Most Intriguing Prospects for Franklin/Oakwood

<p>Friday night provided us an early season SWBL matchup between 2 of the top teams in the league. Franklin won the back-and-forth matchup 61-56 but throughout the game several prospects impressed me and made the game fun to watch. While Franklin’s backcourt was the group I expected to impress the most it turns out some underclassmen and other Franklin players were the top names. Take a look at the most intriguing prospects below!</p> <p>2020</p> <p>Kamry Fuller- Franklin- Fuller was explosive off the dribble drive. Only 5’7, he broke down defenders on the perimeter with his extremely quick feet and even quicker ball-handling. One of the concerning areas with him is the amount of points that were left with missed shots in the paint. While he could get in the paint with ease, the amount of missed shots is an issue.</p> <p>Daniel Hu- Oakwood- Hu was much improved from the last time I saw him play. More confident with the ball in his hand, he was aggressive on the dribble drive, initiating contact and showing off his slashing mentality which allowed him to get points in the paint. It took some time for him to settle in, but once he was good, he really took over the scoring in the 2nd quarter for Oakwood.</p> <p>Caden Johnson- Franklin- The 6’4 senior was positioned at the top of Franklin’s 1-3-1 zone because of his tremendous length and showed us why he is a good option there. He was too tough to box out because of his arm length and was known to create plenty of chaos on the defensive end disrupting passing lanes. Offensively he was able to score 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting, but really the defensive side of him is what is most impressive.</p> <p>Darren Rubin- Oakwood- Coming into this game, we all knew Rubin had the most complete game and he showed us again on Friday night. The Franklin zone was designed to keep Rubin from getting any space to work or room to shoot. As a result, he was unable to get many shots up early, but he found his shooting touch by the 3rd quarter and finished with a season high 17 points on 5 of 11 shooting behind the arc. What I liked most about Rubin was his willingness to distribute the ball as he understood the defense was going to try and take him out of the picture. This unselfishness allowed Oakwood to get some points in the paint with the over aggressiveness on the perimeter from Franklin.</p> <p>2021</p> <p>Tez Lattimore- Franklin- Lattimore was arguably the best defensive player on the floor Friday with his tremendous athleticism. Having active hands and quick feet defensively, he made life difficult for the Oakwood backcourt. While he was solid on the defensive end, he also made an impact offensively with his speed and ability to attack the gaps. While only 5’10, Lattimore has plenty of confidence, but will need to add some weight if he is going to play at the next level.</p> <p>2023</p> <p>Will Maxwell – Oakwood- This was my first time seeing the 6’3 freshman, and man was I impressed. Early in the game, he was the single source of offense as he utilized his size in the paint. While Franklin had the majority of the height, Maxwell showed us an arsenal of post moves, including pump fake and spin move to get some of his points. He was physically imposing for a freshman and he made his presence known. He will need to work on his perimeter play but has plenty of time to work on it.</p>