Ironwood Ridge at Gilbert Playoff notes

On Wednesday, February 16th I attended the 5A round one playoff game with the Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks taking on the Gilbert Tigers in Gilbert, AZ. 

Some quick notes about the game:

A very low scoring game as defense was the story line for both teams. A 10-6 first quarter lead for the home team went to only 17-10 at halftime. Some more scoring for both teams with IR doing most of it. Cain caught fire and they closed the gap to a 29-25 lead heading into the 4th quarter. Pentelute starting doing his thing in the 4th quarter per usual and Gilbert slowly pulled away to give them the 44-33 win to advance to face Apollo in the Elite-8.   

Here are my scout takes:

Nikko Pentelute Nikko Pentelute 6'1" | CG Gilbert | 2022 State AZ Gilbert 

A confident guard has really become that distributor for the team. He will post up defenders and they play off of him. He finds teammates out of the double and will drive and kick and find a teammate. His pull-up from mid-range is crisp and he has stronger hands to rip his opponents pockets. He finished with 13 in a low scoring game with multiple assists.

KJ Perry KJ Perry 6'2" | SG Hillcrest Prep | 2024 CA-S Gilbert 

An athletic guard just got back from injury after he cut his finger and although he struggled a little from the field, he still brought his high energy and effort. He has good defensive awareness to help and is fast in transition. He best move currently is his pull-up from mid-range. He gets high elevation using his athletic gifts. 

Landon LaMancusa PG 6’0 2022 Gilbert 

A long point guard has quick feet and a high IQ to defend. His on-ball defense made it very difficult for Ironwood Ridge leading scorer Cole Anderson. Offensively, he moves without the ball and can drive the lane and score it among bigger opponents with his length.

Reed Shuey Reed Shuey 6'5" | PF Gilbert | 2022 State AZ Gilbert 

A burly framed post player for the Tigers has supreme strength and girth to rebound. He leaps and corrals the ball with two hands. He had close to 10 rebounds and took a couple charges as well. He is a surprisingly good passer and scores it very efficiently around the basket. He finished with 13 points.   

Eli Johnson Eli Johnson 5'10" | CG Gilbert | 2022 State AZ Gilbert 

One of the top 6th men in 5A came in and provided instant offense. He has deep 3pt range and he gets it out of his hands quickly. He has a polished floater he loves to utilize and makes good reads. He has a compact frame with long arms, which he uses to collect steals. He finished with 10 points. 

Cole Anderson W 6’5 2022 Ironwood Ridge

A bigger guard who is a natural scorer. He can get to his spots on the court and has a nice runner. The lefty has good length and size for a position but will need to get stronger. His lack of strength affects him driving to the basket at times, but once he fills in, he will be a nice player.   

Andrew Cain SG 6’3 2023 Ironwood Ridge

A strong guard who is a two-sport stud. He verbally committed to Washington State already for baseball and he can let it fly with range. He is eerily similar to Nikko. He has that thicker frame and wits about him. He is best off the catch from the 3pt line but he cuts to the basket and is a comfortable scorer off the dribble. He can hit from mid-range off the pull and uses his upper body to score when he drives. He has good awareness and he hustles in every aspect of the game. He finished with a game high 22 points. 

Noah Williams Noah Williams 6'8" | C Ironwood Ridge | 2023 State AZ Ironwood Ridge (Pictured) 

A long and lean high motored center plays with a lot of energy and effort. The Tucson prospect has steadily improved each year. He will box his man out and is a top-notch rebounder despite his thinner frame. He is not afraid to mix it up and brings a real motor to the court. His length bothers all his oncoming scorers of guards or post players. He can face-up a little and he has a jump hook shot in the post with his dominant right hand.