The Expo: Team 8 Steals the Show

Juniors and seniors across the state came ready to prove themselves, and Team 8 brought plenty of standout performances. The Expo gave players a platform to show growth, test themselves against strong competition, and make their mark. Some used the stage to boost their stock, while others earned recognition with breakout showings. The energy was high, and Team 8 delivered plenty of names to track moving forward as they were the highest scoring team on the day, putting up over 90 points in each game.    Dicks showed flashes as a creator early on in the day, dropping off passes and getting teammates involved in 3-on-3. He was the primary ball handler for the team and took the first half of the day to set the offense for others. In 5-on-5, he looked more alive and took control as he was pushing pace, finishing in transition, and knocking down shots as well. Jarius is a guard that defenders have a difficult time staying in front of. He has speed, gets downhill, and can finish. He capped the day by taking over in the last game as he finished in double digits and remained aggressive. I expect Jarius to have a solid senior season, and this was good to get on our radars.     Tajuna was a player who stood out with his competitiveness and versatility. In 5-on-5, he defended both bigger players and quicker guards, showing effort and resilience. Offensively, he attacked with aggression, looking to spark the offense and generate scoring chances. Teammates around him had it going on, and he pushed the pace with them, cut for timely baskets, and also pressured on defense to help turn players over. He had a great motor, stayed aggressive and his motor and defensive versatility gave his team value.     Brown dominated the 3-on-3 portion of the day before leaving, and if he was able to stay and play with this group, it would've been an offensive onslaught. In 3-on-3, we enjoyed how he relentlessly attacked downhill with blow-bys and crafty finishes at the basket. He also had an iso game where he scored in multiple ways. There were layups, mid-range pullups, and also a couple of 3-pointers as well. While we didn't get to see him in 5-on-5, his performance in limited action spoke volumes. He played like a natural scorer capable of carrying an offense when given the chance, and we think he takes advantage of his new opportunity this upcoming year. We're high on Reece heading into Senior year.     Cowans have a day. If this is the type of player that we are getting this year, then there's a dark-horse candidate for conference POY. What he did at the showcase has us very excited to see what kind of season he will have. Truly want to know if that was just a hot day or the norm. He looked explosive off the dribble, using a change of pace to get wherever he wanted on the floor. He hit plenty of shots from deep, at a VERY efficient clip and gave fits to whoever was in front of him. This was a MVP-like performance on the day as he put up 30+ in both games on the day and was the surprise standout on the entire Expo.

Juniors and seniors across the state came ready to prove themselves, and Team 8 brought plenty of standout performances. The Expo gave players a platform to show growth, test themselves against strong competition, and make their mark. Some used the stage to boost their stock, while others earned recognition with breakout showings. The energy was high, and Team 8 delivered plenty of names to track moving forward as they were the highest scoring team on the day, putting up over 90 points in each game.