Five Standouts: Smoky Hill versus Cherry Creek

In a game that was circled on my calendar for quite some time, we had an in-conference battle between the Cherry Creek Bruins and the Smoky Hill Buffaloes. The Buffaloes are a team that began the season on the right foot and got off to a solid and hot start. They are a Top-5 team in the state that is predicated off of depth. For Creek, it was a slow start having to acclimate the football players back into basketball shape but have seemed to have found their own as of late. Creek played their most complete game of the season against Smoky to win it 76-65. Here is who stood out for both teams. DeAngelo Horn steps up When the Smoky offense went into a standstill and they needed a spark in the game they turned to junior forward DeAngelo Horn who got himself going in the third quarter with eight in the frame alone and gave Smoky Hill one of their only leads in the game. He was cutting, attacking the baseline and also got a dunk that started a run for the Buffaloes. He used his size to match the Cherry Creek big men and had his way down low. Horn has a good feel around the rim and is a powerful forward that bangs down low. He got a couple of rebounds and out on the break and this was an aggressive game for him offensively that I wish I saw more of as he had 14 points in the game and kept Smoky Hill in the game with a chance to come back. I liked what I saw from him. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jordan-whitaker/">Jordan Whitaker</a> has a good offensive game Whitaker was a player that got in the game and immediately affected it with his energy but he also did not turn down open looks. He hit his first two 3-pointers in the game and then when they tried to take the shot away from them he got inside and made them pay. Whitaker had 10 points in the second quarter to help Smoky Hill stay within striking distance. After a quiet third quarter and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-weaver/">Jalen Weaver</a> fouling out of the game, Smoky Hill needed someone to run the offense through. Whitaker was that player. He was able to get a basket and then stay aggressive to where he was being fouled. Whitaker is a player that can alter the game quickly off of the bench so it was good to see him get going as he finished with a team-high 15 points. Maybe that kickstarts his offense. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/gunnar-helm/">Gunnar Helm</a> & <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/arden-walker/">Arden Walker</a> huge impact When you start getting Division I football looks and begin your day with an offer from Auburn University – nothing can bring your day down. Well, the day only happened to get better for <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/gunnar-helm/">Gunnar Helm</a> as the heralded star on the gridiron also had himself a day on the hardwood. Helm set the tone for Cherry Creek in this one. He was physical and assertive in the first half and he got a dunk that got some momentum for the Bruins as well as a couple insane catches and finishes at the rim. He finished with 12 points in the first half and gave Cherry Creek an inside presence. Helm’s football star on the other side of the ball is <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/arden-walker/">Arden Walker</a> and he also played well as an X-factor off of the bench for the Bruins. He finished with six points and also kept plays alive for his team as he secured five rebounds. The play that stands out most for me was him getting the ball on the fast break with an easy finish where the defender would have had no choice but to foul him. Instead, he pushed the ball ahead to a cutting <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-hammond/">Julian Hammond</a> for an easy finish. Those kinds of high IQ plays while also being a physical force down low and not being pushed around controls the game in different ways. The football players all stepped up in this one. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-hammond/">Julian Hammond</a> III stands out Hammond remains one of the smoothest players in the state whose buckets just appear to come easier. He can shoot the ball, he gets out on the break and finishes and also breaks defenders down in the half-court set and finishes them off with a soft floater. The part of Hammond’s game that I enjoy most is not his shot or baskets but the fact that he seems to take each game personally. He guards the opposing team's best players and goes after them on both ends of the court. He also does not just force plays but lets the game come to him. He had a quiet game-high of 20 points along with Purchase and those two remain a dynamic backcourt duo. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/myles-purchase/">Myles Purchase</a> takes over Purchase was easily the game MVP as the two-way guard made it a point to affect the game defensively and that turned into him getting his offense going. With Hammond sitting for most of the first half with foul trouble, the Bruins relied on their point guard to make things happen. He was penetrating the paint and finishing with a few left-hand finishes, got inside and found the open cutter for easy baskets and also turned his defense into offense. There was a stretch that he finished a layup, forced two turnovers and got his hands on a deflection that led to his teammate coming up with the steal that turned the game around. Purchase is a game-changer. Every single time that I see him play he seems to just get better and better and that is because he is comfortable with the ball in his hands. He challenges himself and he brings the toughness to this Cherry Creek team as they ride their emotional leader. When he is on, he is on and that was easily his best game of the season as he won Cherry Creek the game. He finished with 20 points in the game and also led the game in assists with seven. While it says he only and four steals in the game, I do believe there were a few more. He is built different and that is also a guard that I would want to build around. Great game for him.