Scouting Reports: Amite vs. Hammond (Video)
The Ponchatoula Jamboree was the last warmup for Amite and Hammond before the start of the regular season and both teams will be fighting for playoff spots in Classes 3A and 5A this year. The November 12 matchup between the two…
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Continue ReadingThe Ponchatoula Jamboree was the last warmup for Amite and Hammond before the start of the regular season and both teams will be fighting for playoff spots in Classes 3A and 5A this year. The November 12 matchup between the two teams came down to the wire and Amite 2018 G Dereon Edwards made three free throws with no time left on the clock to give the Warriors a 25-24 win (video). Here’s a quick overview of what to expect from both teams this season, as well as players that stood out from the two 10-minute halves in mid-November:
Amite Warriors
Amite narrowly missed the playoffs last year after losing to Albany, 48-46, in the final seconds of what was the de facto District 7-3A championship game. The Warriors got off to a 0-5 start without their football players and they’ll have to do without them again as Amite just advanced to the semifinals Friday against No. 2 Iowa with a 28-21 win.
The Warriors will add 3-4 starters when their football run is over, including 2017 G DeVonta Smith, who has Division I talent on the basketball court but is one of the country’s top recruits as a receiver. Amite has only played two games so far beating St. Helena 71-40, St. James 54-36 and their top two players have been 2017 G Izarius Grady and 2017 W/F Josh Montgomery.
Grady is a 5’11” guard who has a nice touch from deep and is showing improvement as a ball handler and penetrator as well. He takes on the role of scorer and creator for Amite with Smith on the football field and has done a solid job in both areas in Amite’s balanced attack. He had a team-high 6 in the jamboree against Hammond, 7 against St. Helena in the season opener and 17 against St. James.
Montgomery is an interesting prospect that may be able to help a team on the next level as a wing defender. He has a long frame at 6-foot-4 with good lateral movement and has increased his offensive production as well early in the season.
Montgomery, who functions primarily in the paint as a forward for Amite, only had four in the shortened jamboree against Hammond but two of those came on an and-one with 27.4 seconds left to tie the game at 22. In the Warriors’ two regular season games, Montgomery had 18 against St. Helena going 12-of-13 from the free throw line and scored 13 against St. James going 9-of-11 from the stripe.
The Warriors are going to need Montgomery’s length and activity near the rim if they want to compete for a playoff spot this year and they’ll be one of three teams in the mix for the District 7-3A title with Albany and Independence.
Hammond Tornadoes
Hammond faced a ton of adversity last year starting with the departure of their head coach just before the start of the season and they ended up with one of the worst records in Class 5A going 3-26. Eight of those losses were by single digits, though, and the Tors are now under new leadership with first-year coach Michael Hicks in the fold.
The Florida native has Hammond off to a 4-1 start this year and his top producers have been 2018 PG Derrion Wilson, 2017 W Jeremiah Butler and 2018 G Spencer Fland. Fland is a newcomer to the group whose primary role has been on defense but Wilson and Butler were both contributors on last year’s team.
Wilson is a 5’10” point guard who could lead the team in scoring this year and he picks his spots well when attacking creases in the defense. He also has some nifty finishes around the rim that usually lead to buckets or free throws but improving his strength would allow him to finish more consistently around the basket.
Wilson doesn’t put up many shots from outside but has good form at the free throw line and has the potential to be a plus-shooter from long range. He was the team’s leading scorer with 13 in the jamboree including two free throws to put Hammond up 24-22 with 6.4 seconds left but fouled a 3-point shooter on the ensuing possession as time expired in the game.
Butler is a 6’4” wing who’s likely to contend with Wilson for the team lead in scoring and will be a valuable asset as a defender. He’s a physical player who likes to mix it up in the paint and is very aggressive when attacking the rim offensively. The majority of his points will come near the rim and at the free throw line and he has become one of the team leaders over the offseason as well.
Hammond reached the championship game of the Denham Springs Tournament just before the Thanksgiving break and it will be interesting to see how the group develops as the season progresses.
Highlights from the game’s top players are below and click here to check out the scouting reports from the second game of the Ponchatoula Jamboree between Ponchatoula and Independence: