Observations from Hackensack vs Paramus

<p>The Hackensack Comets recent 71-62 victory over the Paramus Spartans was an intriguing matchup that offered some insight on the depth of Hackensack and a promising look into the future. </p> <p><strong>Shawn Reckley Dominates </strong><br /> <br /> Hackensack has a very bright future, and perhaps the most significant reason being Sophomore Shawn Reckley. The 6-2, 145-pound guard has been a tremendous player for the Comets during their 2019-2020 campaign, and he delivered his strongest performance to date. The engine behind the Comets victory, Reckley was utterly unstoppable scoring 35 points and showing off his dynamic range with seven three-pointers. A lot can be said about the star power present on the Comets roster, you can now add Reckley into that conversation — and that should scare opposing teams in Bergen County. <br /> <br /> <strong>The Comets are Good, Even When Seth Sharif-Brown Isn't Superman</strong><br /> <br /> Seth Sharif-Brown has been one of the states best this season, already amassing over 290 points. The 6-4, 190-pound senior guard has proven to be merely unstoppable throughout much of the season, scoring over 30 points in four matchups to date. Combine that with his stout rebounding, and you have an incredible prospect who is having his best high school season yet. <br /> <br /> But the matchup against Paramus was huge in that it proved the Comets can take some of the pressure off of their best player and win when he’s not his best. Scoring only seven points, Sharif-Brown had his least productive game of the season, and yet the Comets stepped up and won anyway. That is huge for a team that believes it can compete for a state title. <br /> <br /> <strong>Alex Baklayan is Heating Up</strong><br /> <br /> Alex Baklayan has had some low points this season, but he’s now hitting his stride, and that is evident by his last three games. Scoring 26 points against Teaneck and another 18 vs. Old Tappan and Hackensack. The 6-3, 205-pound senior is strong and knows how to finish at the rim. Paramus is on a two-game skid, and Baklayan’s recent production will be critical moving forward.</p>