Rancho Solano Prep at Gilbert Christian Standouts

On Friday, February 14th I attended the match-up of #2 in the OPEN Gilbert Christian hosting the Scottsdale based school #10 ranked in the OPEN Rancho Solano Prep.   Gilbert Christian won it 76-63 but it was a high level game throughout 3 quarters at 60-59. GC made timely shots and played very good defense down the stretch.   Gilbert Christian will play San Tan tough in the Final-4 on 2/22 with all their shooters on the floor, it should be a very close game!   Rancho drops down to the 2A State playoffs and I believe will make a real run and I see them getting to the Final-4 vs #1 seed PCD and then you never know.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here were the standouts in the Elite-8 of the OPEN</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='1446106' first='Jace' last='Olson'] Gilbert Christian   A bigger guard is their top player and will rebound plus defend any of the opposing bigs with the lack of true size on the team. He is one of their top scorers nightly too. He scores it every way with high arcing deep threes off the catch or dribble, and-1's, straight line dunks in traffic and posting his defenders up. He started slowly but caught fire and scored 21 points to lead the way in the 2nd half.   [player_tooltip player_id='2775728' first='Owen' last='Fermoyle'] Gilbert Christian   A good sized scoring guard can score it multiple ways. He truly set the tone in the game from the start. He scores with dribble drives to the basket with a sneaky burst with either hand. He will hit the three off the catch and is a good passer who will drive and kick it to a teammate. He scored 19 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='2561108' first='Logan' last='Lucero'] Gilbert Christian   A good sized combo guard plays a cerebral brand of basketball. He will score with blow by layups with a nice first step and will get buckets in transition running the floor. He makes smart reads to his teammates and plays the game from the neck up. He scored 8 points.     [player_tooltip player_id='2775729' first='Tyler' last='Burr'] Gilbert Christian   An undersized shooting guard is the sniper of the team. He will rattle in threes off the catch one by one with a super quick release with incredible confidence. He is also a great hustle glue player doing some little things. He will collect a steal and lay it in on the other end. He scored 14 points.     [player_tooltip player_id='2773900' first='Colin' last='Burke'] Gilbert Christian   A newcomer for me is a talented freshmen with speed and natural quickness. He is a scoring defensive point guard who will lock up his opponents or make it uncomfortable for them with his quick hands and feet. He has a quick first step to get downhill and he is a capable perimeter shooter. He scored a crucial 9 points off the bench.     [player_tooltip player_id='1432044' first='Ethan' last='Stokes'] Rancho Solano Prep   Their talented wing forward had a good showing. He was essentially dominant for the first three quarters. He scored 21 points with inside buckets using his size and length, he takes long strides to the basket, he shoots the three and loves the mid-range pull-up. He is a good passer from the high post and he also had one poster-like dunk in traffic.   [player_tooltip player_id='2326931' first='Matt' last='Quinlan'] Rancho Solano Prep   A scoring combo guard with skill and some toughness. He handles the ball well enough to play on or off the ball. He scores it with mid-range pull-ups and off the dribble threes. He gives hard ball fakes and will create some separation to get his shot off. He scored 13 points.     [player_tooltip player_id='1768204' first='Luke' last='Larrabee'] Rancho Solano Prep   A combo guard, who is sprouting up, is one of the better shooters off the catch with a super quick release. He will fire away off the dribble from the three point line and he seems like he takes one second from the free throw line with zero wasted movement. There are not many better standstill shooters than Luke. He scored 14 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='1373522' first='Andrew' last='Willis'] Rancho Solano Prep   A scoring guard with some size who is always in shot ready mode. He will hit the corner three with a quicker release and he is smart to move without the ball. He can also earn a trip to the free throw line getting to the rim. He scored 4 points.     [player_tooltip player_id='2326932' first='Pearce' last='Ramos'] Rancho Solano Prep   A physical power forward is undersized but has toughness. He scores it around the basket efficiently with layups in traffic thru contact. He has a strong mental approach to the game and he can find a teammate for an assist. He scored 5 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='2533646' first='Ryder' last='Brainis'] Rancho Solano Prep   A scoring real point guard with a tighter handle. He can pull-up after a tight crossover and will rise up to shoot it or get fouled. He uses his speed and some shift to get past his initial defenders to the basket. He will also find teammates in stride. He scored 6 points.

On Friday, February 14th I attended the match-up of #2 in the OPEN Gilbert Christian hosting the Scottsdale based school #10 ranked in the OPEN Rancho Solano Prep.