Early Season Sophomore & Junior Standouts

The number of players performing at a high level to start the season is pretty incredible. It's been an exciting start to the season with a lot of the top players living up to expectations and delivering some memorable games and moments. Let's take a look at some sophomores and juniors stepping up to the plate with some solid early-season performances.    I can't talk about Haywood without mentioning possibly the dunk of the year so far (I know it's early, but this one has staying power).   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDJSAwmR8W5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linku0026amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== </div></figure>   Aside from the monster dunk, Haywood was a rock for Garfield in a big win over Kennedy. He showed excellent patience operating off the PNR, waiting for the gap to open and then darting down the lane. He had tough finish after tough finish at the rim, and most importantly, was able to spot the defense starting to collapse on him and be a playmaker for his teammates in what was a pretty balanced Bulldog attack.     Showki was pretty impressive in a tough loss to Seattle Prep, and although they didn't get the win, Showki was nearly unguardable throughout the four quarters. He injected life into the offense with his constant penetration and pace, playmaking for others on the go, and dropping in some nice passes over the top to bigs by the buckets. He drew a bunch of trips to the foul stripe and was unrelenting in his attack. One thing that really stood out is how his feet and hands are in sync. He can make tough catches off bad passes and prep his feet to make instant moves to attack. The same applies to his moves off the bounce which makes him an incredibly tough cover.     Christiansen had an impressive outing, albeit in an overtime loss, against Bothell last week. He missed a couple of shots to open the game but found some rhythm by getting to the foul line and then took off after that. He drained a three shortly after, but then did most of his work getting to the rim and making things happen. He's a pretty crafty guard who knows how to get shots off around bigs and was especially effective driving in and spinning back out to his strong side. They also like to run him off of staggers where he does a great job reading the defense to either come off and attack or sneak back door for easy buckets. Christiansen finished with 25 points at Bothell.     Weimer showed up big in a SW Washington battle against Evergreen. He finished the night with 25 points and 12 rebounds, on a healthy mix of outside shots, finishes down low, and trips to the foul line. If there was one area Weimer had been a little inconsistent in the past, it was at the foul line, but he put that concern to bed by going 10-for-12 on freebies and looking as confident as ever at the spot. He also dropped in a few three-pointers, another element of his game that continues to improve, and he was all over the defensive glass, bringing that toughness we're so used to seeing from him.     Even though Daniel came up on the short end of their matchup with Skyview, he did just about all he could do to keep them in it, ending the night with 31 points. He's an outstanding outside shooter who sunk a few on the night, but most of his work came in the paint. He does a great job slowing the game down around the painted area and recognizing where the space is or creating his own. Whether it's with floaters, euro-steps, or leveraging his opponent to create space, Daniel is a highly skilled paint finisher from the guard spot.     Finau was exceptional in a win over Kamiak without the benefit of having teammate [player_tooltip player_id='2196830' first='Jaylen' last='McLaughlin'] out there with him. There were several moments throughout the game Finau looked like the best player on the floor. His ability to pick and pop or work off the dribble and get to his spots at 6-foot-7 is very impressive. He was a tough matchup for Kamiak and complimented that midrange game with some toughness around the rim.

The number of players performing at a high level to start the season is pretty incredible. It's been an exciting start to the season with a lot of the top players living up to expectations and delivering some memorable games and moments. Let's take a look at some sophomores and juniors stepping up to the plate with some solid early-season performances.