Section IV Hoops: STAC West – Top Performers
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The STAC West division is comprised of Horseheads, Corning, Elmira & Ithaca and all four teams reached success of different magnitudes this season. Corning & Elmira found themselves battling in the Section IV Class AA Championship game with Elmira securing…
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Continue ReadingThe STAC West division is comprised of Horseheads, Corning, Elmira & Ithaca and all four teams reached success of different magnitudes this season. Corning & Elmira found themselves battling in the Section IV Class AA Championship game with Elmira securing the win. Horseheads defeated Johnson City in the Section IV Class A game to become the champion, while Ithaca defeated Union-Endicott to become the STAC champion. Here are the top performers and performances that led to these successful seasons.
Amauri Truax
Amauri Truax
Amauri Truax is a 6’1 point guard from Horseheads High School and is in the graduating class of 2023. Strong, athletic point guard with a tight handle, can break down defenders and makes great decisions in the paint. Big season for Amauri as he led his team to the Section IV Class A Championship. We saw Amauri in the Championship game and were impressed by the poise and his ability to stay locked in while in the face of adversity. Truax got some early fouls on a few arguable calls and in attempt to preserve him for the end of the contest, he found himself out of the game for stretches of time. It is tough for a lot of young players to stay committed to the goal and fulfill the role that the team needs, but Truax willingly provided positive energy and strong leadership from the bench while he awaited his return, and made big plays when he was put back in the game. Impressive.
Jeremy Truax Jeremy Truax 6’3″ | SF Horseheads | 2024 State NY is a 6’3 shooting guard from Horseheads HS and is in the graduating class of 2024. Truax is a knockdown shooter from 3 point distance both off the catch and from the dribble. We saw Jeremy play in the Section IV Class A championship game and he consistently made big plays throughout the game as he led his team to a win. His brother, Amauri Truax, got in foul trouble early, the team looked to Jeremy to keep things going smoothly and he answered the call. Truax was getting to the basket all night, converting on several and one’s while finishing through contact at the rim. Very active on the defensive end as well, gets deflections, causes disruptions and creates turnovers, leading to easy buckets in transition for himself and his team. Made some big free throws down the stretch which led to securing the the championship.
Luke Little Luke Little 6’2″ | SG Ithaca | 2024 State NY is a 6’2 guard from Ithaca High School and is in the graduating class of 2024. Little is long, lanky and athletic. Runs the floor well in transition and can score at the basket. Strong ball handler and capable of finding open teammates. Has the ability to consistently knock down 3’s off the catch. Strong driver, finds openings and is able to penetrate defenses and get into the lane.
Will Holmes
Will Holmes
Will Holmes is a 6’7 center from Ithaca High School and is in the graduating class of 2023. High basketball IQ and strong fundamentals, Holmes uses his size and utilizes positioning well on both ends of the floor. Offensively he sets good screens both off the ball and on the ball, good roller on ball screens and can finish in traffic, great touch around the rim. Rebounds the ball well on the offensive end and can get off his feet quickly for put backs. Holmes is a great communicator on defense, we saw him play in the STAC Championship game against Union-Endicott and he was commanding the defense from the middle of the floor. He also had some big plays late in the game that helped solidify the win.
Justin Yearwood Justin Yearwood 6’3″ | PF Ithaca | 2023 State NY is a 6’3 guard from Ithaca High School and is in the graduating class of 2023. Very athletic and uses that athleticism to run the floor in transition, getting easy buckets in transition and putting pressure on opposing defenses who are slow to get back. Strong driver, plays well off the catch and has the ability to get into the paint, finishing around the rim over defenders. Yearwood has a high IQ and does a lot of things that don’t show up on the stat sheet. We saw him play in the STAC championship game against Union-Endicott and he was a presence on defense, always on time in the help side, good communicator, and very capable at stopping players in one on one point of attack situations.
Highlights
Nolyn Proudfoot
Nolyn Proudfoot
Nolyn Proudfoot is a 5’11 combo guard from Corning High School and is in the graduating class of 2029. Impressively, Proudfoot is a 7th grader that starts and plays significant minutes on a Class AA team that was able to make it to the conference championship game. Proudfoot is capable in all aspects of the game but is most deadly as a 3 point shooter, with the ability to shoot effectively both off of the catch and from the dribble. He has a quick release and seems to know how to move without the ball to find open space for his shots. In the game we saw him play, his teammates did a good job of getting him the ball on time, while Proudfoot displayed the ability to get shots off and convert on contested 3’s. He finished the game with 5 made 3’s and knocked in a few free throws as well. Proudfoot plays his AAU ball with City Rocks and has been mentioned as one of the best shooters in the country by class.
Christopher Woodard
Christopher Woodard
Christopher Woodard is a 6’2 power forward from Elmira High School and is in the graduating class of 2024. Woodard is a monster on the offensive glass, we saw him play in the STAC Championship game against Corning High School and he was snatching everything, he also converted at least 3 of those offensive rebounds into put back buckets. Woodard also proved effective from the dunkers spot, getting off his feet quickly and displaying good touch around the rim. Defensively he is not afraid to be physical in the post and seemed to use positioning well to shut down offensive players.