Opening Week Scouting Report: Standout Scorers

<div> The Texas high school basketball season is finally underway. Week one got off to a hot start giving us plenty of highlight plays, some upset wins, along with several high scoring and breakout performances. Here are just a few of those high scorers that stood out most. DasCHE 70, Newman International Academy 65 | Jaden Jones | Forward | DasCHE | 2021 | This 4-star recruit recently signed to the Division 1 powerhouse Rutgers University. Jaden Jones did everything out there, leading his team in points and rebounds. Standing at 6’8, his game jumps out at you, Jones can handle and shoot the ball like a guard and also dominate in the post like a big man. In this game, Jaden was a man amongst boys, he couldn’t be stopped under the basket or going to the basket. Jaden Jones finished the game with 26 points, 13 boards, and a victory. </div> <div> | [player_tooltip player_id="887064" first="RB" last="Bowers"] | Point Guard | DasCHE | 2022 | [player_tooltip player_id="887064" first="RB" last="Bowers"] is one of the best and most skilled rising stars of his class. A high basketball IQ player who doesn’t have to be super athletic to get the job done, Bowers beat guys with his insanely smooth fundamentals and basics of the game. His ball skills were just so under control, precise, crisp, and tight. RB consistently sized his man up, broke him down, and got to the basket fairly easy, there wasn’t a spot on the floor that he couldn’t get to whenever he wanted. The DasCHE point guard has an impressive ability to use his size to his advantage by relentlessly attacking opponents at the hip, giving him a chance to shield off the defense with his body, which opened things up to a free basket, or led to him getting fouled. He displayed a pure knack for getting around bigger and taller defenders, RB looked practically unguardable in one-on-one situations, making the most out of what he is given. This trustworthy floor general can be in full control of everything on the offensive end, he did a terrific job of controlling the pacing and spacing, while playing with great poise and patience with the ball in hand. You’ll never catch him flustered, out of control, or in a rush, Bowers knows exactly how to let the game come to him. He loves to keep his guys involved in the offense, his top-notch court vision along with his IQ may be what makes him so lethal with the ball, even if he’s not dishing the ball out he’s capable of using his vision to find creases in the defense that allow him to get through the lane. [player_tooltip player_id="887064" first="RB" last="Bowers"] had an extremely efficient night, after missing a couple of shots in the first quarter he took off and didn’t miss many after that, finishing the game with 22 points on 8-14 shooting from the field. He really started to heat up in the second quarter after scoring on back to back possessions to start the period, one of those buckets coming from completing a fancy layup through three guys, the very next play up the court he used a screen on the left-wing, got to the top of the key, pulled up from college range, and knocked it down, energizing his crowd and teammates. DasCHE was down 38-27 at halftime, the offense looked dead, and the defense had no energy but Coach Cannon got his men ready and the second half was a completely different story. They fought back and took the lead 5 minutes into the third quarter and the rest was history. Arlington Martin 74, Lancaster 71 Derrick Talton | Point Guard | Arlington Martin | 2021 | 5’11, Arlington Martin starting point guard, Derrick Talton didn’t back down from a Lancaster team with a nationally ranked player and multiple top 100 players in the state, in fact, Derrick went right at them with a full head of steam. I think everyone in attendance would agree that Talton completely outplayed each and every single one of those top-ranked guys. Derrick had a sequence in the third quarter that changed the game in a major way, he scored on two straight possessions by converting a tough layup in transition then following that up with a 3-pointer, he hustled back down the court on defense, and took the charge at the basket; After this effort, the Warriors took off and didn’t look back. Derrick scored 14 points of his team’s 28 third quarter buckets in the last four minutes of the period, helping Arlington Martin pull away with a 16 point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Derrick was at his best when controlling the offense, he was incredibly crucial in transition, pushing the ball up the floor, where he could set his teammates up with easy shots. On the defensive side of the ball, Talton’s ballhawk nature allowed him to come up with multiple steals in the first half which led him to wide-open fastbreak layups over and over again. Derrick Talton played with a true will to win and it all paid off by the final buzzer. <div> <div> </div> </div> [player_tooltip player_id="779855" first="Wade" last="Taylor"] | Combo Guard | Lancaster | 2021 | Nationally ranked, 4-Star prospect, [player_tooltip player_id="779855" first="Wade" last="Taylor"], was in full effect from the jump, scoring 5 of the first 7 points for the Tigers, he even pulled up from 5 feet beyond the arc and nailed it with a defender in his face. Wade’s shooting ability just continues to improve, he’s such a pure sharpshooter, his pull up from deep is effortless with no conscious. This Lancaster legend proved to be on another level from his competition with the type of steals he made on defense and the ways he was able to get his own shot on offense. Although the Tigers lost the game, [player_tooltip player_id="779855" first="Wade" last="Taylor"] came out of this one looking college-ready, he knocked down off-balance and contested shots from all over the floor no matter how deep he was. </div>