Underground Invitational VI 2021 standouts

<p>Another week, another solid showing with some of the states best talent all under one roof. Here are the 2021 standouts from underground hoops VI.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916972" first="Cade" last="Palmer"] — Rangeview</strong></h2> <p>Palmer came into the gym with a purpose as if he were mad at someone. He was aggressively hunting for shots and knocking them down, established a mid-range which he consistently went to, and the defense had no idea how to slow him down. He is a high IQ guard that gets the best of defenders as a shifty scorer with court awareness—a good day for him.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="608058" first="Julian" last="Hammond"] — Cherry Creek</strong></h2> <p>This was the first week that I could without a doubt say that he looked like the best player in the gym. He was phenomenal and scored in every single way. It almost felt bad watching him score time and time again as he went at everyone that was in front of him. He decided to take over, and with the target on his back, embraced it. He was finishing and 1’s, off-hand layups, step-back 3-pointers, and shot the deep ball well. He also took it all on defensively as he had blocks and multiple stops, and for the first time, I saw his personality come out. He was trash-talking and calling players small, and when he is in that kind of zone there is not a player in the state that can stop him.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1029180" first="Keegan" last="Phillips"] – Douglas County</strong></h2> <p>Phillips is a certified bucket. There is no other way to put it. However you want it, he will give it to you. He was hitting turnaround mid-range jumpers, hitting the deep ball, and could not be stopped around the rim. He has excellent footwork and a strap from deep. He also had multiple dunks on the day, a couple through traffic. He is very active and continues to shine. It’s terrific to see how quickly he is progressing.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="965755" first="Seth" last="Newton"] — Canon City</strong></h2> <p>Let’s get it out of the way; Newton had the play of the day as he had a body to body dunk that shocked the gym. Newton has sneaky athleticism, and with how hard he is playing, he will catch a few people by storm. Newton is a big-time scorer that attacks the rim and is a perfect role player. He makes the extra pass and is a willing passer, he scores in various ways as a player that pushes the pace, and he also lays it all out on the floor as he is outworking the opposition. Newton is a lockdown defender that takes his assignment personal, and his tock is steadily growing as he improves each week.</p> <h2><strong>Blakely Stoughton — Regis</strong></h2> <p>Stoughton can put point on the board in a hurry and is ultra-efficient when he does elect to shoot the ball. He is a score-first wing with size and cannot be denied at the rim. This week his shot was falling, and when that happens, he is a joy to watch because he scores with ease. Stoughton’s shot falling opens up the rest of his game as he is active offensively, grabbing boards and going up and has a soft touch around the rim, so defenses have to guess. On defense is where he has seemed to make the most improvement and with his multiple blocks and deflections is where you see it—solid day for Blakeley.</p>