Colony/RHP State Preview: Unsigned Seniors to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>ONTARIO — The basketball staffs at Colony High and Rolling Hills Prep teamed up once again as the Titans hosted the always-competitive Colony/Rolling Hills Prep State Preview Classic. The 2023 edition of the event featured nine games inside the “Thunderdome” on the Colony campus with some intriguing head-to-head matchups. Below we detail some of the </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='950925' first='Blake' last='Hudson'], Dougherty Valley</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hudson is a do-it-all wing who plays with an elite motor and brings positionless versatility to the floor. The 6-foot-3 senior has the ball skills and basketball IQ to initiate offense as the primary ball handler but is best off the ball where he uses his quickness to face, rip and drive off the catch for paint touches to collapse the defense and find teammates. Hudson finishes around the basket much bigger than his size and is an active offensive rebounder.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Brandon Dantzler, St. Francis</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Danztler is the type of guy that every high school and college program needs. The 6-foot-5 forward does all the dirty work for St. Francis from defending the opponents best interior player, rebounding the offensive and defensive boards, getting on the floor for loose balls and being a physical ball screener and roller in half court offense. The best thing about Dantzler is he is comfortable in his role and gives 100% effort when he</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='996387' first='Denzel' last='Hines'], Colony</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hines has really turned the corner as a legitimate inside-out scoring threat. At 6-feet-7 and a strong 210 pounds with physicality and a good pop of athleticism, Hines is stepping out to behind the three-point line where he can knock down catch and shoot three's or put the ball on the deck and get into the lane where he can finish above or through contact. The senior is still great at what originally put him on the next level radar and that's his interior scoring ability in the post or mid-post areas. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='994967' first='Immanuel' last='Taylor'], Village Christian</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taylor is a small but dynamic scoring point guard. At 5-feet-9 Taylor is lightning quick in the half-court setting where he uses that first step burst to put defenders on their heels for step back jumpers or blow-by drives into the lane. The senior is a blur in transition where he uses controlled speed to push the pace on the break and make high IQ decisions. Taylor is a very good finisher around the rim despite his lack of size.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Kenneth Bailey, Crean Lutheran</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bailey is a heady playmaking point guard whose combination of size, strength, pace and basketball IQ are important to Crean Lutheran's success. With the Saints having such a talented but youthful roster, the steadiness of Bailey at the point has allowed the younger players to ease into their heavy workload and excel in those roles. Bailey is a high IQ and accurate passer who can also stretch the floor to the 3-point line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Luke McGrath, St. Francis</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McGrath, like his teammate listed above, is such a good high school player because of his willingness to accept and star in a complimentary role. The 6-foot-3 guard is a knock down three-point shooter off the catch who also doubles as a disruptive on-ball defender and smart help team defender who always seems to be in the right help-side positions. McGrath has value at the next level because of his abilities to stretch the floor and compete on the defensive end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='994966' first='Tyler' last='Small'], St. Anthony</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Small has really been able to show off is full offensive repertoire at his new school. The 6-foot-1 combo guard is knocking down three-point shots with consistency, getting to his pull-up jumper off the bounce and showing that he can slash his way to the rim and score in the painted area. Small also has the ball-handling and passing abilities to play in a secondary playmaker role.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->