Northeast Showdown: Standout Performers
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The Northeast Showdown took place at Desert Pines High School Saturday November 25th. The event signaled the start of the high school basketball season and featured 12 teams and 6 games. Several players used the event to make a name…
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Continue ReadingThe Northeast Showdown took place at Desert Pines High School Saturday November 25th. The event signaled the start of the high school basketball season and featured 12 teams and 6 games. Several players used the event to make a name for themselves. Here’s a look at some standout performers from the event.
Nelson was named to my all Dime Dropper team and he showed why on Saturday. He’s a pass first combo, who managed to repeateadly breakdown the defense with his handle. His unslefishness and skill allowed him to set up numerous teammates for easy buckets. Nelson was good at collapsing, getting paint touches and finding, or simply making the easy pass in transition.
Spencer showed a lot of heart and tougness. I felt as if he made more than a few run stopping shots including a 5 point stretch to give Canyon Springs a momentum boost in a hard fought contest against Chaparral. He was an aggressive downhill driver that stepped up in the big moments, helping his team to a win.
Davis was named as one of the fresh faces from the event, but he was so good, it would be impossible to ignore him as a standout. He scored the ball by attacking downhill and getting at the rim. His scoring was definetly a key to his performance, but his energy was unmatched. Davis looked like he was playing faster than every one else on the floor. He turned every 50/50 ball into 100% his, seemingly moving like he was on an escalator while everyone else was navigating the stairs. Impressive opening day showing for Davis.
Patterson has spent the last three year’s putting together a magnificent high school career. He’s not the biggest, not the fastest and not the most athletic, but he may be the best low post scorer in the state. He was remarkable, finishing with both hands around the rim. He showed that he can also be effective, facing up and using his left hand as an advantage, to get downhill and finish around the rim. Behind his 19 points, Cimarron got a victory.
Perhaps no player has a more signature move than Abdalla. His pull up jumper is almost automatic and Abdalla put it on display in a high level victory over Trinity. The junior guard was able to get into the paint, stop on a dime and knock down 15 footers at an alarmingly high rate. On Saturday, he seemed to do it everytime the opponent made a run, essentially killing their momentum, leading the Falcons to a tough opening day victory in the process.
Highlights
I truly believe that if Rancho is to take home the 4A title this season, Childress will have to emerge as their most important player. The PG has a lot of offensive skill, and he put them on display during the second half of a tight contest against Mojave. He displayed a good burst, defeating pressure defense, and knocked down a three en route to scoring 9 second half points, leading the Rams to the victory over defending 4A champ Mojave.