Players To Watch: Northern Athletic Conference (Part 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>High School hoops are right around the corner. I can hear the sound of the ball bouncing off the court and the squeak of the shoes. Wake County is the home of some excellent basketball conferences and players. Here are some players to watch this year from the Northern Athletic Conference. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1350160' first='Jaevian' last='Alston']</strong> | 6-6 | SF | Wake Forest High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 6-6, Alston displays smooth ball handling ability which he uses to get into the paint and finish around the basket. He has the ability to grab the rebound and take it coast to coast for the finish. He is a good shooter with deep 3-point range. He also uses his length and athleticism to elevate over defenders in the mid-range. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jared Bush</strong> | 5-10 | PG | Heritage High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bush possesses deep three-range on his jumper. He is a great athlete and is not afraid to get into the mix and grab rebounds. Once he grabs those rebounds, he confidently pushes the ball and looks for the hit-ahead pass for his teammates. He is a paint toucher who can finish at the rim or he can kick to open teammates. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1062157' first='Jacob' last='Lawton']</strong> | 5-6 | PG | Millbrook High School</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lawton is a speedy guard that plays with no fear. He uses his quick hands and feet to create steals and play the passing lanes. He is an absolute blur in the open court and in the half court he is a player that gets in the lane and can finish creatively or create for others. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1272558' first='Colt' last='Langdon'] </strong>| 6-8 | SF | Millbrook High School </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Colt is a big-time player with big-time potential that he regularly displays. Lefty, with a smooth jumper and range that extends well beyond the three-point line. He has good ball-handling ability and a high basketball IQ that when combined allows him to create off the bounce for himself and others. Plays at his pace and never seem in a hurry. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1628308' first='Michael' last='Downing']</strong> | 6-1 | PG | Rolesville High School </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Michael has great shot mechanics and the ability to be a catch-and-shoot sniper. He is active defensively where he uses active hands and quick feet to get into the passing lane. He runs the floor well which leads to quite a few fastbreak layups. He also attacks well in the half court where he finishes well at the rim. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->