1A Western Conference Prospects
Although 1A is the smallest division in high school basketball, there is a handful of talented players that can be developed into excellent basketball players. Two of the teams in the top 4 of the western conference alone hold a…
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Continue ReadingAlthough 1A is the smallest division in high school basketball, there is a handful of talented players that can be developed into excellent basketball players. Two of the teams in the top 4 of the western conference alone hold a lot of prospects. Ambrose and Riverstone.
Ambrose #30
Paul Yenor: Last Tuesday (2/11/20) Yenor dropped 12 points in Ambrose’s win against the Riverstone Otters. This was a great test for Yenor and the rest of his team since Riverstone sits at 4th in their league and Ambrose is #1 in the league and #3 overall. Yenor also had to duel it out against two Riverstone players standing at least 6’7 or over. Yenor himself stands at 6’6, weighs 220 and is a solid player underneath. Sometimes he drives to the rim too hard either getting an offensive foul or missing a layup, but other than that he plays very hard and is smart with the ball. Work with him more on jumping, shooting, and finesse moves and you will have yourself one heck of a college basketball player. ”
Hudson Hughes: Hughes had himself a real good game against the Otters, dropping 19 points on five 3 pointers. It was actually a close game until the second quarter when Ambrose went on a scoring spree with Hughes leading the way. At one point he scored 8-10 points straight on a couple of layups and two back to back 3 pointers. Hughes is having games like this and is only a 5’11 137 lb Sophomore. His shot already looks really nice and high arching, although he doesn’t jump much. He plays point guard and has a great crossover and sees the court well. He may have to work on getting a little lower when he dribbles, but he is pretty crafty with the basketball. This kid is definitely a college prospect that should be on the radar for the next couple of years.
Johnny Sugarman: I don’t know how I missed this player the last time I watched Ambrose play, but he definitely stuck out to me this time. Sugarman is a very quick player (especially off the dribble), can handle the ball well, has a great 3 point shot, and has great reach when attacking the rim. He had a couple plays where he drove baseline and put the basketball up and in one-handed over taller players. Sugarman had 16 points in the game, consistently scoring buckets each quarter. Johnny is a 6’0 Sophomore and definitely another prospect to keep an eye on.
Ben Blythe: Blythe is another 6’0 Sophomore for Ambrose who had a great game scoring 13 points. He seems like a quick player and can shoot the 3, dribble, and attack the basket. He is also a scrappy player and isn’t afraid to go after the ball.
Riverstone
Nick Liebich: Liebich’s height isn’t listed anywhere but he’s gotta be close to 6’7. He finished the game with 15 points and had a nasty dunk at the beginning of the game; this got his team pumped and they were playing really well until Ambrose went on that scoring spree. For a tall guy, Liebich can get down the court well and is great in transition either dishing it off or taking it to the rack himself. There were a lot of plays where Liebich received the ball at the high post and would dish it underneath to cutting Jacoby Smith. Nick scores most of his points close to the hoop, but also sunk 4-6 free throws and had a 3 pointer, so he has the potential to become a great mid-range to the outside shooter. With his height and passing ability, that can really suck players to him and benefit his team’s offense. He also is a Junior this year, so I would be sure to keep on eye on him through the 20/21 season.
Charlie DeBoer: Charlie is another player that stands at least 6’6, is a Junior, can easily dunk the ball, has great shooting form, and can dribble and drive well too. DeBoer finished the game with around 9 points on a couple threes, a layup, and free throws. He definitely needs to develop his game a little more and drive more before shooting 3’s, but this is another college prospect who is more than capable of playing at that level, just needs some guidance.
Jacoby Smith: Smith played great Tuesday night scoring 8 points on a lot of backcourt under the basket cuts. He knows where to be on the court and how to get himself open for the easy buckets. He also just seems like an overall solid and quick player physically. I didn’t get to see him shoot outside much, but I think he has the weapons.
Niko Nenov: Niko is a Sophomore guard who is built strong, is quick, scrappy, and stands around 6’3. Nenov had 10 points Tuesday night on some hard drives to the cup. Since he is so quick and strong he can get a little out of control at times, but he can also be developed into a better athlete. Keep watching him play and grow these next two years and see how much he improves.