Premier Perimeter Shooters: 5A East Metro

<p>East Metro has a few under-the-radar guys who are incredibly dependable from beyond the arc. While Rangeview has taken the spotlight, one trait to note with all these teams are their willingness to play fast and make long distance skip passes. All stats are current through 1/20/22.</p> <p>Thomas Kennedy III - Westminster - 2022</p> <p>Leading the conference in made three-pointers at 30, while contributing on 39% of those shots. Kennedy stands at roughly six feet tall, allowing him enough reach to shoot over opponents. The senior guard is certainly capable of stepping into jump shots, however his quick motion is especially evident off-the-catch. For the season, he is putting up 13.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 63% from two and 39% from three.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1139981" first="Hanif" last="Muhammad"] - Rangeview - 2024</p> <p>The sophomore guard may be undersized, however he is very quick and has the ball on a string. Due to his duo of the quick first step and quick jump-shot, Muhammad has carved out a role for himself as a complimentary shot creator alongside [player_tooltip player_id="618892" first="Elijah" last="Thomas"]. Muhammad just came off of a 22-point performance versus Brighton, on the year he is up to 10.1 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.8 steals on 40% from three (65 attempts) and 86% from the free throw line. Being so quick, he is already a potent scoring threat from the perimeter, although his creativity should continue to improve with an increased role for years to come.</p> <p>Elijah Carlson - Vista PEAK Prep - 2022</p> <p>At six-feet tall, Elijah Carlson has been Vista Peak’s most dependable three-point shooter at 37% going on 62 attempts. The off-ball guard likes to curl around screens for movement jumpers, although most often shoots with his feet set. Another strength of Carlson has been his improvement in drawing contact, where he is shooting 77% from the line on 30 attempts. The next hurdle for Carlson will be improving his driving ability through contact with either hand.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="618890" first="KK" last="Stroter"] - Rangeview - 2022</p> <p>Rangeview has made themselves one of the more enjoyable teams to watch, thanks to their fast pace and perimeter oriented shot selection. Stroter has been the two-way guard capable of stabilizing both ends. He is the type of guy to block a drive, spring down the floor, and hit a corner three or on another possession dive for a loose ball and kick it halfcourt for an open layup. At 6’4, Stroter is having himself a solid year, at 14.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.6 stocks per game while shooting 39% from three and 67% from two-point range. Stroter has been knockdown from beyond, thanks to his combination of size and high release point. One area of improvement for Stroter will be his patience of shot fakes, as he can get into foul trouble.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="618892" first="Elijah" last="Thomas"] - Rangeview - 2022</p> <p>Shifty, detail-oriented, and well composed, Thomas has been the floor general who ties together the perimeter scoring efforts. Thomas is averaging 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.3 steals on a dominant 62% from two and 34% from three. Although Thomas initially gets his reps as a driver, he has shown the ability to get his shot off-the-catch thanks to the dynamic perimeter duo of Stroter and Muhammad. Arguably Thomas’ greatest strength has been his defensive timing, averaging 2.3 steals and .9 blocks per game, thanks to his impressive vertical off two feet.</p>