2022 Mid-Penn Conference Standouts Pt. 2

<p>Pennsylvania high school boys basketball is finally underway. The 2020/21 season is in full swing across the state and teams and fans are happy for the return to the floor.</p> <p>This state is one of the hotbeds of high school talent across the country and that continues this season as Prep Hoops has been following some of the standouts to keep an eye on.</p> <p>PH continues its look in a multi-part series, focusing on juniors to watch in the Mid-Penn Conference this season.</p> <p><strong>Matthew Ward, PG/SG Big Spring:</strong> Ward is as clutch of a shooter as they come and he can shoot it from far out, well beyond NBA range at times. He looks calm, cool and collected when he shoots and it looks so effortless. He cuts really well into the lane, finding space and that quick burst of speed to leave his defender in the dust and get an easy layup in the paint. He loves the contact in the lane and is aggressive on the drive. Ward moves well off-ball and just looks a step above his opposition, a fantastic combo guard option.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="991220" first="Trey" last="Martin"], SG/SF/PG Boiling Springs:</strong> Martin is one of the unquestionable leaders if not the unquestionable leader of this Boiling Springs team and he’s a do-it-all type of player. His defense is one of the biggest things that stands out, a player with great court awareness who creates a lot of turnovers off steals. There’s a lot to like about his shot selection, someone who can take the contact in the lane for the tough two, can spot up from three or just take the easy mid-range jumper. Martin provides that versatility and efficiency as a shooter and that’s a massive plus to his game.</p> <p><strong>Bobby Emberson, PG Greencastle-Antrim:</strong> Emberson is not going to just slot in at point guard for this Greencastle-Antrim team this season. Expect him to come out and play the point, jostling position for that starting spot, but also featuring as a shooting guard and possibly a small forward, offering up more versatility as he’s a good shooter and looks confident shooting from the perimeter. Emberson has that potential to really shine as a shooter, but it will depend really on how Greencastle-Antrim will use him as this season progresses.</p> <p><strong>Zach French, SG Northern York:</strong> French is a very impressive defender, someone who recorded several multi-steal games last season and is expected to do much more of that this season. He’s shown his impact on the defensive end, but he’s also shown his worth on offense immensely, a great spot-up shooter, someone who is much better off-ball. He moves well without the ball and that helps with his quick release. Expect to see French more in those types of game situations this season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="991312" first="Jayden" last="Statum"], PG Shippensburg:</strong> Statum has all the making of an electric point guard in college and he still has plenty of room to grow and mature, which will be seen as this season develops. His athleticism shines when he’s driving into the lane, making some absolutely insane acrobatic shots and making them look easy. He plays with emotion and energy and it shows because he wants to be taking that final shot and wants to be in the spotlight for those big impact plays and clutch, game-changing situations in key moments. Statum thrives under pressure and this season, expect to see an even bigger breakout season from him.</p> <p>Stay with Prep Hoops for more player profiles and previews as the 2020/21 Pennsylvania high school boys basketball season continues.</p>