5 Takeaways: Prosper vs Plano West

<p>I was treated to an excellent matchup between the Prosper Eagles and Plano West Wolves Tuesday night. The Wolves led by seven at the end of the first quarter, but the Eagles found their flow offensively and controlled the game for the next two quarters of play. However, things got interesting in the fourth. Plano West battled back from a 10-point deficit and even took the lead for a short stint before Prosper strung together a few critical stops in the final minutes and capitalized on their trips to the free throw line. The Wolves ultimately ended up falling at home to the Eagles 73-63.</p> <p>Here are five takeaways from the game:</p> <h4><strong>Prosper Enjoyed a Significant Size Advantage </strong></h4> <p>Plano West does not have a true big man on their roster. Prosper took advantage of this with their duo of senior post players. <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ramondo-battle/">Ramondo Battle</a></strong> and <strong>Austin Atkinson</strong> are 6' 7" and 6' 8" respectively, and these two wreaked havoc on the undersized Wolves lineup all night. The Eagles really began to exploit this in the second quarter which allowed them to take control of the game and flipped the momentum in their favor. Battle and Atkinson both finished with double digit points while also dominating on the defensive glass.</p> <h4><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ramondo-battle/">Ramondo Battle</a> is Incredibly Versatile</strong></h4> <p>Despite not being part of the starting lineup for whatever reason, Battle played a great game. He is a smooth ball handler for his size and moves well off the ball. The senior forward can operate in the post or out on the wing, showing off his shooting ability with a couple of catch and shoot triples. He also showed that he can run the floor in transition with numerous fast break layups, including a nice-looking step through lay-in in which he split a double team. He is skilled enough to play at the next level. </p> <h4><strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/chase-ross/">Chase Ross</a> is a Monster</strong></h4> <p>Although his team didn't get the W, Ross was the most impressive prospect on the court Tuesday night, accounting for more than half of Plano West's scoring output with 33 points. The junior two-guard is an explosive athlete who can finish with power or finesse in transition. He is liable to go coast to coast whenever he grabs a defensive board. Additionally, Ross had a spectacular shooting night. He drilled three three-pointers in the fourth quarter. I also loved some of the decisions he made to give up the ball to teammates despite being the most talented scorer on the court. His defense is solid too. Don't be surprised if he rises up in the <a href="https://prephoops.com/texas/rankings/2021-rankings/">2021 rankings</a> before the end of next season. </p> <h4><strong>Plano West's Spirited Comeback Attempt</strong></h4> <p>It felt like Prosper was going to cruise to a victory entering the fourth quarter, but Plano West refused to go down without a fight. Like I mentioned above, Ross came alive from behind the arc, and he was aided by <strong>Sean Gildea</strong>, <strong>Grant Pressly</strong>, and <strong>Leon Mitchell</strong> as well. They also buckled down on defense and forced the Eagles to commit some turnovers that they quickly turned into easy buckets at the other end. They may have come up short, but it was nice to see the Wolves continue to fight with the odds stacked against them late in the game. </p> <h4><strong>Prosper Continuously Turned Good Looks into Great Looks on Offense</strong></h4> <p>The Eagles rarely settled for the first open shot in this matchup, whereas the Wolves wanted to push the tempo as much as possible and were content taking the first available look. That was the difference in this game. <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/grant-shaw/">Grant Shaw</a></strong> and <strong>Neal Utrup</strong> finished with 16 and 14 points respectively, while also moving the ball and getting their team a great look nearly every offensive possession. Prosper ran in transition when they had numbers, but they were smart enough to slow it down when they needed to, and that allowed them to dictate the tempo for the majority of this contest. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>