CHSL: Friday's Dynamic Guards

23p 3r 1a 1s vs Landon   -Loved the shift and burst throughout the game from Braxton, slicing through the lane to get to his spots in the halfcourt without needing a ball screen. Braxton had the jumper working but didn't settle for perimeter shots. Loved seeing the maturation process to take better driving angles to the rim to beat his matchup to the spot while drawing fouls to break into his opponent's depth. If he can utilize those paint touches to create for teammates on the perimeter or to dump off to his bigs for an easy deuce-- he will only become that much more valuable for a really scrapping NHA squad.     20p 2r 2a 1s vs SSSA   -Taylor finished with an efficient 20 points versus different defender types that the Saints threw at him. As always, Taylor didn't have a hard time bullying his way to the rim and he has really grown to understand how to use a soft touch to finish around the basket while exploding to the basket in quick bursts. The midrange jumper was working to perfection as Taylor seemingly hit every stop n pop jumper that he took in the paint once the defense began to sag to respect his driving ability. Love seeing the defensive growth from Taylor to effectively trace the ball and cut down on how often he gambles for a steal when guarding the ball.     24p 6r 4a 3s in 28 mins vs Pallotti   -Probably one of the tougher shot-making performances that I've seen from the rising senior as he hit runners in the paint, movement threes, floaters going across the key, and reverse pivot faders in the paint when the defense over-pursued him to the rim. Burgdolf's feel as a passer within the halfcourt is a deadly combination with the muscle memory when moving from dribbling to executing a quick one-handed dart with either hand to an open teammate. Defensively, Burgdolf continues to leverage his size to get underneath ballhandlers to force dribble pick-ups or turnovers to disrupt offensive flow.     10p 8r vs Bullis   -Smothers was everywhere in extended run to give the Stags a jolt late in a big win over Bullis despite missing several key pieces. Smothers hit the glass to stick two putbacks in traffic to keep the lead for his team late, knocked down two big 3s late in the game, and provided great help defense throughout the contest. Loved the motor and feel off the ball to beat opponents to loose balls to extend possessions for his team in a game where every possession really mattered.     14p 9r 8a 5s vs Potomac   -Was surprised to see him impact the game as a rebounder so heavily in this one but Iscandari is developing a knack for sneaking in from the weakside to secure a defensive rebound in order to initiate the break for his team. Came away impressed with the live dribble passing with either hand as Iscandari used his paint touches to rocket passes across the key to open shooters to finish with a near triple double. Iscandari enters his senior year looking to make noise as one of the most consistent and potent scorers in the area.     16p 5r 4a 2s 60% FG   -Dankyi continues to impress as a physical spark plug for Pallotti in the backcourt. Dankyi uses a strong frame to bully opponents on his way to the rim, grab rebounds in traffic amongst the trees in the paint, and guard a variety of positions for the Panthers. Finished with 16p on 60% shooting because of improved shot selection, turning down good shots on the perimeter to find great ones for himself or teammates in the paint by attacking closeouts with more regularity. His ability to guard at 1-3 and switch onto forwards makes him a valuable asset for Coach Douglas as he heads into his senior year looking to make a big splash in the MIAA.