Bruce’s Best: Top 5 Fundamentally Sound Players

<p>We all love spectacular R&amp;J athletes, but for every guy catching the lob, there’s a guy throwing the pass. It’s great to jump high, but fundamentals last longer. In this article, we take a look at the top 10 most fundamentally sound players in the state. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="533052" first="Jaden" last="Hardy"] <em>6’5 CG Coronado 2021 (#1PHN 2021)</em></p> <p><strong>Best Fundamental:</strong> Coming off Screens.</p> <p>Hardy is the best I’ve seen at the H.S level. Whenever coming off a screen he: </p> <ol> <li>Sets the defender up with a proper jab step</li> <li>Stays low</li> <li>Comes off shoulder to shoulder with the screen setter. </li> </ol> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="985598" first="Sean" last="Klekas"] <em>6’0 PG Elko 2022 (#97PHN 2021) </em></p> <p><strong>Best Fundamental:</strong> Screen Setting. </p> <p>Lot of PG’s have been good screen setters, Klekas is another one. When setting screens he always: </p> <ol> <li>Has his base approximately shoulder length apart.</li> <li>Makes contact with his man in the middle of the back.</li> <li>Stays set.</li> </ol> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="533055" first="Will" last="McClendon"] <em>6’3 SG Bishop Gorman 2021 (#3PHN 2021) (featured image)</em></p> <p><strong>Best Fundamental:</strong> Off Ball Defense </p> <p>McClendon is one of the cleverest defensive players I’ve seen. When he’s off-ball you can expect him to: </p> <ol> <li>Have his hips and head turned so he can always see ball and man.</li> <li>Use his inside hand when attempting passing lane steals.</li> <li>Backtap when defenders get pass him. </li> </ol> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="856637" first="Sebastian" last="Mack"] <em>6’1 CG Durango 2021 (#1PHN 2023)</em></p> <p><strong>Best Fundamental:</strong> Layup Package </p> <p>May seem like a basic thing, but Mack is one of the most fundamental finishers in the state. Once at the rim he will:</p> <ol> <li>Use either hand to finish</li> <li>Maximize distance while using his legally allowed 2 steps</li> <li>Keep his chin on the rim until the ball goes through the net.</li> </ol> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="986955" first="DJ" last="Thomas"] <em>6’0 PF Liberty 2024 (#1PHN 2024) </em></p> <p><strong>Best Fundamental:</strong> Pivoting </p> <p>Reminds me of the H.S version of Luca Doncic with his footwork. Thomas does a remarkable job of: </p> <ol> <li>Coming to a two-foot jump stop</li> <li>Timing his ball fakes with his pivots </li> <li>Using his pivot to create passing angles. </li> </ol> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/7outzbballclub1">Follow Prep Hoops</a></p>