Eyeing the top talent in the Eastern Panhandle

<div class="I_52qC D_FY W_6D6F" data-test-id="message-view-body"> <div class="msg-body P_wpofO mq_AS" data-test-id="message-view-body-content"> <div class="jb_0 X_6MGW N_6Fd5"> <div> <div id="yiv3757671999"> <div> By Dave Morrison Here is a look at some of the top talent in the Eastern Panhandle this season. [player_tooltip player_id="977638" first="Will" last="Shively"], Jefferson, 6-1, Soph. Jefferson coach Richard Lewis was not joking when he said Shively was one of the top freshmen in the state last season. He blasted onto the scene with 111 points in his first six games, including a career-high 28 against Idea out of Washington, D.C. Shively scored in double figures in all but three games, two of those against EP power Martinsburg. Shively had eight double-doubles, including three straight starting with his second varsity. He had five games with more than 20 points. If you need even more consider that Shively finished third in the EP in scoring and rebounding. All told the Cougars talented freshman finished averaging 15.7 points and 7.8 rebounds and he had 50 3 pointers for Jefferson. Shively is versatile enough to move around and play inside or outside and Lewis compared him favorably to former Cougar Jahlil Jenkins who averaged nearly 20 points as a freshman at Jefferson before transferring to a private school. Shively finished the year being named to the third-team all-state team. T.J. Stuckey, Musselman, 6-4, Sr. Stuckey had one of the most consistent seasons in the EP last season. The Applemen forward averaged 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds, both numbers that led the team. Stuckey had 15 double figure games and he was especially effective over he second haof of the season when he scored in double figures in 10 of the final 11 games for the 10-14 Applemen. He had five games of 20 or more points and those came in the final 10 games of the season, including a career-high 22 against Class AAA No. 1 University. Stuckey had five double-doubles on the season against a tough schedule which included games against five teams that qualified for the Class AAA state tournament. He had 10 games with eight or more rebounds, a season-high 14 against Jefferson. The Class AAA honorable mention pick shot 57 percent from the floor. Stuckey was a consistent contributor on the defensive end with 23 blocks. [player_tooltip player_id="977612" first="Daion" last="Taylor"], Jefferson, 5-9, Jr. Taylor is not a typical point guard for the Cougars. Consider he was second on the team in scoring and, despite his size and position, rebounding. Taylor averaged 13.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. Taylor can score and he can score in bunches if need be. He scored in double figures is 11 of the final 12 games and in three straight had over 20 before scoring 13 in a season-ending loss to Martinsburg. He had 20 against Washington and 22 against Martinsburg before tallying a career-best 27 in a sectional tournament loss to Washington. He had 17 games scoring in double figures. The high-motor point guard has scored 442 points in two seasons, averaging 10.3 points per game. He was also second on the team in steals (43) and led the team with 44 deflections, witness to his high-octane game on both ends of the floor. Anthony Smith, Martinsburg, 6-1, Sr. Anthony Smith leads the Bulldogs back onto the court after losing just two players from a 21-3 team last winter. Smith is the leading returning scorer from that team, averaging 10.4 points per game. He was eighth in the EP area in free throw shooting (47-69, 68%). Smith led the area in steals with 2.5 per game and second in assists averaging 4.1 per game. He is an elite type athlete, winning the Carl Lee Award as the state’s top defensive back on the football team and has signed to continue his grid career at Robert Morris. [player_tooltip player_id="977616" first="Isaiah" last="Horner"], Musselman, 6-1, So. Horner had a solid sophomore campaign and is one of many talented risers in the EP, one of the areas hotbeds for rising talent. Horner was second on the team in scoring at 10.2 points per game, but should a well-round, versatile game by averaging 4.1 points and dishing out a team-best 67 assists. He also led the team in 3-point field goals with 32. Horner and the Applemen played this summer as the Panhandle Rise for Horner’s father Brian. All told the team played over 20 games at tournament outposts like Hampton Roads, Va., Dulles, Va., and Spooky Nook, Pa. [player_tooltip player_id="977599" first="Gavin" last="Barkley"], Berkeley Springs, 6-1, Jr. The aptly-named, for basketball purposes, Barkley actually may have been one of the EP’s best-kept secrets last season, leading the area in scoring at 18.9 points, finished third in 3s (45), seventh in assists (3.1)and 11th in rebounds (6.1). It was an overall solid sophomore season for Barkley. He was one of the area top free throw shooters, making 72 of 95 attempts, 76 percent and made 45 3s on 122 attempts (37 percent). The athlete, who is also the school’s quarterback, finished the season with 32 steals. Barkley was a third-team all-state pick. Drew Keckley, Hampshire, 6-2, Sr. A 6-2 point guard, Keckley was the Trojans’ leading scorer last season at 12.5 points per game. Almost 60 percent (59.1) of his field goals came from the 3 point area (39 of 66). Keckley was also the Trojans’ leader in assist (2.4) and he also averaged 3.3 rebounds and shot 61-percent from the free throw line. Trevor Sardo, Hampshire, 6-2, Sr. Sardo was the other double figure scorer for Hampshire, averaging 11.3 points per game. Like his senior teammate Drew Keckley, he could shoot the3, with 31 of his 3s coming from beyond the arc. Sardo added 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game for the Trojans. Malachi Baker, Spring Mills, 6-2, Sr. Baker, who started every game for the Cardinals last winter, is the leading scorer returning to the fold after averaging 8.4 points per game. Coach Luke Samples will be looking for more from Baker this winter with the graduation of leading scorers David Bittorie (12.0 ppg) and Terrell Moses (9.7 ppg). Baker also checked in averaging 3.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Trenton Kyne, Berkeley Springs, 6-0, Sr. Like his teammate Barkley, Kyne had a solid season by averaging 11.9 points and a team-best 6.2 rebounds.He also dished out 41 assists, found himself on the leaderboard as far as free throw percentage in the area went by making 65 percent, a solid number because he showed the ability to get to the free throw line, leading his team in makes (74) and attempts (113). Tre Sager, Martinsburg, 6-3, Sr. Averaged eight rebounds for the 21-3 Bulldogs to finish second in the Eastern Panhandle. With the graduation of Teddy Marshall he will have the opportunity to expand that role. Doryn Smith, Martinsburg, 6-2, Sr. Averaged 10.2 points for the Bulldogs last season and shot 63 percent from the free throw line. Others to watch Tre Jackson, Washington Trevor Jones, Washington Jalyn Wright, Washington </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>