Prescott at Mesquite Playoff notes

Gregg Rosenberg February 21, 2022 @ 02:56 PM

On Tuesday, February 15th I attended the 4A round one playoff game with the Mesquite Wildcats taking on the Prescott Badgers in Gilbert, AZ.   Some quick notes about the game: It was a close 35-34 Mesquite lead at halftime that went to 56-46 at the third quarter. It unfortunately ballooned to a 23-point win for the Wildcats at 93-70 as they were led by strong play from Calmese and Gonzales plus some surprise contributors gave them the win.   Here are my scout takes: [player_tooltip player_id="701246" first="Nathan" last="Calmese"] Mesquite (Pictured) An athletic scoring lead guard is a fun watch. He scores it from all three levels fairly effortlessly. It looks like he’s gliding around the court dribbling past his opponents. He has deep volleyball line range and a middle game. He gets to the basket with the use of euros, hesis and go or will make acrobatic shots in traffic and score. He is a plus athlete that will flush it down above the rim and block shots versus bigger players. He has a nice floater game and will drop off an assist to his teammates. He scored 27 points in the win. [player_tooltip player_id="814517" first="Cohen" last="J Gonzales"] Mesquite A fast and athletic scoring guard is stronger then he looks. He is quick on the ball defensively and collects steals on defense. Offensively, he has an ultra quick release from distance and rises high on his jumpers. In the open court he is hard to catch and makes driving layups as he leaps up high to not get blocked in the lane. He finished with 24 points including 10+ free throws finishing the Badgers off. [player_tooltip player_id="973827" first="Nick" last="Rogers"] Mesquite A stronger guard had a good game for the Wildcats. He moves without the ball and cuts when he should for layups. He can make the catch-3 and he will even create his own offense a little with driving to the basket after using a decent handle. He is an aggressive defender grabbing rebounds and will block shots in his area. He finished with 17 points. Kayson Bryant F 6’3 2022 Mesquite A thicker built forward can score in the trenches. He moves smartly without the ball and will score with either hand. He has a couple moves to utilize inside and can score over size with his longer arms. He grabs rebounds in his area and he was just what they needed versus a bigger team. He finished with 15 points. [player_tooltip player_id="1032868" first="Drew" last="Owens"] Mesquite A physical power forward was needed to use his girth and strength versus the Badgers superior size. He out muscled his opponents for rebounds and scored it efficiently around the cup. He finished with 7 points and did his job defensively while boxing them out. [player_tooltip player_id="827016" first="Jason" last="Parent"] Prescott A bigger scoring guard with unusual springs. He loves the mid-range pull-up and is a super quick leaper and second jumper. He can get downhill and is creative in the air. He is a good rebounder and will block shots in the post, as he helps his bigs and is a phenomenal teammate and a good passer. He forced a few shots but they were down 10+ and was trying to catch up at the end. He finished with 19 points. [player_tooltip player_id="1336443" first="Uriah" last="Tenette"] Prescott A feisty scoring point guard has a tight handle. He is tiny but the lefty is highly competitive and tough. He will give up his body and rebound and will get downhill using a quick first step and loves finishing with the floater. He can pull-up off the dribble and hit a deep-two and he made a few no look passes for assists. He has a good feel for the game and will be their leader the next few years. Tenette finished with 22 points. [player_tooltip player_id="1336442" first="Zane" last="Gaul"] Prescott The big fella has wider shoulders and is a strong two-handed rebounder in traffic. He blocks shots in his area and runs the floor well. He has decent post footwork and a strong base to work with. He has a nice free throw touch, he sets strong picks and will thunder down dunks. He keeps plays alive grabbing out of area rebounds. Jonas Carman PF 6’6 2022 Prescott The revelation of the game for me was Carman. He is a long and lean face-up four-man. He has a quicker release with a high arcing jumper. He is clearly best off the catch but he can create a little off the bounce as well. He finished with 13 pts.