APS Metro Tournament Recap: Top Wings

<p>The APS Metro Tournament began Tuesday, January 4th, and ran until Saturday, January 8th. The tournament featured 16 local teams seeded 1-16. The games were played at 4 different schools, (Albuquerque high, Atrisco Heritage, Cibola, and Sanida High) with the Semifinals and Championship game held at West Mesa High School. The event was home to several quality wing players. In this article, we take a look at some of the top Wings from the event. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1128602" first="Jadon" last="Malone"] <em>6’2 SG Volcano Vista 2022</em> (#36PHNM 2022) - Malone isn’t flashy and didn’t blow me away with his athletic ability, however, he was effective. The lefty wing was one of the better passers I saw, showing the ability to both hit ahead as well as drop dimes to teammates. In addition to his passing, he managed to score the basketball when attacking with his strong hand, either finishing or drawing the foul. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1360185" first="Nick" last="Dial"] <em>6’4 SF Manzano 2023</em> <em>(featured image)</em> - Dial played a lot of post for his squad, but showed flashes of wing skills. He was effective when driving from the perimeter displaying the ability to both get all the way to the basket as well as knock down pull-up jumpers. He was also one of the better rebounders I saw, as the 6’4 forward managed to come up with more than his share of in traffic boards. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1362491" first="Caileb" last="Parhnam"] <em>6’2 SG Eldorado 2023</em> - I think I’m going to nickname Parhnam "Baby Melo" the junior wing was efficient in 1 v 1 situations, showing the ability to create separation from defenders as well as score the ball in a variety of ways. In transition, he was a problem, using his Euro to allude defenders before finishing at the rim. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1158654" first="Daniel" last="Steverson"] <em>6’2 SG Cleveland 2024 (#6PHNM 2024)</em> - Steverson impressed me with his frame and skills. The lean, long-armed wing showed the ability to create for himself and was a problem when attacking downhill. I also came away impressed with his athleticism as he showed good 1st jump explosion on both ends of the floor. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1234592" first="Jonah" last="Lopez"] <em>6’2 SG Rio Grande 2023</em> - Lopez did something I rarely see young players do these days, which is finish off two feet. The junior wing effectively used the jump stop to get into the lane and finish around the bucket on more than one occasion. He was the best pure scorer for RG, showing the ability to hit pull-up jumpers in addition to finishing in transition. </p> <p><strong>Cedarious Yates</strong> <em>6’3 SF 2023 (#10PHNM 2023)</em> - Yates has a good frame and was able to use it to put pressure on defenders. His offensive game consisted of a lot of straight-line attacks and downhill drives, with finishing ability around the rim. He finished with 12 in the Semifinal matchup against Cleveland. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1076700" first="Exodus" last="Ayers"] <em>6’2 CG LaCueva 2023 (#1PHNM 2023)</em> - Ayers plays a little of everything for LaCueva. The first thing that jumped out at me about him was his improved frame. The junior combo looks like a D1 wing, with long arms and a solid upper body. He used both to dish out contact on his way to the bucket, finishing through defenders. He was also one of the better playmakers I witnessed, showing the ability to deliver on time, on target passes to teammates. </p> <p><em>Follow</em></p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/7outzbballclub1"><em>On Twitter</em></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/bruceprephoops/"><em>On IG</em></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PrepHoopsNV"><em>Like Us On FB</em></a></p>