Hoopbuzz Invite: 2025 Standouts Pt1

20p 9r 1a 1b vs Douglass   -Bowles played like a T25 prospect in the area, impacting the game on both ends of the floor with an aggressive performance in the win over Douglass. Bowles finished 1 board shy of a triple double, actively hammering the offensive glass to extend possessions for his team. Bowles ran the floor well in transition but also played well in the halfcourt, timing his duck-ins in front of the rim or on the low block to catch a quick post feed before getting into his move. Loved the reverse pivot after a defender cut off his path to the rim on an initial spin, with Bowles pivoting back to score with a soft baby hook with the right. His best sequence of the game came with a chasedown block of glass followed by an outlet, sprint, and 2-handed alley finish at the other end. With his athleticism and good size for a W/F tweener, I expect some of these college coaches begin to pull the trigger late to land an athletic prospect with some upside.      24p 4r 4s 2a vs PGCA   -Was the lifeblood for Hayfield in this one, fearlessly scoring from all 3 levels to cut the PGCA lead to as close as 2 with an extension lay right before the 3Q buzzer. McFarlane excelled on the ball or on the wing in transition, changing ends quickly to score easy run-outs before the defense could get set. Loved the timing and sharp angles of his UCLA cuts off of BLOB plays for easy bunnies at the rim but he proved that he can score it off the bounce on either side of the floor. Played hard until the final whistle and almost willed his team to a victory in this one      24p 4r 4s 2a vs Hayfield   -Probably my favorite find of the event, the strong lefty scorer had an efficient performance in the win over Hayfield. Kent did a great job of reading the help defense whether he was coming off screens with the ball in his hands or as a cutter. The senior CG's footwork snaking around ball screens and into midrange pull-ups stood out as he executed the offense well in the halfcourt. Kent hit a 3 off a nice lift from the corner to the wing off the pindown to get right into his shot, using the scoring gravity from his shooting performance in the 1H to get to the rim more often in the 2H. Definitely an intriguing prospect to track in the 2025 class, love the way he uses a strong frame to move defenders off their spot and keep pesky POA defenders from poking out the ball.     8p 2a 2s 1r 1 vs Ryken   -Pure PG that controlled pace for a really underrated Wise team that can compete with a lot of the top teams in the area. Frost came up with a big steal and transition lay at the other end, blitzed by his matchup then dropped it off to the big for an easy dunk and drew a huge charge late in the 4Q to give an opponent his 4th and preserve the Wise lead. Wise doesn't dominate the ball, doing a good job of scanning the floor before the catch to find the right passing option quickly in the halfcourt.     17p 6a 2r 1s vs Flowers   -Liked the feel both on and off the ball for McKnight in this one, probing the defense as a creator at times but finding opportunities to move to space off the floor to hit perimeter C+S looks. McKnight did a great job of getting into gaps without over-dribbling, finding teammates with a flurry of different passes to create open looks. Almost had a highlight reel play with the smooth hesi crossover to get downhill but missed the layup, but McKnight made it up on the other end with a steal and assist to his teammate on the next offensive possession.     12p 3r 50% FG vs Wise   -Liked the fight from Harper in this one as a guard that can play both on and off the ball. Harper started it off with a give n go lay on a beautiful face cut for the backdoor finish. Harper moved the ball well throughout the day despite his team struggling to knock down shots behind the arc, playing unselfishly throughout the game to try to spark a run for the Knights. Had a big wing 3 late in the 4Q to cut it to 7.