Eastview 84 Prior Lake 61, The Rundown

Fifth ranked Eastview improved to 8-0 Monday night with a convincing win over Prior Lake. Who played well? What prospects impressed? Prep Hoops gives you The Rundown. [caption id="attachment_1031393" align="alignright" width="150"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Kenji-Scales.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1031393 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Kenji-Scales-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="958669" first="Kenji" last="Scales"][/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="958669" first="Kenji" last="Scales"], a 6-foot-1 junior point guard from Eastview, opened the game with a pair of threes. Scales is the lead guard but after starting the offense is very capable of moving into scoring positions. He opened the game using a [player_tooltip player_id="957196" first="Henry" last="Shannon III"], a 6-foot-6 senior forward from Eastview, screen to sprint to the spot and hit. His second three was in the corner and it was almost dared to him, so Scales hit it. The defender didn’t close out hard to the corner so Scales took advantage of the space. When it comes to releases, Scales ranks with the best. He can release shots quicker than most and the snap of the wrist is exactly what people love to see. Prior Lake did not locate him early enough in possessions when he was playing off the ball and the Lightning (and Scales) made them pay. Scales consistently scored throughout the night attacking to the cup and making jumpers(had 27). Speaking of shooting, who was that number 21 knocking out shots? Why that’s Aryan Kohli, a 6-foot-1 senior point guard from Eastview, the guy who didn’t mind putting up attempts behind screening action at the arc. He just launched and sunk from even further out, without changing expression. [player_tooltip player_id="850712" first="Malcolm" last="Jones"], a 6-foot-8 junior center from Prior Lake, as Eastview doesn’t have a body that can match-up with him (junior Jamal Ambrose is out with an injured foot). Jones cut behind the defense and was too big for the help to bump off or even annoy, and then he scored on a series of putback attempts because he was too big and agile to move in the paint. Eastview couldn’t even guard him at the arc on a baseline in-bounds play as Malcolm’s man wasn’t looking at the ball so Jones locked eyes with the passer, caught, and showed off his range with a triple. [player_tooltip player_id="774901" first="Jackson" last="Purcell"], a 6-foot-5 senior wing from Eastview, did more and more of the ball handling as the first half went on. I was impressed with the way he put the ball on the hands of Scales for attempts, how Jackson used the ball screen to score at the top of the key, and the one legged pull-up on the baseline left the defender falling away from the play, helpless. Jackson’s one dribble into a pull-up is done as quickly as any player has used it all year. It stunned his man and with Jackson at 6-foot-5 he often gets the clean look at the basket he needs. Hand in his face at the buzzer Jackson made that to for a 38-33 lead at the break. Back to [player_tooltip player_id="850712" first="Malcolm" last="Jones"], the Prior Lake big is surely an opportunist. Sees a loose ball, Malcolm snatches it for a quick putback. Help position? Malcolm was there to pound two shots off the glass. Attacking from the high post? Jones saw the help give up the left side so he comfortably completed with his off-hand. Malcolm continued to show off his shooting range by making multiple threes. [player_tooltip player_id="957196" first="Henry" last="Shannon III"] broke a tie game with one of the better moves of the night. He faked to the left moving Jones then attacked hard right. Once in the middle of the lane Shannon crossed over the help and finished to his comfortable hand (his left) with a finger roll. Shannon used the fake moments later in the post bluffing to his left shoulder and spinning back hard right to use the left hand over the front of the rim. My favorite Shannon score was a catch with his back to the basket. He told the entry passer to clear and then bluffed to his left shoulder again shifting his man. Shannon then used his agility to turn hard right to that comfortable left. At this point you would think the defense would be prepared for the lefty finish but Shannon cleared them so often with his fakes it didn’t matter. So we saw the early game put-back, we saw post-ups, we saw attacks, and next was the corner three that Shannon scored off a baseline in-bounds pass. On the next two possessions Henry hit two more threes off of feeds from Scales and then had a breakaway one hand dunk. What was left? Oh, the pull-up jumper! Henry made two of those in the second half as well. In all Henry scored 25 second half points and 27 for the game. Eastview pulled away but [player_tooltip player_id="774911" first="Tommy" last="Mestnik"], a 6-foot-0 senior guard from Prior Lake, was still a threat. Mestnik is the top Prior Lake backcourt shooter and he made three perimeter shots in defeat.     <iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/FTvD4pdZm7s" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>