Prep Hoops Iowa Expo: Team 8 Evaluations

A pass-first guard who looks to get his teammates involved, Lightfoot does a nice job putting his teammates in positions to succeed offensively. He makes good passes into their shooting pockets, creates off the dribble, and keeps the ball moving. On the defensive end, he has quick hands and moves his feet really well, getting his hands on a lot of passes or picking opposing ball-handlers clean.     A quick guard who runs the floor hard and is constantly in motion on the offensive end, Kling doesn't let his smaller stature deter him from competing on the glass on either end of the floor. He plays hard, moves his feet well defensively, and can create off the bounce for his teammates.     I really like watching Slaughter play. He's a high IQ guard who can do a little bit of everything, impacting the game on the offensive end whether he has the ball in his hands or not. He's a good ball-handler with great vision, and he likes to put pressure on opposing teams with his ability to put pressure on the rim. He's really good in ball screen actions, turning the corner and getting to the rim, or finding the roll/pop man. He can knock down shots off the catch and moves without the ball in his hands well. However, where he impressed the most may have been with his work as an on-ball defender throughout the afternoon, moving his feet well side-to-side and making his opponent work hard just to get the offense initiated, which is not common in this type of setting. He competed hard on both ends throughout the day.     A lengthy, athletic wing who uses his length to impact the game on both ends of the floor, Range is a skilled three-level scorer who can play with or without the ball in his hands. He shoots it well off the catch with a quick release and range well beyond the high school line, but he can also play downhill and attack overly aggressive closeouts and get to the rim. He runs the floor hard in transition, can defend multiple positions, and is really good on the glass on both ends of the floor.     McGuire was one of the most talented players in attendance, and he showed why throughout the day in all three settings - 1-on-1, 3-on-3, and 5-on-5. He's a long, athletic wing who loves to play downhill and attack the rim off the dribble, using his size, handles, and footwork to finish at the rim. He's good in the mid-range, using his size to shoot over defenders, and while his jumper from 3-point range isn't a strength, per se, it is becoming more consistent and it's evident he's putting work in on this part of his game. He's great on the glass on both ends of the floor, competing constantly, and he's a good enough ball-handler to lead the break after pulling down a defensive board. Defensively he has the length and athleticism to defend a few different spots.     Pfalzgraff saw a little bit of varsity action last year for the Bluejays and figures to be a pretty big part of the program for the next three years. Last Saturday was a good showing as to what B-F can expect from him in those three years. He's a mobile, athletic wing man who rebounds well on both ends of the floor, is a switchable defender who can hold his own on the perimeter or serve as a strong rim protector, and he impressed on the offensive end. He finishes well through contact with either hand around the bucket. He showed the ability to knock down shots from the mid-range off the catch after setting a hard screen and doing a short roll. He showed good awareness, cutting off the ball to the rim after his defender fell asleep. He does a nice job keeping the ball high after pulling down a board or making a catch on the block.    Note: [player_tooltip player_id='2617486' first='Charles' last='Crane'] (Dowling Catholic) was also on Team 8, but was written about in a previous article.