4A Darkhorse Players To Look For In The Great 8
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Gabe Tafoya CO #69 SG #19 HEIGHT 6'1" POS SG CLASS 2024 View Profile Gabe Tafoya Instagram State: Colorado School: Holy Family Club: Hard2Guard Tafoya and the Tigers got past top seeded Kent Denver in a big way and they…
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Continue ReadingTafoya and the Tigers got past top seeded Kent Denver in a big way and they look to continue the momentum moving into the next round. Gabe has stepped up for the Tigers since the playoffs has started and he has been attacking on the offensive end. Tafoya has been getting out in transition and finishing at the basket. He has been turning his own steals into easy points as well. Tafoya is a knock down shooter and has been converting at the charity stripe as well. On the defensive end Tafoya chipped in against Kent Denver and was crashing the boards heavy. He led the team in rebounds and also had his hand in the passing lanes. Tafoya will have to carry this momentum into the next game as he has been able to contribute as a much needed scorer for the Tigers.
Staying within the same game another player that we will be on the watch for is Koclanes who has been contributing in all aspects for the Mustangs. On the offensive end Koclanes has been finding his teammates in position to score and has been hitting them in rhythm for the open shot. Last round against Severance Koclanes was able to dish out 6 assist and also contributed 16 points as well. On the defensive end Koclanes was on the boards pulling down 11 rebounds and 8 of those came on the defensive end as he was limiting second chance points. Since the playoffs have started he has been a problem on the defensive end, playing the passing lanes and bringing down rebounds with ease. He has been a good knock down shooter in the playoff freeing up space and putting stress on the defense. Will look for him to continue getting some open looks and capitalizing on the opportunities he is given.
Noah Osterloh
Noah Osterloh
Osterloh has been stepping up on the offensive end to provide a secondary scoring option for the Titans behind Jordan Wenger Jordan Wenger 6’2″ | CG The Classical Academy | 2023 CO who has been lighting it up as of late. Osterloh is a player that can get his shot off quickly and is a knock down shooter from behind the arc as well. He is a corner three specialist and can hit it even when contested. Will look for Osterloh to continue to look for his shot as he has been shooting pretty consistently as of late and has been scoring inside the arc as well. The Cougars are a team that gets after it on defense and Osterloh will have to get going early knocking down his open corner shots when he has the opportunity. I expect this to be a tightly contested game and will come down to guard play.
Davis has turned up his play as the Wildcats continue to look impressive in these playoffs. Davis has been a real scoring threat and has also been chipping in on the boards as well. In the last game against the Pirates he was able to grab 7 total rebounds and 4 of those came on the offensive side. Davis gets most of his scoring done inside the arc, being aggressive and getting himself to the line where he can knock it down from the charity stripe. On the defensive side of the ball the Wildcats can press you and Davis plays up on the press being able to use his length to cause turnovers. Davis should be able to speed the tempo up some but I think this will be a defensive half-court game and he should be able to get some open looks.
Jayr Almeida
Jayr Almeida
Almeida was the third leading scorer at the end of the regular season and since the start of the playoffs he has been a vital scoring option for the Mean Moose. He has been scoring inside the arc and has been getting himself to the line and converting at an efficient rate. In the last game against the Pumas Almeida was able to convert 5 of his 6 attempts and was able to knock down a three as well. He was also able to contribute on the boards and will need to continue this in their next matchup as well as it was a team effort in the last outing. Almeida should be able to get some open shots in the midrange where he should be able to make a living in this matchup. Almeida has some good speed and change of pace and can use that when getting to the basket. Look for Luke Christensen or Brant Jackson to get it going early and Almeida to find success from that.