Crash the Boards: Prospect Updates

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Rowbury.png?1594656620127"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1015364 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Rowbury-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>Crash The Boards in Nampa, Idaho at Mettle Sports Complex July 10-11</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was a successful return to five-on-five basketball and the players were happy to be back on the court. Overall, the team play and individual performances were a bit rusty as many teams were using players and coaches who were not used to each other and few team practices had been planned prior to the event. The most unusual twist was seeing the few spectators to be allowed in all wearing masks.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Top performers from two AAU clubs, the Auburn Crew (Auburn, WA)  and the J-Dub Club (Tri-cities, WA):</span></p> <p><b>2021 6’7 Wing [player_tooltip player_id="843732" first="Messiah" last="Jones"] (Kamiakin)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a serious football prospect who may be interested in college basketball as well. My first look at Jones made it obvious that he has the size to dominate a high school game even on the club circuit. This thick, big-bodied bruiser showed tremendous confidence on the court. He knocked down a pair of three-pointers and looked way more comfortable from deep than expected. Watching him in warm-ups, I assumed he would use superior mass against Auburn to demand the ball down low. Jones showed more interest in the offense than defense and leaked out in transition more frequently than he battled for defensive rebounds. To play four-year college basketball at the wing position he must improve his motor, intensity and defensive footwork. He has the frame, court-awareness, and confidence to be a top high school player but in order to play both inside and outside at the next level, he must learn not to take plays off.</span></p> <p><b>2022 6-5 Wing [player_tooltip player_id="674428" first="Tre" last="Blassingame"] (Auburn)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Blassingame routinely got to the paint and showed a consistent outside stroke as he finished with 23 points in the win. I have watched Blassingame multiple times including two weeks ago at the Boss of Ball and each game he adds something new. Blassingame has added a one-foot half floater, stepback to his mid-range finishing package. He continues to be a matchup problem and successfully bullies smaller defenders inside and confidently hits from deep when bigger defenders back away. Blassingame’s effort is never in question and he pursues rebounds way out of his area. After securing an offer from D-1 Washington State University (WSU), Blassingame clearly was not satisfied and played to win each play.</span></p> <p><b>2021 6’5 Wing [player_tooltip player_id="711279" first="Kobe" last="Young"] (Chiawana)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is another basketball player with more football recruiting interest than basketball but does hold a D-1 offer for basketball from Idaho State. Young passes the eye-test: he has the ability to shoot jump-shots from deep while guarded and showed great straight-on speed while transitioning to offense.  However, he is not quite as fast with the ball in his hands and against the Auburn Crew he continually found driving lanes closed down and he didn’t leave himself many good options. This was the first game of the event and the basketball rust was obvious. Had Young had more recent games and practices, I am sure I’d have seen improved decision-making, and more deep threes dropping in. </span></p> <p><b>2021 6’2 Combo Guard Grant McClure (Liberty Christian)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> A disciplined and savvy competitor, McClure played a conservative game, protected the ball, and took open shots. Against Auburn, he was unable to create space for himself very frequently and did not often penetrate deep enough to attract double teams. However, he did not have the ball in his hands very often so my sample size of what he can do is pretty small. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some of McClure’s inability to get in the lane was due to the fact he was being guarded by </span><b>2022- 6’2 Point Guard [player_tooltip player_id="674438" first="Maleek" last="Arington"] (Auburn)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> who is on everybody’s radar after picking up an offer himself from WSU. Arrington is a leader who again made sure his team got a great shot every possession and defensively he disrupted everything his opponents tried. Arington is truly a great teammate who appears stronger than he was last spring. He has improved his balance and lower body strength. He has always played both ends of the floor very physically and with his newly acquired strength and balance, he is able to stay in plays longer as he is not being knocked to the ground.</span></p> <p><b>2022 5’10 Point Guard [player_tooltip player_id="931155" first="Kaden" last="Hansen"] (Auburn)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Hansen played starter’s minutes and may have had his most productive game I have watched. He is a feisty competitor who seems to have a habit of taking players out of their game. He was more than a pesky defender and a reliable shooter against J-Dub Club. He managed to run down nine rebounds and handed out eight assists in the win. His 12 points were a combination of deep threes and crafty finishes after using an effective pump fake. With two years of high school ball ahead of him, I am certain he will put together enough moments to prove doubters wrong. His lack of size has actually worked to his advantage as teams have gone away from their regular offense and just tried to just post him up. He always battles for position, often knocks away entry passes, and has lately been drawing charges from larger opponents intent on scoring inside. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Best Big Man Prospect:</span></p> <p><b>2021 6’11” Post [player_tooltip player_id="554729" first="Brody" last="Rowbury"]</b> <b>(Meridan, Idaho)</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> After watching Rowbury at the Boss of Ball Showcase, I was anxious to see him again. I was able to watch Rowbury play in part of two games and I now understand his skill set and mentality much better. He is a serious threat as a three-point shooter which certainly is a surprising choice for a player of such dominating size. He has good hands, great vision, and he is a willing passer who plays within the concept of his team. As a stretch 4 or 5, he requires his three-point shot to be contested which does not allow defenders to sag and clog the lane. As a low post player, he passes better than he scores. He expects and demands a double team and anticipates his teammates’ cuts accurately. He will improve his effectiveness inside when he uses his body to fight for and maintain position. He tends to play upright and uses his hands and arms to try and carve out space. I have not seen him often enough to say he never seals and drop-steps on the catch, but the 10-12 low post catches I have witnessed resulted in drop-offs and kick-outs. The offense can run through him and he does a good job of finding open shots for his teammates.</span></p> <p>Other Players of Interest:</p> <p><b>Class of 2022 Due for Break-Out </b></p> <p><b>5’11 Combo Guard Nate Harding Central Washington Select (Chelan HS)</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shifty, a willing passer, three-point shooter and team-first attitude</span></p> <p><b>Class of 2023 Player to Watch </b></p> <p><b>6’2 Wing Ryan Mpouli Seattle Stars (Auburn HS)</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bouncy, aggressive, competitor, scorer’s mentality</span></p> <p><b>Class of 2024 New to the Radar </b></p> <p><b>5’11 Combo Guard Isaac Wilson Central Washington Select (Chelan HS)</b></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Great all-around fundamentals and high basketball IQ</span></p>