Bundy’s Week 5 Player Evaluations: Forwards

Bundy&#8217;s Week 5 Player Evaluations: Forwards

Landon Bundy

December 26, 2021 @ 11:56 AM

The week before Christmas was filled with several top-level holiday tournaments and some extremely good matchups with some of the top teams in the state. I was at Connersville and Franklin County for their holiday tournaments which featured some top-level talent from across the state. Let's take a look at some of the evaluations from these two tournaments.   <h3 style="text-align: center;">Player Evaluations</h3>   [player_tooltip player_id="1295356" first="Lucas" last="Barron"] (Connersville) – 6’4" 2023 Forward Barron is a big man inside who dominated the paint the entire game for the Spartans. He goes quick into his shot as soon as he gets the ball inside, and he showcased some solid post moves. Barron had 10 points in this first quarter, and he ended the game with 19 points on just 11 shots. He even knocked down a triple. Barron is going to be a huge part of the success of this Connersville team this year.   [player_tooltip player_id="1063972" first="Luke" last="Carroll"] (Hamilton Heights) – 6’5" 2022 Forward Carroll is a big body who loves to be physical on both ends of the floor. He seeks contact on his drives to the hole, and he plays with a ton of heart. Carroll struggled shooting the ball, but he was able to finish through contact with authority all game. He also attacked the glass well. Carroll would end with 19 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.   [player_tooltip player_id="870269" first="Chad" last="Cox"] (Franklin County) – 6’4" 2022 Forward Cox has played well in every single game that I have seen, and this one was no different. He had 19 points at halftime on 9-11 shooting. He is a great finisher inside, and he is always looking to get downhill with the ball. He gets high on his jumper and can knock down shots from everywhere on the floor. He also threw down back-to-back dunks in the second quarter to end a 28-9 quarter. He is going to be a heck of a player at the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id="1275728" first="Mason" last="Harvey"] (Seton Catholic) – 6’6" 2024 Forward Harvey has grown at least two inches since I last saw him, and he still seems to have room to grow. I would not be surprised if he ended up being 6’8” or bigger. Harvey showed off several good post moves inside, and he was lights out from deep. He was 4-5 shooting from three, and he never hesitates to shoot no matter how far out he is, especially on the pick and pop action. On the defensive end of the floor, he protects the paint well, and he is extremely active on the glass. Harvey would end with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the win.   [player_tooltip player_id="868224" first="JaQualon" last="Roberts"] (Bloomington North) – 6’7" 2023 Forward Roberts is a wing with a ton of length who can do a little bit of everything, but his performance on Thursday was not his best by any means. He got pushed around on the inside by Smithson-Burciaga, and he was settling for threes despite having a four-inch height advantage on every person on the court. He missed his first five threes before finally hitting one. Roberts finished with a quiet 12 points and 4 rebounds in their 9-point loss to Monroe Central.   Gavin Smithson-Burciaga (Monroe Central) – 6’3" 2022 Forward Smithson-Burciaga is a physical big who isn’t going to shy away from anybody. He plays with a ton of confidence, and he hit a couple of shots early on which helped build the confidence of the entire Monroe Central squad. He seeks out contact on the offensive end, and he is aggressive on the glass. Unfortunately, he was in foul trouble for most of the game due to two offensive fouls, but he still played incredibly well being matched up against JQ Roberts. Smithson-Burciaga’s inside presence is going to be a huge part of the success of the Golden Bears this weekend.   Josh Williams (Connersville) – 6’3" 2023 Forward Williams is a bigger forward who handles the ball well and loves to attack downhill with the ball in his hands. When he drives it, he sees the floor very well, and he always looks to find the open man. He made some impressive passes in the first half and went into halftime with 8 assists. In addition to his passing, Williams knocked down a three and had a couple of nice finishes inside. Williams ended with 9 points and 9 assists in their blowout win, and he has the potential to be a breakout player for the Spartans.