Young Players with Big Impacts Early On
The young guys continue to impress in the early weeks of the season. So many guys have shown the necessary combo of aggression and poise that help them get the most out of their skills. With strong starts like these,…
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Continue ReadingThe young guys continue to impress in the early weeks of the season. So many guys have shown the necessary combo of aggression and poise that help them get the most out of their skills. With strong starts like these, it would not be surprising to see these underclassmen continue to get more opportunities and expand their roles as they get more and more comfortable. Check out some of my favorite freshman and sophomore performers from Weeks 1 & 2.
Smith was exceptional against Liberty earlier this week. He was bouncing all over the court, his aggression was infectious and all the while he was making smart decisions with that aggression. Playing high-pressure defense without fouling, pushing the ball without turning it over, Smith showed some real potential as a two-way player that can perform at both guard spots. He took high percentage shots, communicated well defensively, and played the game making very few negative plays. His role could continue to grow if he churns out more games like this.
Martin has stepped into a big role right away for Arlington, playing much of the point guard minutes this season. He has an innate feel and skillset that directly translates to running an offense. He plays with a patient approach but is continually scanning down court and has the ability to strike quick with his elite passing. It was against Camas, who boasts a talented backcourt, where Leyton’s dynamic passing ability really has shown through early this year. He was slinging passing around the court, zipping cross-court passes with his left hand, and showing power and touch with his longer passes in transition. Martin also understands how to shift space and defenders to set up his passes.
West Valley has a budding balanced attack but at the helm of their interior game is Mills. He’s a big presence on the block and although he does offer good strength and power from the post, he also exhibits a variety of moves down low that show promise for an extremely dynamic future post scorer. West Valley fed the big man consistently to open the game and instead of overthinking his moves, Mills showed patience waiting to feel out defenders and then went to work. He’s calm even when things get a little crowded down there, and if he keeps growing, should rise up the post ranks for his class quickly.
Carter Ittner
Carter Ittner
Ittner played a little more behind the scenes with Evan Stinson Evan Stinson 6’7″ | SF Cheney | 2024 State #223 Nation WA and Jakob Vallance leading the way offensively. But Ittner was the one doing the little things and acting as a key glue guy to close out possessions and keep the rhythm of the offense going with well-timed passes and the ability to handle the ball. He showed he has the strength to be a solid rebounding guard and has the mindset to run the break but still pull it back when the numbers don’t add up. Ittner has the right instincts out there and could start to show up more in the box score as he finds his way in the offense.
Gonzaga Prep Trio
Early on, I have been super impressed with Gonzaga Prep’s depth and it really comes down to their freshmen and sophomore’s stepping up and playing with some guts. These are just three of their standout underclassmen but as a whole, they have one of the most promising outlooks for future years.
Christy seemed to be Coach McIntyre’s second choice in the frontcourt behind senior Carter Verret Carter Verret 6’6″ | PF Gonzaga Prep | 2023 State WA , and he had no hesitation playing the sophomore big minutes in a close game against Mead. Christy looks a little bigger and stronger than when I saw him this summer. That led to him playing solid defense in the middle, blocking a couple shots, and holding his position when working the boards. He also is a capable dribbler and showed the ability to get the early break going when afforded some space, dribbling the ball up to half and then finding the right pass. There is a lot of talent in Christy, for now he is helping out with solid interior play, but that role could expand as the season goes on.
Groves didn’t play quite as many minutes as the other two Gonzaga Prep guys on this list, but he sure made a big impression with his size and skillset. He’s listed as a forward but most of the time I saw him on the court, he was floating around the perimeter and then stroked an easy three from the corner. He has good size at 6’4, should be able to grab a few boards off the bench, but will look to continue stretching the floor for a team with plenty of guys who can score off the dribble.
Owen Griffith
Owen Griffith
Griffith was a man possessed, playing high-intensity defense and flying around the floor with his hair on fire. He was locked in every possession, meeting his man as soon as he crossed halfcourt and living in their shorts. He also showed some of that same fire on offense, taking the ball strong on a few good cuts to the hoop. Griffith was strong with the ball and gave a huge energy boost off the bench, keeping the pace and pressure up without hurting the rhythm of the game with a ton of fouls.