Standout wings at the Underground Invitational IV

<p>Another week, another solid outing at the underground run. This was one of my favorite ones, so I was not able to do it by class but rather by position. Here are my top wings on the day. </p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1043307" first="Isaiah" last="Thomas"] — Manitou Springs</strong></h2> <p>Thomas made his return to the underground hoops scene, and with how he played the first time, I thought that there would be a transgression. There was not, Thomas is the real deal. Thomas is a player with balance as he offers a bit of everything. He can shoot the ball and get to the rim, he is a strong guard that defends well, and the 2021 guard has good size, which allows him the ability not only to play but defend multiple positions. Schools will undoubtedly begin to reach out to him as he offers intangibles that you do not have to teach along with the ability to play hard.  </p> <h2><strong>Johnnie Reed — Windsor</strong></h2> <p>Reed is the youngest player in the gym, but with how he plays the game, it is difficult to determine his young age. The 2024 wing/forward is a coach’s son in every way as nobody works harder than he does. Reed does all of the things that a team needs and with full effort. He is setting hard screens, rolling off of it, providing gravity with the ability to go in or step out and hit the open 3-pointer and what goes overlooked is his excellent footwork. Reed hit multiple defenders with up and unders and is steadily improving as a player. The underground run is a tough place to be at for any player with the amount of talent, let alone for a 2024 kid going against some of the state’s best players. He holds his own.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="965755" first="Seth" last="Newton"] — Canon City</strong></h2> <p>Not many have got to see the 2021 6’5 wing out of Canon City, but the All-State honorable mention came to the Underground run and showed that he could hang. Newton is a solid wing that bruises inside and finds a way to score inside. Newton is a creative finisher as he was going for reverses and spin move finishes and having his way around the basket. Newton is best served off of the ball as a slasher that gets out on the break, fills lanes correctly, and can make a play. On the defensive end, he is a tenacious defender that uses his body and moves his feet well and defended without fouling. He might have been a bit nervous to start the day, but then he shook that off and got after it.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1029180" first="Keegan" last="Phillips"] — Douglas County</strong></h2> <p>Phillips came into this week’s run looking to score. Phillips has such a college-ready shot that he can get off at any time that you often overlook how great of a scorer he is inside of the paint. Phillips had multiple reverses, worked the baseline with excellent footwork, spaced the floor, and found holes in the defense, and put the ball in the basket; a lot. Phillips has a knack for making plays with the game on the line. He enjoys taking the final shot, does not turn down open looks, and is an athletic wing that keeps the defense guessing. He continues to stand out each week and is working on different parts of his game each time out, which I enjoy.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916958" first="Wade" last="Jones"] — Cheyenne Mountain</strong></h2> <p>Jones is definitely one of the hardest workers in the gym each week as he is giving it all that he has on both ends of the floor. Jones is a player that you can put on any guard, and he is going to make it difficult for him. He has good size and uses his length to disrupt passing lanes. Jones is a great positional rebounder that starts the break as soon as he gets it and although he takes a ton of shots, he is not out there just looking to get his own. Jones has many defensive intangibles that translate to the next level and has a high basketball IQ. He scores in bunches and is a solid role player that provides energy and effort.</p>