Five Bicentennial Conference Juniors to Watch Pt. 3
It’s November, and that means for many high schools across the country, their 2020/21 basketball seasons will commence. In Pennsylvania, there is always an added sense of excitement in the Philadelphia area, one of the nation’s hotbeds for the best…
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Continue ReadingIt’s November, and that means for many high schools across the country, their 2020/21 basketball seasons will commence.
In Pennsylvania, there is always an added sense of excitement in the Philadelphia area, one of the nation’s hotbeds for the best high school talent.
That excitement has carried into the outskirts of the region, as in this final part of a three-part series, Prep Hoops takes a look at the Bicentennial Conference, finishing up in the Presidents Division giving you five juniors to watch this season.
Jayden Steenbakkers, F/C Calvary Christian Academy: After splitting time between junior varsity and varsity in his freshman year, Steenbakkers was a mainstar on varsity last year and that trend will continue in 2020/21. He shows a lot of promise as a shot blocker and someone who can be relied upon down low to score in bulk, but we will hopefully see him this season as more of a stretch five. The traditional center role is being phased out naturally, and he possessed the talent to be more than just the man in the middle. Watch out for that development this season.
Roman Kuhn, PG/SG Dock Mennonite: The southpaw showed much promise in his sophomore year, something which he will look to improve upon this season. Kuhn, featured as a combo guard, possesses the best traits from each of the two positions. On offense, he’s a trusted shooter and moves well off-ball, getting open for clean looks. He’s able to slow down the game with the ball in his hands, and when he gets on defense, he often gets that possession back as someone who’s a pesky defender and has great vision to pick off passes.
William Anozie, PG/SG Valley Forge Military Academy: There is a lot to like about this combo guard, starting out with his tenacity in-game. Watching game tape of Anozie, he looks like he’s everywhere and anywhere on the floor. He’s a calm and confident leader, a floor general with a knack for scoring. He lets it fly from three often, a comfortable shooter who isn’t phased by a defender in his face. Transitioning to his defense, he’s great off and on-ball, both as someone who can cause a turnover virtually at any point in a game, but can rattle the other team at the same time.
Malachi Davey, SF Calvary Christian Academy: Davey hasn’t been featured much on varsity yet for Calvary Christian, but after impressing at JV as a sophomore, he will find his place this season. He compliments well as a sixth man off the bench, a spark plug of a combination of bulk scoring and pesky defending that will allow him to see significant time on the court. If there’s a time for Davey to break out, it’s this season.
Izaiah Johnson, PG Valley Forge Military Academy: Johnson should pop up on a lot of radars this season as his stock is very much trending upward. He shows an ability to score at will, whether that be finding a way into the paint, pulling up for a midrange, or unleashing a barrage of threes. His athleticism allows him to get open so often, and if he isn’t open, he’s making an acrobatic play to dish it off to a teammate. That ability is highlighted on defense, where his long frame makes it difficult for most anyone to score or even get off a good look.
There are plenty more player profiles and previews to come as we wait and anticipate the start of this high school basketball season.