Spring Ice Breaker Saturday Notebook (Part I)
BASKETBALL UNIVERSITY GOLD (Adidas) 57 TEXAS HARDWORK (UAA) 69 It was my first time seeing five-star wing Keon Edwards (Findlay Prep ’21) and I was impressed with all that he brought to the table. The 6-foot-7 forward is capable of initiating the…
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Continue ReadingBASKETBALL UNIVERSITY GOLD (Adidas) 57 TEXAS HARDWORK (UAA) 69
It was my first time seeing five-star wing Keon Edwards (Findlay Prep ’21) and I was impressed with all that he brought to the table. The 6-foot-7 forward is capable of initiating the offense, knocking down shots off the dribble, and playing above the rim. With more work on his jumper and constant fine tuning in other facets of his game, he has the chance to maintain his highly-rated status throughout his high school career.
Hardwork forward Norman Beckford (San Antonio Brennan ’20) looked really solid in his first game of the spring/summer season. An undersized four-man, Beckford gets off the floor really well to block shots, rebound, and finish above the rim. He showed great lateral movement defensively and is one colleges will look at for his athleticism and workhorse mindset.
Cooz Elite 65 3D EMPIRE 55
Jahari Long (Houston Episcopal ’20) made his case for being the number one point guard in the state after his Saturday afternoon performance. He was incredible with his all-around style of play and always made the best decisions with the ball in his hands. The three-star (should be four-star) guard has shown more confidence in taking and making jumpers from the outside. He already is extremely effective without having to score a single point, but he has consistently proved that it is incredibly difficult to stop his team from winning games when his shots are falling. He scored a game-high 23 points to go along with a handful of assists in the victory.
Tall, trim and lengthy forward Nate Lacewell (Houston Legacy ’20) of Cooz Elite was dialed in from long range. He knocked down four threes en route to a 12-point performance in the win. His perimeter skills at 6-foot-7 make him a very intriguing as a prospect.
3D Empire guard Logan McLaughlin came to play in the afternoon rematch. He was drilling shots from way downtown and constantly looking to make a play with his athleticism at the rim. With Abilene Christian being his lone offer, McLaughlin has a chance to garner a few higher opportunities if he continues to score efficiently and bring his athleticism into light. The 6-foot-1 scorer led 3D Empire with 20 points in the loss.
McLaughlin’s backcourt-mate Baylor Hebb (Colleyville Heritage ’20) played decent in the contest as well. He knocked down multiple perimeter shots, made a few nice passes, and finished transitional lay-ins while letting the defense know about it as well. Hebb was decent scoring on two-levels, but he struggled to score over or finish around athletic, taller, and stronger opponents inside. The confident scoring guard added 18 points in the rematch. The first game between these two teams dated back to late-July where Hebb ousted 43 points in a close defeat.
TEXAS HARDWORK (UAA) 51 TEAM HARDEN (Adidas) 46
Christian Turner (South Grand Prairie ’20) was active on both ends of the floor for Hardwork. He was all over the court defensively and drilled in very deep shots from three-point territory. The lengthy forward’s recruitment will soar if he continues to shoot the ball this way throughout the summer.
Four-star big man Jerrell Colbert (Cornerstone Christian ’21) is slowly but surely making strides in his game. It is all about continuing to get better skill-wise and taking full advantage of his intangibles. He had some head-scratching moments, but made up for them by blocking a few shots and throwing down some thunderous dunks in Hardwork’s second win of the afternoon.
Austin Nunez (San Antonio Randolph ’22) looked comfortable competing on both ends with Hardwork. He had two chase down blocks and connected on a couple of shots from deep. Keep an eye out as this freshman will be playing 17U basketball on the UA Circuit this summer.
Jestin Porter (Cypress Ridge ’20) of Team Harden scored a few eye-opening buckets off the bounce in the contest. He is a small guard who plays strong and is a true threat from long range. Lamar is Porter’s only offer at this point, but he will have a chance to expand his options if he can score it at a solid rate on the Gauntlet this season.