Week 2 Starting 5: Hockomock League
With week 2 in the rearview mirror, let’s highlight the players who played at an elite level from the past week. Here is my starting 5 from the fast-paced Hockomock League. Backcourt: Amari Brown – Oliver Ames High School –…
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Continue ReadingWith week 2 in the rearview mirror, let’s highlight the players who played at an elite level from the past week. Here is my starting 5 from the fast-paced Hockomock League.
Backcourt:
Amari Brown – Oliver Ames High School – Sr – PG
Stand-Out Performance: 28 pts vs. Foxboro
The senior helped Oliver Ames stay undefeated this week by averaging 26 points in the Tiger’s 2 wins over Foxboro High. His season-best 28 points on Friday was remarkable because it was the second game in a row for both teams. With teams battling fatigue and having difficulty scoring, Brown took it upon himself to be the driving force on the offensive end, scoring almost 60% of the Tiger’s points. The 5’10 point guard now leads the Hockomock League in scoring and does not seem to be slowing down any time soon.
Justin Daniels – Attleboro High School – Sr – SG
Stand-Out Performance: 16 pts, 3 rebs, 4 asts vs. Milford
Daniels had a career game in Attleboro’s season opener. Dropping a career-high 16 points, the senior guard had ice in his veins, going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in the 4th quarter to put the nail in the coffin. He followed that game up with a 14-point performance to sweep Milford and have his team sitting at 2-0 on the year. Daniels’ game is very smooth. He is crafty with the basketball and can beat you from deep. The Attleboro floor general plays at a controlled pace and is a great initiator of the offense. His penetration to the basket gets the shooters on the wing open for clean jump shots.
Frontcourt:
George Ladd – North Attleboro High School – Sr – SF
Stand-Out Performance: 19 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts, 6 stls vs. Stoughton
The 6’5 wing came up clutch in North Attleboro’s lone game from week 2. Going 5-5 from the charity stripe in the 4th quarter in a 50-42 win, Ladd was too much for Stoughton to handle. Impacting the game on both sides of the floor, the athletic forward used his length in North Attleboro’s zone defense to pick off passes and ignite the fast break. A mismatch nightmare. Geroge Ladd can punish you in the post with strong drop step layups but can also lull you to sleep on the outside with his crossover before exploding to the rim for easy buckets.
Andrew Byfield – Franklin High School – Sr – PF
Stand-Out Performance: 16 pts, 5 rebs, vs. King Phillip
The stretch 4 showed off his inside-out game for Franklin hitting threes and finishing around the basket. The team made it a point of emphasis to get him the ball early and often to start the game, as he scored 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter. His presence alone makes the opposition feel uneasy. He is such an offensive threat and sets so many screens away from the ball that it is hard to gauge if he will seal his man for a post-up, spot up for a three himself or receive a screen from a teammate so he can get open for a shot. Byfield is a gifted scorer and athlete who is not afraid to do the little things to help his team win.
Alex Penders – Foxboro High School – So – C
Stand-Out Performance: 19 pts 4 blks vs. Oliver Ames
The tenacious shot-blocker was a defensive force for Foxboro this past week. Altering numerous shot attempts, the budding sophomore big man did his part in trying to contain Oliver Ames’ offense. He set the defensive tone early in the 1st quarter, spiking an Oliver Ames lay-up attempt off the backboard on the fast break. He totaled 6 blocks this past week, proving to be one of the league’s top defenders. Besides his stellar defense, Penders demonstrated effective scoring with a career-high 19 points on Friday night. He draws a lot of attention on the block when he posts up but is such a willing passer that he can recognize where the double team is coming from and fire an accurate pass to the open man. It was also scary to see him step out and drill a three. If he can consistently add that to his repertoire, he will be one of the best players in the Hockomock League.