Stellar-6 Fall League Semi-Final Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wednesday night&nbsp;<em>George Courtney&nbsp;</em>ran the&nbsp;<strong>Stellar-6 Fall League</strong>&nbsp;featuring some smaller schools to battle it out at Learning Foundation Performing Arts HS in Gilbert.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">I checked out the semi-finals of the event and here were some of the standouts on the night.</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2533653' first='Bennett' last='Christensen'] Benjamin Franklin (Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A scoring point guard is a natural. He is quick to get downhill to score with blow bys into floaters or runners. His ability to change speeds makes his game go. He often gets to his spots and will stop and pop and score on pull-ups in the lane. He also has an advanced feel for the game and made some next level reads cutting thru the defense for dimes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2620730' first='Drew' last='Taylor'] Benjamin Franklin</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A newcomer for me is a skilled shooting guard who plays with a motor. He will score on catch and shoot threes and pull-ups. He made one tough leaner in the lane and competes on defense and gets on the glass. The senior guard plays with a big IQ and affects the outcome of the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2620718' first='Dovantae' last='Powell'] Casa Grande</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A true combo guard can make plays plus score it fairly easily. He has a quick spin move to get downhill using his left or right hand. He has the&nbsp; floater game, he scores on put backs but he is a natural shooter. He will catch and shoot from the three point line with a quick release and rattle them off one by one with huge confidence. He is also a good passer to thread it into a teammate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2620723' first='Gavin' last='Lewis'] Casa Grande</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A junior combo guard is a catch and shoot three point sniper. He has a good feel to make plays and is quick with the ball in his hands. He will hesitate and blow by his defender with either hand and kiss it off the glass. He will often drive and kick it to a shooter.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2620727' first='Landry' last='Carlos'] Casa Grande&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An incoming freshman is already getting some quality playing time. He is good in transition to score and rebounds well for his size. He has an advanced feel to make plays and can slither a ball into the paint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2620728' first='Ladamian' last='Jackson'] Desert Sunrise</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A junior point guard plays with a motor and aggression. He is a natural downhill threat with good quicks, a tight and shifty handle and speed. He can also shoot it with catch threes and off the dribble. He will even side step and hit a tough perimeter shot. He is a good on ball defender and will score on offensive rebound put backs and is a great overall rebounder for his size using his athleticism.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2620729' first='Damien' last='Jackson'] Desert Sunrise</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A senior point guard is the older brother. He is very quick to get downhill as he is a twitchy athlete. He defends on the ball and can score. He has a nice mid-range pull-up and will euro to the basket with athletic finishes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2620724' first='Jaxen' last='Young'] Desert Sunrise</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another freshman who is already earning playing time on varsity. He is arguably their best shooter. He loves it best off the catch from the three point line. He has a high feel and is a smart passer but this one is a catch and shoot sniper.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2620731' first='CJ' last='Moore'] Westwood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An undersized thicker forward who can score getting to the basket. He is a smart player who will drive and kick it to a teammate. He gets downhill with his burly frame and is a strong rebounder in his area.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->