Difference Makers (2/8)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Columbia Academy battled USN Wednesday night in an elimination game. Talent and skill was high. Strength was a given. The following players made a difference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1125601"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63e440a9b568c"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1125601' first='Griffin' last='Cooper'] felt few ripples of the basketball off his fingertips early in an elimination game. Fortunately for Columbia Academy, fate fixed that. Cooper collected a steal out high and punched home a dunk on the other end. On the next possession and errant offensive miss found his hands and he powered up, drawing a foul. Cooper was a difference maker, and the difference maker during a 9-2 Bulldog run to conclude the first quarter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1400749' first='Collin' last='France'] -- USN</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsTN/status/1623477574939602945?s=20&amp;t=1SEo1k2B_gNKLDgEwU9bLA</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578683' first='Clay' last='Payne'] -- USN</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Footwork of a Ballerina! Clay used his pivot food like a Instructor. Amazing. Every step was purposeful and probing. Columbia Academy's defense didn't understand how to deter him from getting off layups in traffic. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jeremy Jackson Jr. -- Columbia Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elite lead guard Jeremy Jackson played very smart, composed, strong in the opening half against USN. His speed and strength are such that he could burn his way into trouble areas, traps, or among trees and make a rash decision, but he did not. Jackson crafted slashes and drives with his top-level quickness and then ended with mature calculations, patient yet swift decisions. Jackson's most undeniably effective decision came on a secondary break. He spotted backcourt pal [player_tooltip player_id='1395364' first='Gabe' last='Davenport'] on the wing at the arc, surged fiercely ahead and handed it off while darting in between Davenport's defender and Gabe himself. Three points please.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hector Larsson -- Webb-Bell Buckle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Swede, Hector wrangled a couple of rebounds in the opening quarter, as Webb lacked offensive crispness, ensuring that Franklin Road Academy underdogs didn't get any offensive momentum from extra bites of the apple. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1368094' first='Arnett' last='Hayes'] -- Webb-Bell Buckle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arnett's lightness on his feet was remarkable. Midway through the first quarter, Arnett euro-stepped around the initial defensive line at the arc, spun on a dime, and then flipped up an underhand left-handed layup. Insane talent mixed with a creative basketball brain.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1227424' first='Boyd' last='Brown'] -- Franklin Road Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The lefty for FRA was fantastic in the competitive opening quarter. He created offense with his dribble. More than once he made a probing dribble, and then utilized his pivot expertly, swiveling around to open up opportunities for slashing teammates and expose seams in the defense. Brown has a chance to play beyond high school. Nice prospect. Good physical gifts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Webb-Bell Buckle Roster</span></strong><br>#0 Justin Burrows*<br>#2 [player_tooltip player_id='1498078' first='Jax' last='Howard']*<br>#5 [player_tooltip player_id='1368094' first='Arnett' last='Hayes']*<br>#13 [player_tooltip player_id='962435' first='Stephen' last='Olowoniyi']*<br>#20 [player_tooltip player_id='1140737' first='Taveon' last='Comage']*<br>#1 [player_tooltip player_id='1578687' first='Eli' last='Brown']<br>#30 Hector Larsson<br>#12 [player_tooltip player_id='2136934' first='Joel' last='Wyatt']<br>#11 Noah Brown<br>#21 [player_tooltip player_id='2265965' first='Tyrese' last='Stovall']<br>#4 [player_tooltip player_id='1495355' first='Julian' last='Whitsey']<br>#32 Trey Thomas</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Franklin Road Academy Roster</span></strong><br>#23 E.J. Jordan (2025) 19.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.2 spg, 3.7 topg<br>#10 B.J. Wesley (2024)<br>#4 Brown (2024)<br>#3 Tant (2023)<br>#11 Lance (2023) 5.1 ppg, 3.8rpg<br>#21 Tyner (2024)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Players</span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#1<br>#2 [player_tooltip player_id='1125602' first='Andre' last='McClellan']<br>#21 [player_tooltip player_id='1125601' first='Griffin' last='Cooper']<br>#32 Jake Ballard<br>#33 Jeremy Jackson Jr.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#21 [player_tooltip player_id='1400913' first='Mahoney' last='Daunic']<br>#22 [player_tooltip player_id='1400749' first='Collin' last='France']<br>#24 [player_tooltip player_id='1495470' first='Max' last='Elliot']<br>Payne</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->