8 Under the Radar 2022 Prospects from Central PA

Chad Graham September 2, 2021 @ 06:07 PM

Central Pennsylvania is home to a ton of players who can hoop at the next level. In the state playoffs and grassroots tournaments, they've competed against everyone from around PA and others parts of the country. Without a doubt, these eight guys are some of the best that area has to offer in the crop of rising seniors. Chris Edwards | 6'7 F Palmyra & York Ballers Edwards is important to his team as a switchable defender and rebounder. He’s able to handle perimeter players because of how smooth he is as a lateral mover. Chris’s unselfishness shows up in the way he boxes out, runs the floor, and sets screens. His teammates reward him by dumping the ball off as he rolls the rim, where he shows great touch. Julian Gabbidon | 6'3 G Trinity & York Ballers The lead guard for his high school and travel teams, Julian slashes to the basket with ease. His long strides and the way he changes them in the paint are the keys to his game. He stays engaged when he isn’t creating off the dribble by cutting at the perfect time. Additionally, his length helps him contort around rim protectors and finish with finesse. [player_tooltip player_id="991315" first="Kerry" last="Glover"] | 5'9 G Columbia & Spooky Nook Raiders A measured approach to the game, Kerry is what you expect from a PG who’s also a coach’s son. His communication out on the floor was a big part of his school winning back-to-back section titles. Because he’s (seemingly) in control of the game at any moment, Glover picks his spots to score, while consistently making the right play. And, using his compact build and leaping ability, he plays throw contact above and below the rim. [player_tooltip player_id="1202376" first="Tyler" last="Houser"] 6'9 F/C Cedar Cliff & Central PA Elite After averaging 14 points and almost 6 boards for high school, Tyler had a solid spring and summer with Central PA Elite. He utilizes his mass well as a strong-side post defender and by boxing out for rebounds. Houser isn’t the most mobile big but when offense doesn’t stagnate when he has the ball at the mid and high post because he makes quick decisions. And when Tyler catches it on the block, the force he plays with makes him difficult to stop. [player_tooltip player_id="991220" first="Trey" last="Martin"] 6'4 G Boiling Springs & Philly Pride Gold For a player who provides so much of his team’s offense, Martin is extremely alert as a team defender - timing up his rotations and walling up in the paint. He averaged 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and over a steal as a junior. Trey primarily scores from the mid and long range, coming off screens with good footwork. The understated part of his game is his post-ups. He’s comfortable putting defenders on his back and getting to turnaround jumpers or baby hooks. [player_tooltip player_id="991312" first="Jayden" last="Statum"] | 6'1 G Shippensburg Statum was named Mid-Penn player of the year and already eclipsed 1000 pts in career. Excelling as a passer and shooter, he already has a scalable game. The point guard’s sense of urgency in transition encourages teams to pick him up full court, as he finishes best when he has a head of steam. Jayden navigates the paint well as a facilitator, snaking through to find open teammates. Without even being in motion, his creative ball-fakes are another way he creates passing windows to distribute. [player_tooltip player_id="1202379" first="Nick" last="Stiltner"] | 6'9 C Carlisle & Central PA Elite Because he keeps his hands up, Nick is a big deterrent around the basket. He’s always aware of where his man and the ball are located. When drivers do test him, he effortlessly blocks their shots while keeping them inbounds. Offensively, Stiltner does most of his work from 8 feet & in. Once teammates get the ball to Nick at the dunker spot, he keeps it high and converts the opportunities into high percentage buckets. [player_tooltip player_id="1202380" first="Matthew" last="Ward"] | 6’2 G Big Spring & Central PA Elite A 1000 point scorer in his own right, Ward makes teams work to guard him by constantly moving without the ball. As soon as his defender loses sight of him, Matt cuts to open space. He likes to run off screens and pin downs to shake free for a clean jumper. He can be an asset to any team because you never have to call a play for him and he doesn’t need the ball to have an impact. For more coverage of Pennsylvania high school basketball, follow me on twitter @CGraham_Sports