PAC 17s in the Live Period: Player Evaluations

Pac was 3-2 last weekend in Virginia, they are 1-2 in Texas this weekend with a game to go. This morning we stepped into the film room to have a look at the PAC 17s seniors to see what the players can do (as we looked at a recent game from the live period).    The game is against SA Future and the first touch from Walsh was a dribble separation freeze that Walsh then attacked after the defender got their knees locked up. And the next time down with the defender already on his heels, Brendan used another dribble separation to hit a pull-up. The D1 offered guard had his defender on his their heels in a panic less than five possessions into the game. It was only five minutes into the game and SA was sending a double at Walsh at times. The defense was so tight on Walsh that his third score was a made three, and he was fouled on the release because of a tight close-out.   As the first half went and we saw Walsh score on seven different possessions, the term "surveying" kept popping into my head when Brendan had the ball. It was amazing how quickly he would see the defense and quickly attack the right angle, and then use his crafty skill to find the final space for an attempt. Walsh had 17 points in the first half.   The basket that will likely stand out to me the most was a bigger SA player picking Walsh up full. The player had length and stayed with Walsh for a bit, but it was as if Brendan liked the challenge and wanted the challenge to seem foolish, so he crossed the wing over, stepped back, and nailed a three. Then jogged back calmly as he approached 30 points for the game.   One of the biggest shots of the game was likely the second chance three that put PAC up 73-69 down the stretch. Future got a stop, didn't get the ball, and after some movement Walsh hit a crucial stretch triple. The biggest make was about a minute later when Walsh used a ball screen to hit his 4th three of the contest to up 76-73.   Walsh had 37 points on 13 of 20 shooting including four threes. Walsh also sunk 7 of 8 foul shots and grabbed six boards.     Jalen came off the bench as a ball handler and I thought the timing of his first pass, and the ball movement of the halfcourt offense was really good with him making the first reads. When Jalen and Walsh were together, Batiste handled allowing Walsh to get open off ball, and Jalen put Walsh in position to have space on a make.   Defensively what really caught my eye was the work that Jalen did off the ball blocking his man from making easy cuts and easy runs to the ball. He was an alert defender at all times that made things tougher on his man off the ball which made the timing of things for the opponent tougher once they got to the ball. His hands are up to deflect and Batiste's deep stance and alert reactions put him on the ball quickly when closing out.   So alert on D all the time, the chances he took led to turnovers from the backside and led to a lay-up for him, and a lay-up for another. Based on this game, he is a guy I am guessing his coaches let take chances on defense.   Finished the game with four points on three shots, three boards, three assists, a couple steals and was a late game defensive specialist.     I don't know that I have seen a player glide around laterally as smoothly and as quickly as Liam does on defense. The ground he can cover defensively is impressive and the player that Liam is guarding has to feel like they have an unshakeable pest when ever Liam wants to be an unthinkable pest. Tough to screen high too as bigs have to step higher and time their screen quicker.   Another ball handler for PAC that gets the ball up the floor and times a pass the way the halfcourt offense needs him too.     The tall PAC wing scoring option opened the game hitting a wing three and then moved off the ball for a cutting score at the rim as the ball went middle and Tommy dove cut low. With Tommy playing the four the Future often had to guard him with their second big or a smaller wing and either type of player meant Tommy could catch and get a look to the rim (big too slow to close out, small wing was too small to contest well). Later in the second half Chapman made a big corner three to stop opposing momentum.   Scored 13 on 3 of 6 shooting including two threes. Made clutch foul shots late (5 of 7 made total).     The first deep post touch came later in the first half on a switch and the PAC offense quickly got the ball to Parker deep. Parker offered the target, caught, turned middle but recognized the small on him had help middle so Parker stepped through to the opposite side to score with his right over the smaller defender. Very good recognition after making the first move.   Defensively Parker does a good job walling up with hands high on froncourt players or attacking players that get stuck deep. Stopped a handful of second half attempts while walling up and when he gets to a college weight program and has more core strength players will really have a hard time dealing with him walling up.     Riley knocked out threes from the wing a few times in the first half. He alertly got to the corner for a passing angle, caught, and knocked down the attempts. The Future called for a 2-3 zone and PAC slowed a step, balanced the floor, moved the ball with three passes and found Riley in the corner for a third triple make of the first half. He was a zone buster that made the opponent pay for sitting in a zone.   Defensively Avant is very quick laterally and sits deep in the stance. A player with quality defensive potential it appears. Riley is also a guy that appears to be dependable. He got back to his defensive spots, stepped to the ball, and remained consistent. His decisions to shoot and to move the ball on offense also seemed dependable.   One of the key winning plays made in this game was a drop down, help side steal that Avant recognized and made the effort to get to. PAC quickly went the other way to score.   Riley had 11 points on four of seven shooting with three threes plus three boards and three assists.     It doesn't take long for the term "potential to float" into your head when you see DJ move. The explosive baseline dunk attempt was an eye opener, and he scored with a corner three and an active bucket at the rim for his first scores. Good size, strength, and agility for a wing, I think he will be a consistent college asset when he is consistently taking the right attempt in the halfcourt set. From this game you can clearly see the potential is there and it will be fun to keep seeing how that potential is developed and is utilized.   Finished the game with eight points and three boards on three of eight shooting.     Thomas is a tough four man that in this game played a lot of five using his strength in the post. Thomas might have one of the stiffest and most effective box out hits I have seen as he makes contact and freezes the guy so he can then go grab a board (or a teammate can).   Good ball screener as a 6'5 big, moves well off the screen to get to a touch and finish. Plays his role very well for this team as they go to him as an undersized five at times and he does it well. Had four points and seven boards for the game.

Pac was 3-2 last weekend in Virginia, they are 1-2 in Texas this weekend with a game to go. This morning we stepped into the film room to have a look at the PAC 17s seniors to see what the players can do (as we looked at a recent game from the live period).