3A State Finals Preview: Impact Players

<p>The Nevada State Championships get underway this week. After a 3-month season race, the 3A bracket is down to 4. Defending Champions Churchill returns looking to repeat. They are joined by 3 hungry talented teams. In fact, the 3A bracket may easily be the most competitive one of the state finals. Evidence of this was found in both the Southern and Northern Finals as the two games were decided by a total of 7 points. In this article, PH takes a look at some of the impact players of the 3A State Finals.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/nati-asfaw/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/nati-asfaw/">Nati AsFaw</a></a> 6'5 PF Del Sol 2020 (#18PHN 2020) - The big man is looking to cap his career with a crown. The newly signed CSN commit brings in an athletic and talented Del Sol squad. Asfaw plays his best in big games and can impact the game with both his rebounding and low post scoring. The Dragons are far from a one-man team, however, Asfaw is a matchup nightmare who opens up the floor for everyone.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/thomas-steele/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/thomas-steele/">Thomas Steele</a></a> 6'4 SG Churchill County 2020 (#45PHN 2020) - Steele has a knack for scoring off post-ups. He’s terrific from 15ft in utilizing a variety of shots to finish around the basket. He has followed a terrific state tournament last year by averaging 16 and 7 this year.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ethan-speaker/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ethan-speaker/">Ethan Speaker</a></a> 6'6 SF Boulder City 2021 (#7PHN 2021) - Speaker has had a fascinating rise up the rankings over the last 12 months. The 6'6 wing has done it all for BC, including showing the ability to take over games. Speaker leads the state in scoring averaging over 25 per game, however, he has shown the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. He has the kind of game and skill set that allows him to take over at any time.  </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/matt-morton/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/matt-morton/">Matt Morton</a></a> 6'5 SF Boulder City 2021 (#34PHN 2021) - Speaker's running mate is Morton. He is a high IQ basketball player that like Speaker can hurt you in a variety of ways. He has great size and is a willing passer, don't be surprised to see Morton facilitate the offense, and distribute to teammates.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/elijah-jackson/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/elijah-jackson/">Elijah Jackson</a></a> 6'0 PG <em>Churchill County 2020 (#28PHN 2020)</em> (featured image) - I'm going to keep it 100, seeing Jackson was on my bucket list for this season. The athletic PG has proved to be a walking highlight on film. Quick, shifty guard that finishes at the rim. I'm excited to put him under the eye test. Jackson was the hero of last year's state tournament, taking home the crown with a buzzer-beater. This year he returns with the perfect opportunity to close out his amazing high school career.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/michael-klekas/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/michael-klekas/">Michael Klekas</a></a> 6'3 SF Elko 2022 (#10PHN 2022) -This will be a great chance to get a look at Klekas up close and personal. In two years he has put together some remarkable numbers including averaging 24 and 12 this season. He reminds me of a poor mans Adam Morison. Klekas is a versatile forward that can rebound it and stretch the floor. </p> <p style="text-align: center;">  <a href="https://twitter.com/7outzbballclub1">Follow The 3A State Tournament</a></p>