Spokane Sneak Peek: Wildcards looking to make noise

Chad Smith

October 27, 2021 @ 10:07 AM

This is a list of kids looking to prove the haters wrong! Watch these kids closely!   Zack Reighard | Mead High School 22' Zack is going to be carrying the load this season for the Mead Panthers. Zack has evaded my radar for the past two years through this pandemic because I hadn't seen him play any AAU ball. Not that he wasn't playing, but he wasn't playing in the places I was coaching at or scouting. Zack is a great point guard. He is a very accurate and willing passer. He is always looking to get his teammates involved and create opportunities for his team to be in a position to win games. He does have a first-year Head Coach this season but I think he is in a great position to take on even more of a leadership role and help his coach make sure the offense and defense are being run smoothly on the court. Zack is also great at getting in the lane and creating chaos for the defense but can step out and hit from the outside with ease. I truly believe Zack is going to take advantage of this leadership position and make some noise this season.   [player_tooltip player_id="929631" first="AJ" last="Newcomb"] | Ferris High School 22' This is AJ's second and last year at Ferris, and he is leaned on heavily for his leadership on defense and offense. He is a great two-way player for Coach Mallon that plays hard on both ends of the floor. AJ is a knockdown outside shooter and can get to the rim, but he can also take all the tough assignments on defense and be efficient. AJ is just one of those kids that love to compete! He enjoys playing defense and shutting down the opposition's best player. AJ is a player that has been overlooked up to this point but he definitely going to show out this year and is a player under most coaches' radars. Excited to see how his senior year pans out!   Turner Livingston | West Valley High School 22' Turner is one of those kids that if you need a bucket, you can tell him or draw up a play and he will go get one. He is a little bit of a streaky shooter, but when he's on, he's on. I would love to see Turner improve on the defensive end because he is quite athletic and shows signs of defensive greatness, but needs to be more consistent. He tends to play a little too hard sometimes and picks up silly fouls. If he can discipline himself more on the defensive end he will shine because the offensive talent is there. The Eagles will be quite young this year so I am also excited to see how he leads the younger generation for West Valley.   Gentz Hilburn | Lewis & Clark High School 23' This dude can flat-out GO! Uniquely, Gentz uses his speed and athleticism to create chaos on the basketball court. He is a stud football player that has a motor that seems to never stop. Gentz improved his jump shot by leaps and bounds from his freshmen year. He is now someone you have to pay attention to outside the arc, but don't get too close because he will blow right by you. This is Gentz's 2nd year with the Tigers, and I see him taking on more of a workload this year. You're not going to find very many players that give more effort than Gentz. I have personally been able to coach him and he is a pleasure to coach. Excited to see him flourish this season!   Henry Sandberg | Gonzaga Prep High School 24' As I keep saying in my articles, Gonzaga Prep has a great future. Sandberg is just another young player Prep has tucked away ready to step in and take an important role when called upon. Henry is a tough guard who is always applying pressure. I'd like to see Henry show that he can be a lockdown defender consistently, and he has the motor to do it. He is a great set shooter and could continue to develop his shot off the dribble. Again, he is young and he is in the perfect program to grow and develop his skills. Henry will be a guy to watch for the next few years.