Final Four Scorers
In this article:
With the Final Four to be played Saturday, let’s take a look at some Final Foursomes selected for their demonstration of a specific skill or trait. We’ll start with four standout scorers. For this exercise, a ‘scorer’ is a guy…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWith the Final Four to be played Saturday, let’s take a look at some Final Foursomes selected for their demonstration of a specific skill or trait. We’ll start with four standout scorers.
For this exercise, a ‘scorer’ is a guy who isn’t just a long-range shooter, nor is he a guy who gets all his buckets in the low-post. It’s guys who can get it done at all three levels, create their own shots and get to the line, and who do it consistently.
There has been plenty written about the state’s most prolific scorers – namely Mason English Mason English 6'2" | SG Pittsburg | 2024 State KS , Landon Boss Landon Boss 6'1" | SF Osage City | 2023 State KS , Britton Dutton Britton Dutton 6'0" | SG Argo Comm | 2023 State KS and Alec Carlson Alec Carlson 6'1" | CG Pawnee Heights | 2023 State KS , each averaging better than 27 points per game.
To keep it fresh, let’s look at four other big-time scorers (in alphabetical order):
King is a high-energy, relentless attacker of defenses. He is dangerous moving in the open floor, slicing through defenses without the ball to get in position to score, or putting the ball on the deck to knife to the basket. He can shoot it from distance, but he’s at his best on the drive. He can elevate and shoot from a variety of angles. He exploded on the varsity scene with 21 points per game as a sophomore, and followed that with 25 as a junior. He can produce a lot of points without taking a lot of shots, and he draws fouls.
Ace Martinez
Ace Martinez
Martinez is a blur running the floor and pushing the dribble. He’s small, but physical and tough. His quick, shifty dribble allows him to blow by defenders and set up shots in the half court. The lefty fearlessly finishes at the goal at top speed. After averaging 17 points as a junior, he racked up 21 as a senior. Somehow this guy was left off of Prep Hoops ranking of 2023s to this point, but that will change with the final update.
Thought of mainly as a traditional point guard earlier in his career, Simoneau took on a huge scoring load as a junior and senior. He grew in stature and athleticism, becoming one of the most explosive players on the court. He always had the intelligence and the accurate shot from distance. He averaged 20 points both his junior and senior season, eclipsing 1,000 career points midway through his senior year.
Highlights
One of the slickest scoring guards, Smith (pictured) was remarkably consistent as a senior, being held below 10 points just once. He averaged 19 points as a junior, and bumped that to 20 as a senior. He torched Maize for 48 points this season. His 34% from deep was respectable and you don’t want to foul him because he hits 87% from the stripe. Smith is a versatile shot creator who can break down a defender and doesn’t need a lot of space to get his shot off.