Week 2 Top Wings/Forwards

In between the first tournament of the local HS season and with 3 other tournaments starting today, I wanted to reflect back on some standouts from regular season games this week. It's always important to show love to the seniors, so we will start with the Wing/Forward prospects that impressed us the most this week. Let's get it going!    8p 13r 3a 3b vs Mt. St. Joseph   -I've only seen Olofintila play a few times but I come away every time impressed by the energy and joy that he plays the game of basketball with every time he touches the floor. A 6'6 wing athlete that runs the floor, rebounds the basketball, and covers a ton of ground for Loyola defensively as a helper or on-ball wing stopper. He finished with a putback dunk in transition to start an 8-2 Loyola run midway through the 1Q, streaked down the floor for a rim run dunk in transition, and is outletting the ball much more quickly and efficiently after blocking a shot. With two years of HS basketball left to develop the handle and jumper, I like his upside as a prospect     7p 6r 2b 2a 1s vs Loyola   -Barrett's game is coming along nicely after a summer of development with TTO National that has him playing better in the open floor with the ball in his hands. He showed the full range of skills in a OT loss to Loyola- hitting a corner 3 early in the game, handling the rock as a secondary play-maker executing DHOs and kicking out to shooters when they fade away to reject his screen. The body has improved quite a bit as he has come back faster, more agile, and is leaping better for shot blocks and rebounds in the key. Hit a runner off glass to start the OT and flashed his upside as a wing that can guard forwards and stay with 2s+3s on the perimeter.     3b 2r 1s vs Spalding   -He doesn't impact the game very often as a scorer but was effective in his minutes off the bench as an energy big that blocks shots, runs the floor, and rebounds. Heflin isn't an extraordinary leaper with standout measurables but he rotates exceedingly well to the block from the wings to contest shots and never does too much on the offensive end of the floor to disrupt the game plan. Had several dumpoffs and kicks to teammates on the perimeter that weren't converted into points. I like that he's playing within the team concept but would like to see what he can do as a play-finisher around the basket.     9p 6r 2s 1b   -It's starting to come together for Rucker in a new role with a new team, flashing some inside-out potential as a scorer more and more each time that I see him. A capable playmaker thanks to an improved handle, Rucker collected several hockey assists in the halfcourt after snagging an offensive board-- spurning putbacks in traffic to find the right shot for his team. His activity defensively has improved as he had three stocks on the day, highlighted by a nice dig to force the turnover off his opponent's leg at a key juncture late in the 1H. The improved movement skills/athleticism shown through on a two handed dunk in transition and a weak side 2-handed shot block late in the 2H. Would like to see what the perimeter jumper looks like these days, but the shooting form on his FT attempts looked fluid     10p 2r vs Clinton Grace   -Think Briscoe has a chance to finish his HS career as a top 10 player in the class due to his versatility at both ends of the floor and his developmental arc over the last year. He's driving the lane much more confidently, is much more locked in defensively both on and off the ball, and is playing through contact at both ends of the floor. His best play of the day was blown dead on the floor but the high pickup in between two defenders into the reverse finish at the rim shows his improved ball skills. Want to see him add more to his bag of finishing moves and ways to get around defenders in the paint, relying too much on the spin move to create space right now. But there aren't many prospects in the class that I would take over him long term.       13p 8r vs OLMC   -Bogard's offensive game has come a long way in the last 18 months and he is hitting the ground running with Spalding as a W/F with a good amount of upside. Bogard hit a C+S 3 from the wing in the first few possessions of the game, cashed out a top of key 3, scored off an easy duck-in off the BLOB set, and scored off a face up at the elbow and extension lay off glass. He's timing his dives to the rim for rebounds much better and is understanding that he needs to keep the ball high in traffic whether he needs to score on a putback or kick out to the perimeter to get a fresh reset. Athletically he has improved as a leaper and horizontally as a help defender-- he'll need to be big in the paint for Spalding to challenge for MIAA and BCL championships. Early on, he is looking the part of a top 10 player in his class.

In between the first tournament of the local HS season and with 3 other tournaments starting today, I wanted to reflect back on some standouts from regular season games this week. It's always important to show love to the seniors, so we will start with the Wing/Forward prospects that impressed us the most this week. Let's get it going!