#HustleSZN Kickoff: Saturday Afternoon
Pool play continues today at the #HustlesSZN Kickoff and the Prep Hoops Team continues their coverage through the weekend. Here is the Saturday afternoon report. DaRon Holmes, Powerhouse Hoops (AZ) Puts on a Power Display The kids from Arizona warmed…
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Continue ReadingPool play continues today at the #HustlesSZN Kickoff and the Prep Hoops Team continues their coverage through the weekend. Here is the Saturday afternoon report.
DaRon Holmes, Powerhouse Hoops (AZ) Puts on a Power Display
The kids from Arizona warmed up this morning with wins of 89-36 and 63-37. Six-foot-9 power forward Da’Ron Holmes is a top 50 level player in the country and likely pushing his way to top 30 area. At this point the scholarship offer list includes Minnesota, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Cal, Arizona State, and others. And this list is going to grow rapidly.
What you can do with an athlete like Holmes is unlimited. DaRon’s length, lateral quickness, and agility in his hips allows him to move around the perimeter on defense like a guard/wing. Holmes runs at the same speed as anyone on the court but his strides shoot him ahead of the pack. He’s fast improving using a dribble and the finishes so far have not been contested. Holmes scored on 12 of his 14 shot attempts in game one and provided highlights for all the onlookers regularly.
DaRon is from Goodyear, Arizona and a consensus four star recruit. DaRon grew a great deal as a sophomore averaging 19.2 points a game making 52 percent of his attempts. Add in 10.7 boards and 4.2 blocks a game and you have a developing all around producer that few can match physically.
Holmes needs to improve his face-up stroke (53 percent of his foul shots and 26 percent of his 88 threes) but the touch and low post game will keep taking steps. Holmes is also one of the hardest working players on the floor so you know his game will take steps. Throw in some more core strength as he physically matures and you have one of the nation’s best prospects.
Another player that is also about to explode opportunity wise is 6-foot-11 2021 Matur Dhal. Dhal does the work to put himself in positions of success and on a team like Powerhouse Hoops the ball is in his hands for production regularly. Six-foot-2 guard Justus Jackson attacks with the perfect speed but his timing of playmaking is outstanding. Six-foot-9 Carter Hammond is another big with a promising future and Derick Kaps wins the defensive stance and defense start to finish award for the day. Kaps was a wall for opposing guards.
Glover is Next. The Next Glover!
LJ GloverLa’Roi Glover was a standout in the 90s at San Diego State. He then spent 13 years in the NFL playing in six Pro Bowls and was an All Pro player four times. Glover played for the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, and St. Louis Rams. Glover is now an assistant for the New York Jets. Glover’s son LJ Glover, he’s the next athletic 6-foot-9 player you need to know about.
Several of the descriptive items of DaRon Holmes match-up with what LJ Glover is, and can be. LJ (La’Roi Junior) just turned 16 so he is a younger sophomore that has a lot of development ahead of him but the natural ability is there. Glover is at the Balboa School playing with a big frontcourt as well as Northern Colorado bound Malcolm Little and Mojus Mojus headed to Cal State Fullerton.
Glover already has a wide shouldered, strong frame that kids at the 16 and Under level are not able to knock off balance. With that type of core strength already combined with length and a quick second bounce Glover already has the natural gifts to produce for Coastal Elite Slayers. He’s also really good with the pivot moving the defender and he scored over each shoulder.
Respect for LA Elite
What do you want from your Grassroots season of play? A coach that pushes you, a coach that teaches you, a coach that improves skills and game understanding, and of course competition against solid teams. In one word, a player wants “growth”. Watching Los Angeles Elite I saw a team that was defensively battling to position every play the entire length of the court. I saw a coach holding his players accountable and players that respond.
Christian BoodThe first player that responded was Christian Bood, a well built 6-foot-6 power forward that totaled a 21 point, 11 rebound performance. Bood was relentless on the offensive glass as well as the defensive glass sending the outlet and running the floor. His coach asked for more activity defensively and Bood responded with passing lane jumps and rebounds out of his area.
Six-foot-4 Jake Hlywiak made a pair of triples and stretched the defense and once the defensive was scrambled 6-5 Joshua Lee and Vaughn Flowers enjoyed their time finishing above the rim. This wide open, aggressive, quickly rotating defense of LA Elite allows for a high percentage transition game and that’s how Lee and Flowers prpduced offensively.
The Coastal Elite Slayers
Our rapid fire part of the coverage is given to the Coastal Elite Slayers:
- Wayne McKinnney is the top prospect in his class in Oregon and rightfully so. A 6-foot-1 aggressive guard from Lake Oswego that just loved creating opportunity for his teammates.
- Joseph Ogbebor of Balboa Prep is 6-foot-4 and the potential to be a versatile defender/slasher
- We talked about LJ Glover already but he’s the talent with the high ceiling (although there are several on this team)
- Kai Jessie is an aggressive rebounder, hustle defender type at a listed 6-foot-4 but looked bigger than that.
- Caleb Nelson has the touch of a standout but remember that alley-oop highlight finish at the end as well.
Final Thoughts
I wish California Select had a roster to look at because they had some skilled players that I would love to talk about including number 24. The 17u player put the game away with a floor run to finish but his crossover into mid-range hit as well as his catch and shoot feet set touch impressed.
Jake Howe of Salt Lake Bounce was one of the few players to find space against LA Elite. Hit knocked out four threes and scored 16 for his team. Jake is a 6-foot-3 wing from Woods Cross High School in Utah.
To compete on the Circuit you need a little something extra. Six-foot-3 Taylorsville HS (UT) wing Cameron Millican brought the extra with worker baskets and a rebounding fight that led to 13 points and seven boards.