Shane’s Tier 1 Freshmen
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With the State Final Fours and Chamiponships being this week it’s a good time to reflect on this great season we have had this year. This week I’ll be putting out season recap articles. I went to 45 games this…
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Continue ReadingWith the State Final Fours and Chamiponships being this week it’s a good time to reflect on this great season we have had this year. This week I’ll be putting out season recap articles. I went to 45 games this past year and covered basketball in the Columbus and Toledo area. This article will be talking about my tier 1 freshman I saw this year.
Foster is one of the if not top freshmen I have seen this year. His skills and confidence are outstanding. He plays the game sort of like a gun-slinging quarterback. He can make every play and/or shot on the court and sometimes tries too. He not only tries to but he makes them. He can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. He has a quick release. He consistently makes extremely contested and difficult shots. He has a quick first step that allows him to get all the way to the rim. He is shifty. He is a sneaky great athlete. He is a skinnier guard but has ridiculous bounce and quickness. The most underrated part of his game is his rebounding. He can dunk on you and will. I’ve seen him be the best player in big games with a ton of talent on the floor.
Mirgon is one of the most mature and beyond-his-years freshmen I can remember since I started scouting 3 years ago. He was out for a good part of this season due to a back injury that he never fully recovered from. When he did come back he was put into the point guard position for a team that had 7 seniors who played and was the freshman who ran the ship for them. If you went to a game you wouldn’t be able to pick Mirgon out as the freshman. He always finds the open man. He is a really good point guard but the ball does not stick with him at all. He gets the offense started. He always has his head up when he dribbles and is always in control of his dribble. I am excited to see him get healthier next season and this upcoming AAU season.
Johnson can be special. He shows flashes of it that make you just shake your head in disbelief. He is an explosively smooth athlete. He just quickly floats around the court and shakes defenders down. He has a tight handle on the ball and he has an extensive bag of moves to go to. He attacks angles and openings really aggressively and well. He is a scoring-first guard who can absolutely put the ball in the rim from all levels. His go-to is getting to the rim. He has great acrobatic finishing ability. He has great guard size already as a freshman. I am excited to see him put all of these outstanding tools together consistently.
Mack-Russell is a phenomenal athlete and is a slasher, not many variety players can check him one one-on-one. He is someone that you cannot let get a head of steam in transition because of his strides and ability to elevate and finish. He runs and moves like he has springs in his shoes. He uses his length really well when finishing around the rim. He is really good at finishing at full speed and exploding to the rim. He does a good job of rebounding the ball over everyone else on the floor. He is usually the most athletic player on the court. He has good skill and it will only improve. I think Mack-Russell could be an elite guard defender in the future too.
Highlights
Jeffery Reynolds
Jeffery Reynolds
Reynolds has the most potential of any freshman I have seen this year. His ceiling is incredibly high due to his athleticism and size. He is a true 6’6 who seems to have some room to get taller with freakishly long length. His arms are insanely long and so is he. He isn’t just long but he is a really good athlete. He moves so well. He is a coordinated and fluid forward. He does not know exactly how to use his length to the best of his ability but that will come with time. He can out-leap a lot of other big men and with his length, he can simply rebound and block the ball in areas that not many others in high school can. He will be a next-level player if he stays healthy. Bishop Harley got themselves someone special with Reynolds.