AZ Top 250 Expo: Top 10 Shooters
There were a number of top tier shooters at the expo and many others with plenty to prove. Nobody demonstrated more improvements than Jaden Lee. He showed all that were watching that he is a capable shooter from deep in addition to having a solid handle and good athleticism. Here is the list of the Top 10 shooting performances from this weekend.
Top 250 Expo: Top 10 Shooters
Ben Claypool (Williams Field 2018) – Claypool shot the ball well during skill sessions and it carried over into the games. He has consistent form and shoots it well off of the dribble. Like most high school players, he still needs to work on speeding up his shot; however, he was quite impressive this weekend.
Xavier Dussell (Mesquite 2020) – Dussell shot the basketball from deep at an extremely high level. He has a smooth shot and good elevation. He is capable of hitting from well beyond the line. Dussell is more comfortable off of the catch at this point, but he did demonstrate an ability to shoot off of the dribble.
Tyrese Eugene (Ironwood 2018) – Eugene is a physical guard who is capable of getting into the paint almost whenever he wants. Add to it, he has improved his shot tremendously from last year. His form looks more confident and consistent.
Nathan Gorsuch (North Canyon 2017) – Skilled shooter off of the catch and off of the dribble. He has nice change of pace and change of direction with his handle which enables him to create separation and freeze the defender so that he can elevate and shoot. He is able to shoot it from anywhere on the court and has range as well.
Grant Greabell (Estrella Foothills 2018) – Grant is more than one of the best shooters at the expo. He is one of the best shooters in the entire state. He does a good job of being shot ready prior to the ball getting there which enables him to shoot the ball quickly and in rhythm. Moreover, he is not bothered by close defenders as he is able to shoot it with a hand in his face and to create separation using pump fakes and jab steps.
Jaden Lee (Mesquite 2018) – Many people have knocked Lee’s ability to shoot the basketball from deep, but he has demonstrated a much improved shot. In fact, he had a game at the expo where he hit 8 threes. Moreover, his shot looked consistent and fluid during station work. Lee is definitely more comfortable pulling off of the dribble and he is talented at creating space off of on ball screens and knocking down shots.
George Lopez (Ironwood 2017) – Lopez shot the basketball very well this past weekend. He did not create a lot of looks for himself. However, he does a really good job of spacing to the corner when there is a middle drive or a baseline drive. He has a quick and consistent release. He should be a key shooter for Ironwood the next year as they have play makers and talented post players whom will benefit from him being able to space the court.
Logan Matulis (Mountain Pointe 2018) – Matulis had an all around solid weekend, but his ability to shoot the basketball from deep was quite impressive. He will have to play some big man ball this next year at Mountain Pointe; however, I am sure they will find ways to implement his smooth touch from deep into their offensive schemes.
Elijah Mead (Camelback 2017) – One of the best shooters at the expo and in the state was on full display this weekend. Mead shot the basketball extremely well off of the catch and off of the dribble. He uses dribble separation moves as well as anyone to create shots for himself. Moreover, he specialized in hitting tough shots as he shot a better percentage with a hand in his face than he did when he was open.
Mason Stark (Marcos De Niza 2017) – Stark has improved his game significantly to the point where he is definitely more than just a shooter. With that said, his biggest strength as a player is his ability to shoot the basketball from deep. He moves without the basketball well and understands how to create angles so that the ball handler can get the basketball to him.