2020 Mustang Holiday Classic: Bryce's senior favorites

[player_tooltip player_id="745376" first="James" last="Locke"] | 2021 Carl Albert SG Locke was inarguably the most valuable player from the Mustang Holiday Classic, and his 17-point night on 50-percent shooting for the championship spoke for itself. The sharpshooter rarely steps closer than four feet outside of the arch unless to drive or put a one-or-two dribble move on a defender to free himself for the three. He really stretches the floor out, and it is almost impossible not to notice the degree that opposing defenses evaporate from the paint as the game progresses. The spacing provided by Locke helped to free up Woodson, who was impressive in his own right during the Titans’ match with Midwest City. <hr /> Quentin Woodson | 2021 Carl Albert C [caption id="attachment_1109778" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/quentin-woodson.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1109778 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/quentin-woodson-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Quentin Woodson.[/caption] If there was ever a guy you wanted on the floor to put the ball in the hole, it is Woodson -- especially during his team-leading 20-point performance to lift the Titans past Midwest City. He converted on 8-of-13 shots during that game, including a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line and quite a few rebounds-and-returns. The senior post was everything the Titans needed him to be, providing insurance for Locke, Rose, Watkins and others who took perimeter shots. Woodson was there, in the mix of every rebound and every put-back, and by the fourth quarter, you could hardly bet against him to sink any shot below the free-throw line. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="938861" first="Israel" last="Hart"] | 2021 Midwest City CG It’s time to give Hart his respect. Scoring 19 points in the championship game against Carl Albert, the 6-foot-3 guard played like he had something to prove, especially during the fourth quarter when he scored 7 points. He knocked down a few 3-pointers, some off the catch, some from the dribble, and really battled when he took the ball inside to find his way around, above and through defenders to finish shots at the rim. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="745363" first="Jaylon" last="White"] | 2021 Norman North CG White was, in essence, everything Norman North needed when he was in the floor. Much of the time White is on the floor, the game is played through him, and he elevates Norman North’s output quite a bit — he even posted up on a mismatch on one occasion. White has great confidence when shooting the ball, and he can strike from college distance in the blink of an eye, although he was called for a couple of questionable travels when setting his feet on the catch. Regardless, his progression from catch to shot is nearly flawless each time, even from awkward spots or well beyond the arch; White sets his feet and pulls the trigger with his body square to the rim and his technique following through. As a passer, White found and made plays at high gear while disciplining his eyes, making a few college-level passes that helped to set up teammates on the perimeter and at the rim alike. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="938849" first="Curtis" last="Rose"] | 2021 Carl Albert SF/SG Rose was an aggressive, pivotal presence for the Titans. The senior helped push Carl Albert past Midwest City in a match with mostly every-day plays: a put-back here, a well-placed pass to the post there added up for Rose, who scored 17 points in the match while hitting 4-of-4 free throws. Rose’s most impressive traits, aside from his truly athleticism, where his awareness and iQ. It seemed throughout the night that was always there, exactly where a long rebound would fall or intercepting a pass from an opposing guard. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="938862" first="Damian" last="Kline"] | 2021 Southmoore PG [caption id="attachment_1012033" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/H_H-Elite-17U-_-Damian-Kline.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1012033" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/H_H-Elite-17U-_-Damian-Kline-300x200.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="938862" first="Damian" last="Kline"] (Clare Reynolds/Prep Hoops).[/caption] Dimes was at it again, trailing only Amissah in the scoring column with 14 points on 6-of-11-shooting from the field, perfect inside the 3-point line. Offensively, Kline can shoot the ball a bit out of the catch, but he really lends the SaberCats an advantage with his passing skills. He zipped a couple passed from the key to a cutting post, mailing it in right in the scoring pocket in movement to provide the best scoring chances for those teammates. Defensively, he has remarkable skills, and his lateral speed is the key to his ability to adhere to often taller or stronger guards. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="1049309" first="Jamarion" last="Butler"] | 2021 Southmoore SF Butler had a great all-around performance against Mustang: he finished with nine points, six assists, six rebounds and four steals. Aside from scoring, he led his team in each major statistical category. And he wasn’t far from leading in scoring, too. Butler did not have his best shooting day, though a few of his buckets were very impressive, including finishes art some sharp angles and one dunk. If Butler tightens his shooting skills and develops a couple more slashing moves, his 6-foot-4-inch frame and speedy, high-elevating play will do the rest for him. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="938860" first="Ethan" last="Ganaway"] | 2021 Midwest City SF/SG Ganaway came out firing early, scoring Midwest City’s first 5 points, and though he did not score much after that, he was certainly a difference-maker for the Bombers. His early presence drew attention towards him and away from Overton, Hart, and others, and his energy, scrappy play and force on the drive had similar effects. