The Greatest Underclassmen in AAA Quarterfinals

<p>Check out the underclassmen that made a tremendous impact in the Class AAA Quarterfinal games.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img class="alignleft" src="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/d/1/4/6/11971185311926706097Gioppino_Basketball.svg.thumb.png" alt="Gioppino Basketball clip art" width="17" height="17" /><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: ’’comic sans ms’’, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="1019303" first="Jasen" last="Brooks"] (Cleveland 2023) </span></span></p> <p style="padding-left: 90px;">Jasen was not flawless Thursday.  He played flat-footed defensively much of the early evening.  Brooks power usually enjoys the benefit of plus lateral movement, placing him in front of dribblers.  Collierville’s guards broke by Brooks more than usual.  He did find big ways to contribute from the field.  Brooks hit some open shots.  His free throws showed off his shooting touch, a skill many extremely muscular young players like him do not have.  His ceiling remains high.  The court awareness defensively was beneath his own standard. "Our defense was poor," said Cleveland Head Coach Reggie Tucker.  Brooks was not the only player to suffer lapses, but he has historically done better.  Expect him to in the future.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img class="alignleft" src="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/d/1/4/6/11971185311926706097Gioppino_Basketball.svg.thumb.png" alt="Gioppino Basketball clip art" width="17" height="17" /><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: ’’comic sans ms’’, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Alex Vandenbergh (Collierville 2023)</span></span></p> <p style="padding-left: 90px;">Alex does not have a big scoring role with Collierville.  His major contributions are defensive and on the glass.  Vandenbergh got caught out when a Dragon switch resulted in him outside the lane.  His future might include some perimeter defense, but that is certainly not his strength now.  It must be said that Vandenbergh is an efficient player with CHS.  He scores often on the touches that he does get. </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img class="alignleft" src="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/d/1/4/6/11971185311926706097Gioppino_Basketball.svg.thumb.png" alt="Gioppino Basketball clip art" width="17" height="17" /><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: ’’comic sans ms’’, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="1034399" first="Judah" last="Sault"] (Cleveland 2023)</span></span></p> <p style="padding-left: 90px;">Sault emerged as a critical starter after [player_tooltip player_id="1019304" first="Rodney" last="Broadnax"] sustained an injury earlier in the season.  Sault is needed as a wing or forward defender.  The team doesn’t get much scoring from him as [player_tooltip player_id="775580" first="Kley" last="McGowan"], Brooks, and [player_tooltip player_id="537247" first="Grant" last="Hurst"] relish those roles.  Sault projects as an athletic wing with some mid-range prowess and solid handle.  In the coming years he needs to improve his confidence away from the basketball.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> <img class="alignleft" src="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/d/1/4/6/11971185311926706097Gioppino_Basketball.svg.thumb.png" alt="Gioppino Basketball clip art" width="17" height="17" /><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: ’comic sans ms’, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="1039211" first="Alex" last="Hyder"] (Cleveland 2023)</span></span></p> <p style="padding-left: 90px;">In a game without much scoring balance, Hyder helped [player_tooltip player_id="537247" first="Grant" last="Hurst"] a bit.  His three-pointer in the fourth quarter was certainly helpful. Hyder’s strengths are scoring, shooting, and agility.  He is probably a 2-guard or classic wing at the college level.  </p> <p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img class="alignleft" src="http://www.clker.com/cliparts/d/1/4/6/11971185311926706097Gioppino_Basketball.svg.thumb.png" alt="Gioppino Basketball clip art" width="17" height="17" /><span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: ’comic sans ms’, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="787649" first="Brandon" last="Miller"] (Cane Ridge 2022)</span></span></p> <p style="padding-left: 90px;">Miller is a junior and perhaps ill-fitting for this article.  Something needs to be sad for the incredible physical gifts and now great delivery of those gifts to the game. Facing Bearden, Miller scored 21 points including two made free throws in the waning, fourth quarter moments.  The elegant, lean wing scorer showed off his mid-air acrobatics.  He showed off his velvety shooting touch.  He did everything fans and observers have come to expect from the superstar. </p> <p>Peruse the complete <a href="https://prephoops.com/tennessee/rankings/2021-rankings/">2021 rankings</a>.</p> <p>Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/courtneyhoops90">@CourtneyHoops90</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewForce8">@AndrewForce8</a>.</p>