Last Week’s Under the Radar Performers
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If you’re looking to dive a little deeper into last week’s games here’s a group of performers who either play with smaller schools or didn’t necessarily fill up the stat sheet, but are worth a good look. Here’s a handful…
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Continue ReadingIf you’re looking to dive a little deeper into last week’s games here’s a group of performers who either play with smaller schools or didn’t necessarily fill up the stat sheet, but are worth a good look. Here’s a handful of under-the-radar performers from last week.
Ezra Jenks Ezra Jenks 5'11" | CG Royal | 2025 WA
Ezra Jenks Ezra Jenks 5'11" | CG Royal | 2025 WA
Jenks had a great game against Zillah last week, leading a balanced effort from his squad with 16 points. He played under control and took what was in front of him, attacking with good patience and able to either take it all the way to the hoop or knock down the open outside jumpers. Jenks seemed to have the eye for space and found himself a lot of open looks throughout the game, but when he did have to deal with tight defense he was able to draw some fouls and come through at the line. Check him out tomorrow afternoon as the Knights take on the Annie Wright Gators.
Vindivich came out with great energy against rival Lincoln in their winner-to-state game last week. These teams know each other really well, this being the third matchup of the year, and the junior guard came out ready to set the tone and make all the little hustle plays that could propel them over the top. He was all over the ball defensively, getting a quick strip and then aggressively attacking gaps on the offensive end to find space for a hanging pullup jumper. And while he didn’t put up a ton of stats after an energetic first quarter, he still spurred a lot of action with drives and penetration and added to the team’s defensive intensity in what ended up being a one-point win for the Tigers.
North Thurston had a few guys leading the way stat-wise but Anderson might have led the way in heady plays. He was calm on the ball, he read the floor with excellent vision and awareness, and made plays both passing and scoring to help the Rams pull away with the big victory over Kelso. His passes were on time and on target, in one instance, knowing where he was swinging the ball before it got to him and quickly assisting on an open 3. When it came time to pull from 3 himself, he had great rotation and a snappy follow through. He also demonstrated great footwork to reverse pivot away from the defender in the midrange and sink the 12-foot shot. It was a well-rounded game for Anderson who’s a big part of what they do and one reason why the Rams are a dangerous team in the 3A tournament.
Caden Allred Caden Allred 6'3" | SG Royal | 2024 WA
Caden Allred Caden Allred 6'3" | SG Royal | 2024 WA
Allred looked like a pretty creative guard with some size and handle on the perimeter who could punish defenders who hung off around the arc, and get by those that stepped up to press him. He was comfortable putting a couple of moves on a defender then smoothly stepping back or pulling up for a jumper. He deployed an array of moves and fakes to get to where he wanted to go and was able to use them on the perimeter as well as in near the rim. He’s one of their more dynamic players and should be a player to watch who could have a big matchup with Martin Kaupanger Martin Kaupanger 6’5″ | SG Annie Wright | 2025 State WA on Saturday.
Michael Henderson
Michael Henderson
Even in a tough loss to North Thurston, Henderson showed his electricity and aggressive play by taking every single driving lane offered to him. He has great burst to shoot gaps and found himself alone at the rim several times because of how quickly he was able to blow by defenders. He is not one to sit and think about what to do, he’s a decisive player who can slither through multiple defenders and push the pace in transition. He’s got some shake on the outside too and can be a threat to shoot from the perimeter when he gets in rhythm.