#PHExclusive: Saturday morning standouts (15U)
Quientan McCafferty | Sal Elite Deandre Harper | Sal Elite 6’7” C Concordia (NE) ’24 6’5” C Benton (MO) ’24 Physical post(s) Good touch Outstanding defender(s) McCafferty engaged a brief scoring run in the first half that helped Sal Elite…
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Continue ReadingQuientan McCafferty | Sal Elite | Deandre Harper | Sal Elite |
6’7” C | Concordia (NE) ’24 | 6’5” C | Benton (MO) ’24 |
- Physical post(s)
- Good touch
- Outstanding defender(s)
McCafferty engaged a brief scoring run in the first half that helped Sal Elite to establish a lead.
When Harper came in, the interior production never slowed.
The big, physical posts, both similar in skill, exploited their height advantages frequently against a Pennsylvania-based team, often as the widest or tallest players on the floor. Both did a good job putting their bodies into defenders rather than shying away from contact with the ball, each characterized by the fundamental excellence characteristic of successful posts; in short, they have been coached well.
Defensively, both, but especially McCafferty, were catalysts for Sal Elite’s success. The opposing team finished, in spite of their length, talent and speed, poorly, during some stretches of the game, but a considerable number of shots that rimmed out or missed the rim completely could be attributed to Harper and McCafferty’s presence. Even if they weren’t gathering blocks, their presence, accuracy and defensive iQ stopping opposing scorers from getting fortuitous shots off efficiently.
Devonte Reed | NEBC |
6’4” W | Liverpool (NY) ’24 |
- Body-catcher
- Lanky wing
Finishing with 14 points, Reed was one of the only players on his team who was able to get anything going offensively.
The sophomore laid down a pair of dunks, including a full-court slam that put an opposing player in the rim in the first half. Reed has exceptional length, boasting a much longer wingspan than his height would otherwise indicate. Where his lankiness helped — and perhaps the most impressive part of his game he showcased Saturday morning — was in finishing at the rim. On a couple occasions, Reed was jammed closer to the free-throw line than he was to the rim, but he somehow, almost miraculously, stretched his arm just enough to outreach the defense and finish the shot.
Trey Griggs | Sal Elite |
5’10” G | Morton Jr. High (NE) ’25 |
- Knock-down shooter
- Transition maestro
It was often the case that Sal Elite scored “way too easily” in transition; however, this was often a by-product of Griggs’s passing talents, court vision and general maturity as a young floor general playing a year up. Out of the rebound, Sal Elite routinely ran ahead in transition with Griggs leading the charge. He exploited the simple, albeit fundamentally necessary, scoring opportunities presented to his team, rather than reinventing the wheel with crafty or flashy passing.
And his facilitatory showcase was a hit, evidently, as Sal Elite accrued a 20-point lead before half-time against a generally longer and potentially quicker team.
But to reference his passing capabilities would only be scratching the surface of Grigg’s 8-point performance Saturday morning. The freshman guard knocked down one 3-pointer from the corner out of the catch.
Jordan Houegban | 1 Up |
5’9″ G | Brentwood (CA) ’24 |
- Lights-out shooter
It’s not every day that you see a 10-plus-3-pointer performance, at least not in a single match.
Houegban scored 30 points on 10 triples Saturday morning, but the most impressive aspect of his performance might be that he only missed thrice. The sophomore, who displayed exceptional focus, consistency and efficiency from beyond the arch, shot 10-of-13 from deep in a 9 a.m. game (which may actually be the most impressive aspect of the game).
Some more TOP PERFORMER action at the #PHExclusive in Dallas 🔥@nebcbasketball_ @EliteArnold pic.twitter.com/COVCr9SPSR
— Prep Hoops Circuit 🏀 (@PHCircuit) July 17, 2021