T-Town Throwdown Top 4: Frontcourt and Wings

<p>Eight of our ranked athletes were in action in the championship and third-place game of this year's T-Town Throwdown, hosted by Wilson High School. In the third-place game, the Puyallup Vikings clashed with the West Seattle Wildcats. The Wildcats' duo of <strong>Sage Nelson</strong> and <strong>Vlad Salaridze</strong> were able to outlast Puyallup's own duo of <strong>Cobi Campbell</strong> and <strong>Luke Holcomb</strong>. In the championship between Federal Way and the host school Wilson Rams, the firepower of <strong>Peter Erickson</strong> and <strong>Jared Franklin</strong> were too much for <strong>Damani Green</strong> and his Rams to handle.</p> <p>These matchups featured some impressive bigs who could score in the paint and stretch the defense with their shooting abilities as well. Here's a look at some of the talented forwards and wings from the top four teams of the 2019 T-Town Throwdown. </p> <p><span style="color: #f75617;font-size: 14pt"><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/peter-erickson/">Peter Erickson</a> | 6'6" W | FWHS 2020</strong></span></p> <p>Erickson would earn MVP honors for his performance in the tournament, and he was the most versatile athlete on the floor in the championship game. With his solid 6'6" frame, Erickson was a force in the paint, grabbing seven rebounds, but he also showed himself to be one of the best shooters at the tournament, dropping in five 3's en route to his teams 69 to 65 victory. Erickson also recognized when his bigs had mismatches on the interior, and he could use his size to make the necessary entry passes. Our 13th ranked athlete in the 2020 class showed that his team is still a threat at the 4A classification even after losing top recruit Tari Eason. *Featured Image </p> <p><span style="color: #f75617;font-size: 14pt"><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/vlad-salaridze/">Vladimer Salaridze</a> | 6'6" F | WSHS 2020</strong></span></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2019/09/IMG_6111.jpg"></a>There was a lot of talent on display down in Tacoma, but Salaridze had to be the biggest surprise. He's already earned some attention coming into the 2019/20 season, but he put on a clinic of versatility in his team's win over Puyallup that should have turned some heads. His game reminded me of Nikola Jokic with his combination of shooting, post play, and craftiness. Salaridze has a great ball fake that he used repeatedly to fool defenders and open up space for mid-range jumpers, he could easily shoot over defenders with range from deep, and he has great hands and the strength to finish on the interior. I was blown away by a huge rebound in the first half where he came out of nowhere to sky over defenders. On defense, he has the strength to challenge other bigs as well as the IQ to draw charges when called upon. </p> <p><span style="color: #f75617;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Luke Holcomb | 6'4" W | PHS 2021</strong></span></p> <p>Like Salaridze, Holcomb was another unranked athlete who showed his versatility as a scorer. Holcomb plays a great two-man game with his point guard Cobi Campbell, setting good screens and challenging defenses with his ability to drive to the hoop or step out for threes. After Campbell did most of the scoring for his team in the first half, Holcomb came back in the second half to hit four 3-pointers and keep the game close. He would add four more points on a strong drive to the basket and by slipping a screen and rolling to the hoop for an easy lay-in. Holcomb also grabbed seven rebounds in the game and offers his team some much-needed size on the defensive end. The Vikings will need to find more reliable scoring from a third option, but the chemistry between Holcomb and Campbell will be enough for Puyallup to find success against many opponents.  </p> <p><span style="color: #f75617;font-size: 14pt"><strong>Jackson Dorsey | 6'6" F | WHS 2021</strong></span></p> <p>Dorsey is another underrated big who played a great game for his Wilson Rams against a Federal Way team with a dominant height advantage. Dorsey had four dunks in the championship loss and was inches from putting one of Federal Way's defenders on a poster. He's a thin but athletic 6'6" with quick jumping ability that he showed off with his relentless effort on the boards even when the Eagles could field multiple athletes at the same height. He'll need to develop a better shooting touch especially at the line for a Rams team that struggled to knock down free throws in both the semifinal and consolation game, but his interior game is a great compliment to point guard Damani Green's drive-and-dish skills.  </p> <p><span style="color: #f75617;font-size: 14pt"><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jared-franklin/">Jared Franklin</a> |6'5" F | FWHS 2020</strong></span></p> <p></p> <p>Another big for the tough team from Federal Way, Jared Franklin gave his team 12 and 5 in the championship victory. Franklin threw down a powerful jam on a breakaway in the second half and was able to find consistent buckets in the paint and from the charity stripe. Franklin is one of Federal Way's five athletes at 6'5" or taller and their best option in the low post. He has the length and athleticism to block and alter shots defensively. Franklin also impressed officials and event coordinators, earning recognition for his sportsmanship over the course of the tournament.</p>