Hardwood Invite – Session One Standouts

<p><strong>Silas Vs. Union</strong></p> <p>Union HS Senior Forward <strong>Evan Eschels</strong> - Even for a self-proclaimed football player, Eschels looked like he was born on the court. He’s a hooper with a natural feel for the game, great rotation on his shot, and an easy lift for long-range hits. He’s not going to wow you with highlights but he’s always in control and acts like a conductor for the Union offense. He’s decisive, and a steady playmaker that grounds the rest of the team.</p> <p>Union HS Junior Forward <strong>Yanni Fassillis</strong> - Fassillis operates in a Charles Barkley mold. He’s a thick kid who can muscle inside and finish with grace. He’s apt to take a board coast to coast and has great body control for a player his size. Throughout the game against Silas, he set the tone with tough finishes, a few and ones, and stout defense with numerous blocks that led to transition buckets. </p> <p>Silas HS Sophomore Guard<strong> Tre Walker</strong> - It was a tough game for Silas, as they failed to work anything inside the Union defense. Walker was a constant force fighting back, primarily from long distance. Early on he showed his capabilities from range and was forced to keep that going throughout. Later on, he showed his ability to slice inside and finish with a multitude of moves; floaters, right-handed, left-handed. He’s an intriguing player to keep an eye on as the tournament goes on.</p> <p><strong>Eastside Catholic Vs. Ferris </strong></p> <p>Ferris HS Senior Guard [player_tooltip player_id="929632" first="Trayce" last="Atkins"] - Atkins stole the show against some tall, talented competition. He showed a fearless attitude start to finish and was an inciter for the Ferris offense all night. He was like a hot knife through butter, getting to the cup with ease and finishing with either hand around, under, and over taller defenders. He set the pace for Ferris all night and created momentum by playmaking on both sides of the ball.</p> <p>Ferris HS Senior Forward [player_tooltip player_id="929631" first="AJ" last="Newcomb"] - It won’t show up in the stat sheet, but Newcomb had one of the biggest performances of the day. He was tasked with guarding EC’s top player and made play after play to create possessions and swing momentum. Overmatched by fix to six inches, Newcomb used quick feet and a selfless attitude to draw multiple charges, one coming with 30 seconds left to all but seal the game. He was locked in and transferred that defensive energy to the offensive end, sinking some key buckets in the second half on a tip-in and a well-timed three-pointer, keeping Ferris running to the win.</p> <p>Ferris HS Junior Guard <strong>Kruz Wheeler</strong> - Kruz came off the bench and seemed like an energy guy. Then you watch more and realize he affects the game in all phases. He has surprising burst and made some outstanding acrobatic finishes around the rim. He was tipping passes, leading to fast breaks, making key passes, and knocking down clutch shots from long range. Wheeler made the most of his minutes and was an catalyst off the bench in the Ferris win Saturday morning.</p> <p>Eastside Catholic HS Senior Guard [player_tooltip player_id="929625" first="Louis" last="Grante-Halliday"] - Halliday started running point and sitting on the perimeter where he exhibited a good-looking stroke, and a propensity to use his strength and size to bruise through and finish around smaller defenders. He took off in the second half attacking the boards, creating second chances, and posting up smaller guards who stood no chance on the blocks. He’s a talented guard with good vision who can take advantage of mismatches and play bully ball when needed.</p> <p><strong>Nathan Hale Vs. South Medford</strong></p> <p>South Medford HS Senior Forward [player_tooltip player_id="942247" first="Devon" last="Malcolm"] - South Medford came to play, and Malcolm showed that from the start with a vicious two-handed slam in the opening minutes. He didn’t work much from outside, but he didn’t have to. He showed good footwork in maneuvering around defenders in tight space, and a great understanding of how to use his broad frame to create space where it seemed there was none. Malcolm found what was working and attacked it until the final buzzer. He’s a phenomenal athlete that looked like he wanted to take the rim down before he left.</p> <p>South Medford HS Freshman Guard [player_tooltip player_id="1110808" first="Boden" last="Howell"] - Howell is another kid who seems to have an innate feel for the game. He has court vision that is hard to teach, and a great feel for where to move his body and the ball in an offensive set. He shows great maturity and is more comfortable in this kind of setting than you would expect a freshman to be. He is long and crafty, which he uses to disrupt passing lanes, finish around defenders, and set up teammates for easy buckets. Not once did he seem hurried in the first session of the Hardwood Invite.</p>