West Coast Clash 16U: Top Backcourt Players

<p>I have been covering a few events on Prep Hoops Circuit and the stop in Centralia didn’t disappoint. This weekend I was tasked to cover 16U and with players from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho in the West Coast Clash, there was hidden talent, stock risers, and future stars on the floor. These six young men were some of the top backcourt players on the weekend.</p> <p><strong>Denali Hatcher – 5’9 PG – Global Basketball Club</strong></p> <p>The first thing I noticed about Hatcher was his voice. He is a leader, and he was talking the entire game. It didn’t matter if he was on the floor or taking a breather, Hatcher was telling everyone where they needed to be. In addition to his leadership, the small point guard is lightning quick. It isn’t often you see young guys who understand they don’t have to play at max speed all game. Hatcher would change speeds to get into gaps and create for himself and others.</p> <p><strong>Carter Rupp – 5’8 PG – Built4Ball</strong></p> <p>Rupp plays the point guard spot like a lot of the big-name guys today. He loves to shoot the three-ball and he will get it off whenever he has enough space. In one game he hit one in transition, one off the pick and roll, another off the down screen, and hit a corner three while falling into the baseline from contact.  The kid was fun to watch, and his quick trigger made him a headache for defenses. If Rupp can become a menace on the defensive end, he could be a guard that teams hate to match up against.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1450613" first="Hayden" last="Yore"] – 6’0 PG – PNW Sixers</strong></p> <p>Yore played alongside [player_tooltip player_id="1450946" first="Tait" last="Spencer"] all weekend, but he is a star in his own right. The kid is tough and crafty. He scored at all three levels and finished around the cup with both hands but what impressed me most about Yore was his defense. In one half he had at least 4 steals on the ball, just from picking up his guy and forcing him to turn. The kid had great hands and timed his pokes well which led to easy buckets in transition for him and his teammates. When there is a kid who loves to defend and can go get a bucket, they usually get noticed. Watch out for Yore to continue raising his stock this summer and having a big year at Kelso next season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1450497" first="Braydon" last="Olson"] – 6’1 CG – ECBA</strong></p> <p>The word around town was that Olson was a ball-dominant scorer, but it looked to me like playing around talent with his ECBA squad has helped his game mature. Olson has real hoop game, but he knows when to make something happen and when to let the game flow. Most guards today can score but not many understand how to score within the flow of the game. Olson’s points were spread out among both halves and in key moments, he took over. A true three-level scorer already but with improved athleticism and strength is someone coaches will love.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1450946" first="Tait" last="Spencer"] – 6’2 CG – PNW Sixers</strong></p> <p>Spencer usually runs on the UAA circuit with Team Stuck but this weekend he played with the hometown squad. His experience showed as he played at a different pace to his game than the rest of the 16U class. High-level guys are good about slowing the game down and Spencer did just that. There wasn’t a defender who could speed him up when he had the ball in his hands. The lefty has a pure jumper, wonderful vision, and a handle that is smooth but not flashy. It was easy to see why he is one of the top players in his class.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1458111" first="Colten" last="Smith"] – 5’8 PG – Progress Elite</strong></p> <p>Smith wasn’t a big-time scorer or a flashy ball-handler, but he was a true floor general. It is always nice to see players who do things the right way and Smith is a great example of just that. He played within the offense and kept his teammates involved throughout the weekend. He was always willing to make the extra pass, find the hot hand, and reward the bigs for running the floor. Smith is a traditional point guard who can score when needed but puts winning above his own stats. But don’t be fooled, he has a nice jumper from three and a pretty floater in traffic.</p>