Bluff City Showdown: 5 quick observations

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Many eyes were on prospects at the Bluff City Showdown at the Shoot 360 Complex for the past two days.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are 5 quick observations from the event:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dazzling performance from Sanderson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1588175' first='Jonathan' last='Sanderson'] couldn't………..miss. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the first half Friday evening against P7 Elite 17U, Hoop City's Sanderson scored 26 points and made it look easy. Whether it was on the break, coming off a ball screen, or in iso situations, Sanderson was making shots, most notably 3s, from different areas on the court. The 6-foot-2 guard is a really good ball handler, and an underrated passer that tends to fly over people's heads because of how efficient he is as a scorer. Sanderson plays with a high motor and great pace. The rising senior communicates well with his teammates. Lastly, Sanderson is effective off the ball. He's one of the premier faces in the 2026 class. That's not up for debate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Smith is comfortable</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1760996' first='Fred' last='Smith'] Jr. is fine with having to shoulder the load on a nightly basis. He did so this past season for Briarcrest, which finished as the TSSAA Division II-AA Boys' State Tournament runner-up, and he's doing it again for P7 Elite 17U. Smith was finding his teammates open for shots and attacking the basket. He's a smart basketball player that's going to make the right basketball play. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>It's going to take time</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='2078772' first='Team' last='Thad']'s 16U point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2283268' first='Greg' last='Spight'] is gradually working himself back to live game action after missing the final 13 games of the 2024 season - due to a foot injury - for a Briarcrest program that finished as last season's TSSAA Division II-AA Boys' State Tournament runner-up. In [program_tooltip program_id='2078772' first='Team' last='Thad']'s win over the Memphis Blazers, Spight missed two wide open 3s. Both were good shots. Spight, who averaged 14.4 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 41.1 percent from 3 for the Saints, is allowed to take those shots because he's capable of making them. He made those same step-in rhythm shots during the season. Spight is currently playing limited minutes, gearing up for the Nike EYBL first session in Mesa, Arizona at the end of this month. He should be back in rare form heading into the second session in Memphis, Tennessee next month.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Great time for reps</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Spight is working his way back, 2027 guard <strong>Chase Givens</strong> is playing starter minutes for [program_tooltip program_id='2078772' first='Team' last='Thad']. That's huge for Givens since he missed half of the 2024 season after transferring from Memphis University School to Houston. Reps will be important for Givens. He will benefit from having opportunities to run the offense and make decisions. Givens plays poised. He can make shots. Givens is a solid piece [program_tooltip program_id='2078772' first='Team' last='Thad'] can use on the roster this spring and summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Expectations for Jones</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='2078772' first='Team' last='Thad']'s [player_tooltip player_id='2291122' first='Dylan' last='Jones'] will need to shoot the ball well and play good defense. He was a knockdown shooter for Bartlett during the 2024 season. Jones was active on both ends of the floor over the weekend. He needs to continue his consistent play for the rest of spring and all of summer to create separation between himself and the other wings in the 2027 class. If Jones takes the next step as a ball handler, the 6-foot-5 wing will be in prime position to be the best shooting guard in the class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->