Gennett, Lloyd Shine in Marquee Showdown
A clash of two northwest powerhouses. Gonzaga Prep, winner of two consecutive Washington State 4A titles crossed the border into Post Falls, Idaho to take on Post Falls High School who finished last year third at the 5A State Tournament.…
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Continue ReadingA clash of two northwest powerhouses. Gonzaga Prep, winner of two consecutive Washington State 4A titles crossed the border into Post Falls, Idaho to take on Post Falls High School who finished last year third at the 5A State Tournament. Outside of being a contest of two of the top teams in the region, this game featured a star match-up of Prep Hoops Washington’s #6 overall player, Liam Lloyd, going head-to-head against Prep Hoops Idaho’s #8 overall player, Colby Gennett. Both are elite wing players, both took on the challenge of guarding each other, and their performance in this game did not disappoint. Here are some of the top prospects from the game:
Colby Gennett defends the shot of Liam Lloyd for Gonzaga Prep.
Liam Lloyd 2020, 6’5” G. Gonzaga Prep
Coming off of a 46 point performance against Central Valley, Lloyd put up 29 against a plus defender in Colby Gennett. Lloyd, a D-1 commit for “Thunder Dan” Majerle at Grand Canyon University, spent the first half of the game disrupting passing lanes and showing his athleticism by finishing with authority at the rim. His long arms, quick decision making, and physical defensive style put pressure on the opposing offense. However, his clear strength is on the offensive side of the ball. Lloyd has nearly perfect footwork coming off of curl and flare screens beyond the arch. An elite 3-point shooter with NBA range, he uses the threat of his shooting prowess to create driving opportunities for easy points at the rim. Shorter defenders don’t stand a chance as Lloyd can knockdown post fades with ease. It is scary to think of how good Lloyd could be by the end of the year for the Bullpups. He is the son of current Gonzaga University lead assistant Tommy Lloyd, and Liam shows that he has that basketball IQ of a coach’s son. Keep an eye on what Majerle can do with a shooter of Lloyd’s caliber at the next level.
Colby Gennett 2020, 6’4” G. PFHS
Gennett was tasked with defending and being defended by a D-1 prospect in Lloyd; Gennett went above and beyond that task. Gennett had multiple strips and blocks of Lloyd as well as other unsuspecting Gonzaga Prep players. Gennett is a rangy shot-blocker with quick hands. If an unsuspecting player goes up for a layup, watch out because Gennett can get up in a hurry to reject it. Gennett lures unsuspecting offensive players to attempt a blockable shot. A great athlete that shows his athleticism with how he attacks rebounds to initiate a fast break. I was impressed with how much Gennett was a wrecking ball on defense, but on offense, he was truly dynamic. Attacking the rim with abandon, making step back 3s, showing an ability to knockdown set shots like it was warm-ups. He is a maestro at using the baseline for driving opportunities. The only player on the court who had a chance at stopping Lloyd was Gennett, and on the other side of the court, the only player with a chance to stay in front of Gennett was Lloyd. Gennett’s performance in this game showed his D-1 chops and was the perfect illustration of what type of special talent he is. Gennett is the best player in North Idaho and will be making a case that he is the best player in all of Idaho this year.
Hodges Flemming 2021, 6’2” G. Gonzaga Prep
The Pippen to Lloyd’s Jordan, Flemming dropped 22 against the home squad. Flemming is an offensive force through and through. He showed good court vision with his ability to create shots for those around him. However, his strength is in creating shots for himself. He can attack the hoop to be sure, but I was impressed with his ability to drive, stop on a dime, and pull up for a pretty looking mid-range shot. A talented long range shooter as well with a quick release. Flemming will get plenty of opportunities this year to impress scouts with his scoring ability leading into his senior year.
Cole Rutherford 2021, 5’11” G. PFHS
From the Post Falls team last year to this year, I was most impressed with the improvement of Rutherford. H
Cole Rutherford finishes an and-1.e is a great athlete. Using that top level speed and plus ball handling, Rutherford could get in the lane almost at will. A player who could collapse an opposing defense time and time and time again. A tough defender the entire length of the court, his tough nosed style is something that every coach would want to have on their team.
Alex Horning 2021, 6’5” F. PFHS
Horning is a versatile forward for the Trojans. He had a monster two-hand slam that made the student section get rowdy. I would classify Horning as more of an athletic finisher in the post than a power finisher. He can step out of the post and knockdown 3s with confidence. That versatility to stretch opposing defenses helped create the driving lanes that teammates utilized all game long.
Caden McLean 2021, 6’0” G. PFHS
McLean has a true shooter’s stroke. Great shooter from the corners. He had one of the highlight plays of the game by making an impressive 4-point play in the first half. On defense, McLean has the speed and range to defend an opposing point guard all 94 feet.
Joe Few 2021, 6’0” G. Gonzaga Prep
Joe was the primary ball handler for Gonzaga Prep through the first three quarters of the game. While stru-
Joe Few attempts a floaterggling with turnovers at times, you could see the basketball IQ and understand what he wanted to do with the ball. As Few gets more playing as the year goes on, I expect that he will turn into an excellent lead guard for Gonzaga Prep. The son of Gonzaga University’s head basketball coach, Mark Few, Joe was the only player in the game with a true floater that he used frequently. As that floater develops, Joe Few will become the much needed third scoring option for this G-Prep team.
At the end of the day, Post Falls had a balanced scoring approach to the game while Gonzaga Prep was top heavy. Post Falls got the big statement win at home 71-63 against a quality opponent.