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="938848" first="Jaden" last="Harrell"] | 2021 Carl Albert PG Harrell was the facilitator the Titans needed to benefit from the spacing Locke provided. He distributed the ball well among his teammates, and as far as scoring goes, he operated within the most classic definition of the one-guard: Harrell shot the ball zero times and converted on 100 percent of his free-throw attempts to finish with four points and four assists. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="938870" first="Kayden" last="Carter"] | 2021 Norman North PF I struggle to find a more resilient kid than Carter in the 2021 class. If you didn’t know, Carter suffered a season-ending, long-term injury during a game early in his junior season. His comeback has been tremendous, and his performance against Shawnee was one of his best yet. The senior was purely a rebounding machine, which was no surprise given his athletic, strong 6-foot-6-inch frame. Offensively, however, he simply put the ball in the hole better than he has done in the past, and even through some tough contact from players equal to his stature, he netted shots. <hr /> Yaedem Amissah | 2021 Southmoore F [caption id="attachment_1109777" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/yadeem-amissah.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1109777" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/yadeem-amissah-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Yaedem Amissah.[/caption] Amissah was the most pleasant surprise from the Mustang tournament. Though I did not know much about him before the SaberCats’ game with Mustang, he showcased classic, hard-nosed style with great efficiency that made him impossible to forget. After coming off the bench, Amissah shot 7-of-10 from the field to score 15 points, some from pull-ups in transition, others from rebounds, and others from simply moving intuitively off-the-ball to position himself for easy buckets. <hr /> Joe Maytubby | 2021 Shawnee F [caption id="attachment_1109776" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/joe-maytubby.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1109776 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/joe-maytubby-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Joe Maytubby.[/caption] Maytubby was one of the most pleasant new finds of the weekend. A senior, Maytubby was able to really push the Wolves past Norman North in an 11-and-11 double-double. He has great size, and he uses it to his advantage well, overpowering and using his stature against North’s defense catching passes in the post and just laying-in easy shots above defenders. I was also impressed by Maytubby’s post-passing skills. As I first walked into the gym, he made a great toss from the mid-post, just above the block, where he drew a pair of defender before he found a cutting teammate who had just come off a screen for an easy bucket. <hr /> Isaiah Willis | 2021 Shawnee C [caption id="attachment_1109775" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/isaiah-willis.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1109775 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/isaiah-willis-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Isaiah Willis.[/caption] A capable scorer, Willis finished with a 15-point, 10-rebound performance against Norman North, and he was really a catalyst for the Wolves. Willis converted on some tough buckets, some through contact, and some resulting in three-point plays. He also finished 7-of-9 from the charity stripe, which turned out to be very important in pushing the Wolves to a 4-point win. Defensively, he was an absolute rim-protector, including some blocks that were just disrespectful. <hr /> Jeffrey Hall | 2021 Shawnee G Hall was the sort of glue presence for Shawnee. He finished 67 percent on 3-point attempts (though his only miss was a brick off the side of the backboard from the corner). He also contributed three assists, a perfect free-throw percentage and only committed one turnover. Hall was also conservative with the ball, competent handling it, and never stopped it on its way to another scorer. He helped to develop the timing of plays by keeping the ball in motion and drawing defenders with his consistency from the perimeter. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="745372" first="Caelin" last="Hearne"] | 2021 Norman North SF Especially in the second half, Hearne was a catalyst for Norman North against Shawnee on Wednesday afternoon. He finished with 16 points, and he was strikingly efficient, shooting 6-of-11 from the field and dishing a pair of assists. He was competitive on the drive, slashed with some finesse and shot the ball well from 3-point range. When hope was lost for North in the closing seconds, Hearne put the T-Wolves back in contention with a clutch triple that put North down by 3 with 5 seconds to go. It did not ultimately work out for North, but Hearne was nonetheless an important player, especially in the fourth quarter. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="1015784" first="Peyton" last="Musick"] | 2021 Southmoore G [caption id="attachment_1109774" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/peyton-musick.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1109774 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/peyton-musick-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1015784" first="Peyton" last="Musick"].[/caption] Musick was absolutely the engine for Southmoore early against Mustang, scoring 8 points in the first quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers. One thing he did well that I did not expect, however, was his slashing play. He drove, weaved and dashed between defenders and finished a couple of shorter field goals, certainly a newfound skill to his game. If you know anything about Musick, you know that his development is partially the result of the hundreds of shots he put up every day during the summer. <hr />