Tuesday Top Performers: Summit/Southridge & Sandy/Aloha

<p>On Tuesday night we had the opportunity to take in a couple of games hosted by Metro League teams - first the full game of Summit visiting Southridge and then most of the fourth quarter of Sandy visiting previously undefeated Aloha. Here the the top performers we saw in both games.</p> <p><strong>Pierce Roeder (2020 Sandy)</strong></p> <p>Roeder has been one of the most consistent offensive players so far this season in 6A. The 6-foot-2 guard can shoot lights out from deep and has a quick and compact stroke that gives a tight rotation on the ball. He is able to stop on a dime in transition and knock down threes but also has a strong build at 6-foot-2 that gives him the ability to get to the basket. His two three-point daggers in the fourth quarter broke open a close game and helped lead Sandy to their victory. Roeder finished with a team-high 23 points. We caught up with him after the game and will have an update posted soon.</p> <p><strong>Jacob Tompkins (2020 Summit)</strong></p> <p>Similar to Roeder, Tompkins' calling card is his shooting although on Tuesday night it took him a little while to get going, missing his first five shots before connecting on a three. At the end of the night though he had sunk three threes and made five of his last eight shot attempts. Tompkins was also money from the free throw line, hitting all 11 attempts including the last eight in a row, the result of getting fouled and Southridge picking up three technicals. Tompkins played some at the point during the game showed good poise handling the ball against pressure. He ended up with 24 points and three assists. Catching up with him after the game he indicated that he picked up an offer from OIT and has been hearing from Air Force and Portland.</p> <p><strong>Caleb Turner (2020 Aloha)</strong></p> <p>Turner has been one of the more electrifying scorers so far this season with his ability to turn it up at any given moment. With the game hanging in the balance in the fourth quarter against Sandy it looked like the 6-foot senior was going to do it again after knocking down a three and converting a traditional three-point play, but the Pioneers made some adjustments and locked him down. More of a scorer than a shooter, Turner showed a quick first step to the hole and ended up with a team-high 14 points.</p> <p><strong>Jha-Barrie Portis (2021 Southridge)</strong></p> <p>It's been a tough go so far this year at Southridge but Portis has been a shining of sorts. The 6-foot-1 wing is a very aggressive offensive player who looks to attack the hoop almost every time he has the basketball. Against Summit, the lefty was very effective creating off the bounce and getting into the paint, where he would score over taller defenders. Portis also knocked down a step-back three on one possession and ended up with 18 points on an efficient 7-for-9 from the field.</p> <p><strong>Evan Scalley (2020 Summit)</strong></p> <p>This was the first time we've seen Scalley and he's a unique player. Listed at 6-foot-1, the senior also has a burly build but yet is fairly light on his feet. He looked to use his girth to create space while driving to the hoop and then was able to convert some baskets around the rim or draw contact to get to the line. Scalley also has a pretty soft touch on his jumper and seemed to throw off defenders with the ball starting from his left hand then moving to his right on floaters. He battled some foul trouble but finished with 11 points.</p> <p><strong>Julian Mora (2022 Summit)</strong></p> <p>Mora is a young point guard prospect who showed some real moxie and confidence on the floor. While he struggled with the defensive pressure put on by Southridge at first, his confidence handing the ball improved as the game went along. The 5-foot-11 sophomore has fairly nice looking outside shot and ended up shooting 3-for-6 from the field while scoring eight points.</p> <p><strong>Layne Stricker (2022 Southridge)</strong></p> <p>Stricker is a transfer from Mountainside who has a lot of potential as an offensive player.  The 6-foot-5 sophomore already has a mature body and uses that to his advantage in scoring the basketball.  He has a pretty good touch from the outside and isn't afraid to put it up.  While he ended up not shooting a high percentage (2-for-10 fg, 1-for-6 3pt), Stricker played hard, grabbed some rebounds (4), and caught the eye of one of the AAU coaches in attendance.</p>