Team Spartans (Springfield, MA): Three Young Players to Watch

<p>On December 19th, I had the opportunity to watch a Team Spartans practice for the first time. I was really impressed not only with the intensity of the practice, but with the attention to detail shown for each drill and learning moment. With several high ranking players in attendance, the Spartans also have a promising future with a number of promising younger prospects.</p> <p><strong>Johnny Pierce |  6'5" | Wing with potential of playing the big man spot | Sacred Heart High School,  Waterbury CT | Class of 2024</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/Screen-Shot-2020-12-20-at-10.23.59-AM.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1103837 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/Screen-Shot-2020-12-20-at-10.23.59-AM-300x288.png" alt="" width="300" height="288" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pierce is a wing who has the potential of playing up a position at the big man spot. An athletically gifted player, Pierce has an impressive leaping ability and plays with a high motor. He can finish above the rim, sky over taller opponents to snatch rebounds, and make high-level passes in transition. A capable rim protector, Pierce is motivated to improve all aspects of his game as he isn’t afraid of asking coaches for help with pick and roll certain concepts.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Emmanuel Cruz Jr. | 6'5" | Wing | Paulo Freire Charter School, Springfield, MA | Class of 2023 </strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/IMG_4329.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1103814 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/IMG_4329-300x225.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With a rangy wingspan and untapped leaping ability, Cruz Jr. has excellent timing on his paint contests and made several impressive blocks against taller opponents. An elite athlete, Cruz Jr. showcased his potential for becoming a point of attack stopper on the perimeter. On the other side of the floor, Cruz Jr. showcased his ability to finish above the rim, both in the half-court and transition setting. He gets good elevation on his jump shot and shows the ability to knock down his non-paint looks.</span></p> <p><strong>Jaiden Johnson | 5'10" | Linking guard | Suffield Academy, Staten Island, NY | Class of 2023</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/Screen-Shot-2020-12-20-at-10.24.06-AM.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1103840 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/12/Screen-Shot-2020-12-20-at-10.24.06-AM-300x255.png" alt="" width="300" height="255" /></a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">On offense, Johnson made a series of inspiring and fundamentally sound passes. One's that led to assists. While the practice featured Johnson as more of a secondary ball-handler, Johnson's high-level reads show that he could play as a primary initiator within an offense. His quick decision making off the dribble helped create space for others. He was always looking for the extra pass. Johnson has a quick release on his jump shot and overall displayed fundamentally sound mechanics with his shooting motion. A talkative teammate, he was motivated at all times and never stopped competing during the scrimmage portion of practice.</span></p>