Beech Holiday Classic Observations

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This story will be updated throughout the week. Check back once or twice per day to enjoy new game recaps.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"textAlign":"center"} --> <h2 class="has-text-align-center">Monday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"textAlign":"center"} --> <h2 class="has-text-align-center">Tuesday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Franklin-Simpson-KY</strong> (55) vs. Arlington (42)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1448965' first='VJ' last='Simmons'] played well, but his unit [guards] allowed the game to become very sloppy. Too sloppy. Franklin-Simpson's defense was beguiling. They appear to run a 1-3-1 zone, though it becomes rather amorphous when the ball hits the wing into the corner. Arlington's guards definitely struggled to sort it out in the first quarter, trailing 10-6 at the 1Q end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Facing FS, big man <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2087451' first='Luke' last='McBride']</strong> took and missed two mid-range shots early. His value as a college prospect will lean heavily on his ability to knock those down. The two shots came from the elbow and from the short corner. Both are shots he can make, but the defenses comes at you fast in high school basketball. Keep an eye on him throughout the season. Few teams have 6-foot-6 players with his agility, even at the 4A level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Halftime Score:<br>FS - 24<br>AHS - 20.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Arlington, Simmons, the point of the proverbial defensive spear needed to gamble less on defense. A couple of times he pressed up on the dribbler, committing fully to checking up tight, only to enable the point of attack to get by him and immediately collapse the entire defense. Certainly VJ plays with a wonderful amount of energy and passion and you don't want to tamper too much with that, though somehow he needs to maintain his exceptional energy and commitment without exposing his team to vulnerable defensive moments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"textAlign":"center"} --> <h2 class="has-text-align-center">Wednesday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Trezevant (55) vs. <strong>Arlington</strong> (61)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>V.J. Simmons</strong> was the best player in the building, though it was not clear until the second half. The thin guard nailed three-pointer after three-pointer for Arlington. The scrappy Trezevant Bears just did not find him on their rotations. The team couldn't figure it out. Simmons was flaring, drifting to open spots both on the wing and in the corners. In the fourth quarter Simmons hit three three-pointers and then, with the help of Tyler McNeil, closed out the game with beautifully-lofted free throws. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2087451' first='Luke' last='McBride']</strong> (junior) is an interesting player. Standing 6-foot-6, he reminds me a bit of Garrett Golday, another starting forward for Arlington a few years back. Golday was 6-foot-8 with really, really nice mid-range game. McBride does not look eager to take those kind of shots, whether it be by offensive design or his own choosing. The rebounding is sound, not overwhelming by McBride. His lightness on his feet and clean hip movement suggests he might, just might be able to spend some time attacking from the wing at the college level. His final AAU season, assuming he plays and does not compete in baseball or another sport, will be vital to getting him college looks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Arlington Roster</span></strong><br>#0 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/vj-simmons/">[player_tooltip player_id='1448965' first='VJ' last='Simmons']</a>* (2024)<br>#3 Lucas Hufstetler (2024)<br>#5 Tyler McNeil* (2024)<br>#10 Chase McEntire (2025)<br>#11 Anthony Hester (2024)<br>#12 Will Turner (2025)<br>#14 [player_tooltip player_id='1236532' first='Crews' last='Butler'] (2023)<br>#15 Gage Gallagher (2025)<br>#20 Jaylan Batts (2023)<br>#21 Yusef Salem (2023)<br>#22 [player_tooltip player_id='2087451' first='Luke' last='McBride']* (2024) 6'6" 200<br>#23 Alex Wiley (2023)<br>#25 Dawson Hindman (2025)<br>#32 Grady Turner (2023)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Trezevant Roster</span></strong><br>#1 Larry Hampton<br>#2 Marvin Warren (2023)<br>#3 [player_tooltip player_id='1213159' first='Tre' last='Davis'] (2023) SF/SG<br>#4 Keyterrin Wilson (2023)<br>#5 Leterrance Branigan (2024)<br>#12 Jayleen Benson (2023)<br>#15 Tristan Haggins (2025)<br>#20 [player_tooltip player_id='2315787' first='Courtney' last='Chaffin'] (2025)<br>Danny Williams<br>#21 Jaylen Perry (2024)<br>#24 Marlow Bean (2026) 5'9"<br>#33 Cameron Holmes (2023) 6'8" 190<br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"textAlign":"center"} --> <h2 class="has-text-align-center">Thursday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->