fowler, and Cowart are quite talented and tough to stop. Thus, when Olvera is playing well, it makes this team were difficult to guard due to their ability to attack and score from an array of areas. Olvera played within himself for the majority of the game and hit a huge 3 late in the game that assisted in Agua Fria sealing this one and moving on to the next round.
Bryce Fowler 6’5″ 2017 F – Fowler’s length, ability to shoot, and his ability to rebound obviously make him stand out. However, I always walk away from his games with a great respect for his basketball IQ. He seems to find a way to be in the right help side position at all times, in a position to make plays for himself and others, and to get a hand on the basketball when rebounding.
Darnell Cowart 6’6″ 2016 F/C – Cowart is an absolute load due to his soft hands and footwork. He led the game in rebounding with 16 and had multiple huge buckets for Agua Fria. None were bigger than the one he hit at the end of OT to send Agua Fria to the next round. It will be interesting to see where he ends up at the end of this season as he has some skills that would directly correlate to him being successful at the next level.
Next up: Semifinals: 2/27 Agua Fria vs. Sunrise Mountain at Gila River Arena 12:45