Liberty at Pinnacle: JV/Freshman Standouts

Friday, January 6th I attended the 6A match-up of the Pinnacle Pioneers hosting the Liberty Lions.   Before the high level varsity game, I checked out the freshman and JV games.   <h2>Here were some of the young players who stood out:</h2>   Freshman Standouts   [player_tooltip player_id='1735379' first='David' last='Mans'] Pinnacle   A long, good sized center for a freshman. He has a nice touch around the hoop using his length and skill. He will block shots in his area and he is a strong two-handed out of area rebounder. He was one of the main reasons that Pinnacle defeated Liberty. His skill, size and length shined through.      [player_tooltip player_id='1736174' first='Jett' last='King'] Pinnacle   A hyper competitive combo guard is tough on defense. He is a plus rebounder on both sides of the court. He has a very high feel for the game and makes next level reads on the norm. He can drive it and get downhill to score with some strength.   [player_tooltip player_id='1736173' first='Davis' last='Malumba'] Pinnacle   An undersized point guard who is a two-way player. He is a good passer and can burst into the lane and score on euros. He has some natural quickness and uses it on defense. He is a very good on-ball defender and will take charges. His left hand dribble is just as good as his right hand and he handles the press well with his tighter handle and speed.   [player_tooltip player_id='1736176' first='Gavin' last='Hammond'] Pinnacle     A scoring guard is the team's three point shooter. He spots up and relocates to open spots on the floor with a high arcing clip. He is a good rebounder in his area and competes on defense. He will crash the glass for put backs and play the passing lanes well plus hustles on defense and anticipates passes.   [player_tooltip player_id='1633026' first='David' last='Onuh'] Liberty    A smart and thick wing. He can catch and shoot from the three with a nice stroke. He has long arms and strength to rip some pockets. He is very strong on the glass and will make an extra pass. He will get on the floor for a loose ball often and his competitiveness shines through. He has super strong hands and he seems to rebound any 50/50 ball with effort, toughness and desire.   [player_tooltip player_id='1736215' first='Joey' last='Orco'] Liberty    A combo guard who can score and pass. He is a deep shooter and will hit them with range and a high arc. He has a good first step and will rise up from mid-range. He will drive it and dime a teammate inside and he gives high effort on defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='1736172' first='Keegan' last='Colter'] Liberty    A good sized combo guard with broader shoulders. He is tough on defense by playing the passing lanes. He likes using his right hand but will look to pass the rock often. He has very quick hands on defense.    JV Standouts   [player_tooltip player_id='1286020' first='Connor' last='Corey'] Pinnacle    A bigger wing who grew at least two inches since last year. He also played on varsity and contributed. He is an inside and out threat with a nice touch from mid-range and in and has great hands. He rebounds well in his area and he has a chance to start next year on varsity.   [player_tooltip player_id='1736170' first='Kareem' last='Alkalkifa'] Pinnacle   A rare point forward type is a fluid mover. He was the lone freshman on JV and has many traits to like. He leaps up effortlessly to block shots or rebound. He plays multiple positions on offense and defense. He is a very good passer and consistently gives up a good shot for a great shot. He scores it inside and out.    [player_tooltip player_id='1286021' first='Eric' last='Rubin'] Pinnacle    The lefty point guard has a high feel for the game. He consistently makes extra passes and he is a phenomenal passer who whips passes on a rope. He is a plus rebounder for a guard and can burst into the lane to score.   [player_tooltip player_id='1286022' first='Ryan' last='Nelson'] Pinnacle (Pictured left)   A fluid combo guard is a natural scorer. He has a nice touch on his shooting and will rattle them off one by one. He was showing some toughness and got into the lane and finished with good body control. He had a fun shooting battle with [player_tooltip player_id='1364143' first='Landon' last='Wilson'].     [player_tooltip player_id='1364141' first='Gabe' last='Hill'] Pinnacle    A fluid combo guard is leaner with longer arms. He is very competitive on both ends of the court and he has a nice first step to get past his defenders to score on layups.     [player_tooltip player_id='1364142' first='Tate' last='Williams'] Pinnacle    One of the team's three point shooters. He likes to catch and shoot and has good ball rotation. He is in motion often to relocate to an open spot on the court. He can get a step on his defender and finish and will be on varsity next year along with many of their top JV players.   [player_tooltip player_id='1364929' first='Jackson' last='Hunter'] Liberty   A talented soph got his first action back from an injury. I am assuming he will be back eventually on varsity once he gets his legs underneath him. He is a three level scorer who has a polished runner and uses his thicker build and strength to score in the paint. He can also shoot it from the three and rise up from mid-range. Caden's younger brother is talented and should impact varsity next year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1364143' first='Landon' last='Wilson'] Liberty (Pictured right)   A gifted scorer has grown two inches and his upper body has become stronger in the last year. He comes with deep range and a quick release. He can create his own offense with step backs off the dribble and will score the ball in bunches. His confidence seems to be off the charts. Stock up.   [player_tooltip player_id='1364930' first='Jarrell' last='Houston'] Liberty    A quick lefty point guard handles ball pressure well and can score. He can shoot it from the perimeter with pull-ups and threes. He has the floater game and can burst past his defenders. The speed he shows with the ball should get him some minutes the next two seasons on varsity.

Friday, January 6th I attended the 6A match-up of the Pinnacle Pioneers hosting the Liberty Lions.