Down to the Wire: Hoover Punch Ticket in 62-59 Thriller

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">It had everything you want in an Elite 8 showdown from physicality, shot-making, momentum swings, and a packed gym holding its breath until the final horn. Hoover and Sparkman went toe-to-toe in a flat-out dogfight. Possession after possession. Punch for punch. And when it was all said and done, Hoover made just enough winning plays down the stretch to escape with a 62-59 victory and punch their ticket to Birmingham. Here's who defined the battle…</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2224458' first='Jackson' last='Sheffield']</strong> (6'9/C/'26/Hoover)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: jackson_sheffield32</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @jsheffield2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Jackson had a dominant 20pt performance, shooting 8-11 from the field and blocking 3 shots and altering many more. His ability to play through double and triple teams and find open teammates showed his maturation. In the end, his size was too much for Sparkman to combat. When Hoover was able to get him the ball in the paint, he was either scoring or getting to the line, and for most of the game, it was a bucket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Michael Glass</strong> (6'1/CG/'26/Hoover)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Outside of [player_tooltip player_id='2194652' first='Khalil' last='Luster'] for Red Bay, I am not sure if there is anyone in the state besides these two guys who is having a better stock-rising season. Michael continues to be a trustworthy lead guard who can play on and off the ball and impact the game with his scoring ability and playmaking instincts. His stat line says a lot, but just sitting here and watching his poise and leadership was impressive to me. He finished with the following stat line: 20pts (4-5, 1-2 3-ptr, 11-12 FT, 3rebs, 2assist, 3TO)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='3070696' first='Messiah' last='Millin']</strong> (6'0/PG/'26/Hoover)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: messiahmillin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @messiahmillin3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Messiah is a senior lead guard who has had to sit behind the talented backcourt that the Bucs have had in the past few years, and now it is his time to lead the Bucs. He has done a good job this season and was a steady yet emotional presence in the Elite 8 game. He plays with so much energy and effort, and he made key plays throughout the game, whether it was right reads, right passes, securing a loose ball, to securing a rebound. His play was greatly needed in the backcourt for the Bucs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Landon Howard</strong> (6'2/SG/'28/Sparkman)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Landon had the ultimate green light, and despite not having his best shooting night, he did a good job making plays when the shots were not falling. He put tremendous pressure on the defense and was tough to keep out of the paint, where he made good decisions with the ball and got it to teammates where they had good looks. He is a young, talented guard with a lot of potential and is one of the reasons Sparkman will be competing for a spot in Birmingham over the next couple of years. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Demarious Williams</strong> (6'3/CG/'28/Sparkman)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Demarious is a young and talented backcourt talent who had a really nice outing in the Elite 8. He led Sparkman with 17pts (7-14, 3-8 3-ptr), and aggressively attacked Hoover's smaller guards. There is a lot to like about his game as he is a swingman who can attack inside and out. He is skilled at getting his shot off in tight windows, can make shots from different angles, and is one of the best mid-range players I have seen in this regional. He should hands down be a stock riser in his last two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->