All Area Top Performers: Birmingham and Tennessee Valley

Below are the top players from the area tournaments around the Tennessee Valley and the Birmingham area. Some teams ended their seasons, but others will advance to the sub-regional round this week. <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dee-beckwith/">Dee Beckwith</a>, Florence: </strong>This Florence team will go as far as <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dee-beckwith/">Dee Beckwith</a> is willing to take them. The two-sport Tennessee commit was all over the game against Bob Jones. If he saw a size mismatch, he took the defender to the post. He has strong hands on helpside defense, forcing turnovers. He's extremely athletic and able to adjust his shot in midair. It seems like he is always following the play and getting big rebounds. With 5:23 to go in the fourth, he hit a big three plus the foul. The next possession he hit another wing three pointer and that was the beginning of the end for the Bob Jones Patriots. His team will need every bit of him as the playoffs continue and he will continue to deliver. <strong>Connor Smith, G: </strong>Splish-splash. Connor can shoot the ball and shoot it at a high level. He led the way with 17 points in the area championship win against Westminster. He has an excellent pull-up jump shot off the dribble. He can shoot from anywhere. He shows the ability to drive both to his right and his left hand, but needs to finish with his left against better defenders. He is the emotional leader for his team, clapping on defense and celebrating with his teammates after a tough comeback victory. <strong>Colby Jones, Mountain Brook:</strong> Colby led the way for the Spartans in a big win against Spain Park for the area championship. He proved yet again how he is a top player in the state, if not the best. He scored 27 points in the most efficient way possible. He is extremely patient. Often, a player with his talent will force his shot at times. The ball moves all around the court with Mountain Brook and he is able to capitalize when the defense breaks down. He has an extremely soft touch at the rim giving the ball the chance to go in. He always sticks with the play and seems to come up with big second chance buckets. He all but sealed the deal against the Jags with a huge putback slam and then the next possession hitting a top of the key three pointer. <strong style="font-size: 1rem;">Kelton Petty, Austin:</strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;"> </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Kelton is a streaky scorer. He started the game hot against James Clemens with 9 points in the first quarter. He was all about attack, attack, attack. He can step out and shoot the ball confidently. He gets to the line effectively and is a very good shooter. On defense, he anticipates passing lanes and is able to intercept the passes. He finished with 20 points leading the way for the Black Bears. </span> <strong><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jadan-coleman/">Jadan Coleman</a>, Bob Jones: </strong>Jadan had a weird night on Tuesday against Florence. In the first half, he was almost non-existent. He took a big charge in the second quarter, but besides that, not much. Everyone knows the moment he walks in the gym, he's in his shooting range. He missed an emphatic dunk in the second half and should have just taken the easy layup and points. He needed to dictate the offense more. In the fourth quarter, he got hot and scored 13 points. He was the best shooter on the floor, but sometimes tried to do too much. He was at his best when he came off down screens and hit big threes. There's no need to be Superman. Find what you do best and do it with excellence. <strong>Christian Brooks, James Clemens:</strong> Christian is a player every coach HAS to have. When the Jets trailed by as many as 30+ to Austin, he never gave up and he continued to compete. Early in the game, he really looked to run in transition. On the other side, he was not driving with a purpose. He would drive and be in mid air and then realize he had to make a decision and throw an errant pass or a wild shot. Later in the game, he showed the ability to hang in mid air and finish tough shots over defenders. He always made extra efforts on the boards and was relentless. He finished with 14 points to lead the Jets in their season finale.