Road to Birmingham Sweet 16 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">The Sweet 16 tipped off and the intensity jumped immediately. The margin is thinner, pressure is heavier, lights are brighter, and already, several players have stepped into the spotlight and delivered performances that could define a postseason run. Here is a look at the names that made noise as the chase for Birmingham continued…</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2889710' first='Devin' last='Melton']</strong> (6'9/PF/'29/Brantley)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: nxtupd5vin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @D1_D5vin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Devin led his squad to a Sweet 16 win over Florala as he had a 17pt performance. He has really good size and length, and a budding skill set that makes him a young threat on one of the biggest stages of the year. The lights did not bother him as he was aggressive and showed his ability to score from all levels. One thing that could be a concern as his squad continues their push to Birmingham is the 6 turnovers on the stat sheet next to his name.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Zh'Lhan Quarles</strong> (5'9/CG/'27/JF Shield)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Zh'Lhan had an impressive performance in a losing effort in Sweet 16 action. He gave a gusty performance, going for 25pts and getting it done from all levels. Despite being a small guard, he plays with poise and toughness and has a really good feel for the game. He has another year under his belt and is sure to have JF Shields making a playoff push. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Jayden Thomason</strong> (6'5/PF|C/'27/Lafayette)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: whatswrongwith.jayden</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Jayden is an interior presence who had an efficient night and provided a solid scoring outing, helping his squad to advance to the Elite 8 and a chance to punch their ticket to Birmingham. His length is a factor, and he does a really good job finishing in traffic and around the rim. His play on the inside is going to be vitally needed for Lafayette to make it to Birmingham. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2194652' first='Khalil' last='Luster']</strong> (6'8/F|C/'28/Red Bay HS)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">IG: khalil_oneal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @KhalilLuster</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Khalil is one of the brightest young prospects in the state and has been playing at a high level throughout the season. He is a huge reason why Red Bay is a favorite to make it to Birmingham, and his dominant play, evident in his 26pts and 17rebs double-double, gives credence to why many feel Red Bay will punch their ticket. He used his size well and was a mismatch problem that Tanner had no answer for in size matchups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1961231' first='Pearce' last='Boone'] </strong>(6'5/G|F/'26/Providence Christian)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">X: @pearceboone12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Pearce is a reason why many have Providence Christian making it back to Birmingham. He is one of the most potent scorers in the playoffs regardless of class. He scores from all levels and is really good at shot creation and shot-making. His 31-point performance was impressive, and if it is an indication of what to expect the rest of the way, it is safe to say Providence has a good chance to hoist the blue map.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Jermaine Essex</strong> (Francis Marion)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Jermaine, as he has done throughout the year, had an impressive outing, leading his team to a Sweet 16 win over Keith. He finished with a double-double, pouring in 17pts and grabbing 11rebs. He has a versatile scoring option and is really good at creating quality looks and capitalizing on them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->