Under the radar gems in the Chuck Williams Region
The 5A State playoffs get started this coming week and there are plenty of great matchups to get out and enjoy. While there are top guys that will carry their teams to victory, there are under the radar talents that…
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Continue ReadingThe 5A State playoffs get started this coming week and there are plenty of great matchups to get out and enjoy. While there are top guys that will carry their teams to victory, there are under the radar talents that will emerge as well. Here is five under the radar players to keep an eye on in the Chuck Williams region.
Rhys Pulling – Mountain Vista
Pulling is a playmaker in his jr, season that is great with the ball in his hands. He can score when asked upon and is the X-factor for this team and one of the main reasons for the success of the top team in the entire state. Pulling has been a Swiss army knife because anything that is asked of him he does. He is a player that gives off great energy and it is contagious and can score when called upon. He is up to 10.7 points a game and is a microwave when he gets going. He started scoring at the end of the season and is nows starting to knock down shots which makes this team that much more dangerous. He takes care of the ball and is a player that you can go to down the stretch that will make the right play.
Payton Egloff – Regis
Egloff is one of the best shooters in the entire state and while this has been an up and down year, just having the ability to see one go in and then heat up immediately after is one that Regis will hope happens when they get started. Egloff is a guard that has been having to play off ball a bit more this season which has slowed him down a bit as a he is a playmaker that gets other involved but has ball handling skills and a knack for pulling off of the dribble. He excels in the pick and roll and also runs the floor well ready to shoot off of screens. He is a shot creator inside that has a great mid-range pull up and finishes at the rim well also. With a team with great size in the Raiders Egloff spaces the floor on the wing and is a great entry passer that makes the right play. He is at eight points a game but I feel an explosion coming soon and for him to be the difference in a deep run.
Dailin Smith – Liberty
Good size and can switch it up with either scoring on the perimeter or putting it on the ground and driving to the hoop. He finished off the year on a tear of 13 straight games scoring double digits and got in the 20’s twice with that. He is a big-time scorer that defenses must account for at all times. He is averaging 14.5 points a game but also contributing in the rebounding department at 4.7 a game as well. If he gets going early Liberty is able to jump out to an early lead and go into the next round with rhythm.
Marcus LaBonde – Fruita Monument
Junior Labonde is an under the radar standout because Fruita Monument is a pretty deep team that has multiple standout each night which makes it difficult to pinpoint who their best player is but amongst those standouts is Labonde. He is able to finish at the rim, create off of the dribble for himself and gets to the free throw line as well as anybody in the region. He is putting up a team best 14.0 points a game and also is contributing on the rebounds as well at 6.7 rebounds a game. Where he has really separated himself is as a distributor as he is dishing out 6.4 assists a game. He is the player that the team runs through and when he has the ball in his hands gives the No.15 seed in the state tournament a chance to win.
Myron Hamilton – Far Northeast Warriors
Hamilton is the Warriors leading scorer at 15.0 points a game as he can score the basketball and is not afraid of the moment. He has put up big points in big games as seen when he dropped 29 earlier in the season against Denver East. He can shoot the ball but makes a living in the paint and finishing at the rim. He has a good feel around the rim and finishes through or over contact. He is a disruptor on the defensive end of the floor and plays the passing lanes well which leads to open baskets in the fast break. He runs the break and has a good handle that gets players off of the dribble and will have plenty to prove against a Douglas County team on Wednesday that allows baskets from opposing guards. Hamilton can see his stock rise with a big showing against Douglas County in a pretty even matchup and barring a win can show what he has against one of the top guard heavy teams in the state in Smoky. Big games seem to be his thing.