Scouting Report: Agua Fria vs. Shadow Mountain (D2 Finals)
Overview: Agua Fria held tough during the first quarter; however, early in the second quarter, Junior standout Bryce Fowler was sent to the bench with his 3rd foul. Shadow Mountain was able to do enough to make it a 13…
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Continue ReadingOverview: Agua Fria held tough during the first quarter; however, early in the second quarter, Junior standout Bryce Fowler was sent to the bench with his 3rd foul. Shadow Mountain was able to do enough to make it a 13 point contest by the end of the first half with Michael Bibby, Jr. and JJ Rhymes scoring 26 of the teams 41 points. Shadow Mountain would then push their lead early in the second half and create a deficit that Agua Fria could not overcome. The talented Matadors of Shadow Mountain would go on to win their second state championship in three years by the final score of 86 to 55.
Shadow Mountain
Jovan Blacksher 6’1″ PG/SG 2019 – Blacksher finished his freshman season with a 6 point and 2 rebound outing. Blacksher was thought by many to be the best freshman prospect in the state coming into this season. He is a very talented guard; however, due to the depth at Shadow, he did not get some of the opportunities that other freshmen received this year. Next year, he will most likely be heavily relied on in order for Shadow Mountain to make another deep run.
Michael Bibby 6’3″ PG 2016 – Bibby finished his high school career with a 22 point, 10 rebound, 6 assist, and 5 steal outing. The only bad thing that could be said about his performance is that he had 4 turnovers. Bibby is widely thought, including by myself, to be the best Arizona point guard prospect in the class of 2016. He is a Division-1 prospect, but it will be intriguing to see where this sharpshooter with great court vision ends up.
Jaelen House 6’1″ PG 2019 – House finished the game with 14 points, but where he largely helped Shadow is with his defense. All tournament, I have been impressed with this freshman’s ability to pressure the basketball. He does not gamble; rather, he places strong pressure on the ball and finds smart opportunities to trap. Much like Blacksher, he will need a strong off-season to get himself ready to be a premier face on a team that should be looking for a repeat despite the lose of Bibby and Rhymes.
Isaiah Jones 6’8″ C 2016 – Jones played a much bigger role for this team in their tournament run last season than he did this year. Due to the talented guard play, Jones often got overlooked; however, he is a big body, with a decent motor, and a soft touch around the rim. He should be able to play at a low Division-II/NAIA Division-1.
Harrison Hillard 6’7″ C 2016 – Hillard is an above average athlete who has the tools to also play low Division-II/NAIA Division-1 basketball. He runs the floor well, does a good job of spacing out on drives to make himself available for dump off passes, and he does a solid job of crashing the boards.
Jordan Pace 6’3″ SF 2017 – Pace is a hard-nosed player who gets after it on the glass and the defensive end. He finished this one with 4 points and 6 rebounds as he played his role for this team. All season, his job has been to be a workhorse who does all of the little things a team needs in order to be successful, he did a good job in this role and should have a bigger role come next season.
Darien Spottsville 6’3″ SF 2017 – Spottsville was by far the most important role player of the tournament for Shadow Mountain. In a game where Bibby had troubles with turnovers and Rhymes struggled due to foul trouble, Spottsville stepped up and helped Shadow Mountain make it to the finals. He continued his strong play by contributing 10 points and 5 rebounds in this game. Spottsville is a talented prospect with a great motor and work ethic.
JJ Rhymes 6’5″ SF 2016 – Rhymes role shifted greatly this year in comparison to last year’s state tournament. Last year, he played a lot more guard and relentlessly attacked the rim. This year, the team utilized his athleticism and put him on the block and took advantage of mismatches. Rhymes finished his Arizona high school career with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Rhymes is a low Division-1/High Division-II/NAIA Division-1 prospect.
Agua Fria
Darnell Cowart 6’6″ C 2016 – Cowart was not as much of a factor in this game as he was in the previous game. Shadow Mountains relentless guard pressure makes it very tough for opposing big men to be a factor as it speeds up the tempo and forces quick shots and turnovers. With that said, Cowart has the skills to play at the next level. I see him as a low Division-II/NAIA Division-1 prospect.
Bryce Fowler 6’5″ SF 2017 – Fowler sat the vast majority of the first half; thus his impact was limited in this one. However, Fowler should be the face of the program next year due to his ability to shoot the basketball at a high level and his basketball smarts. Fowler should begin to get offers and a lot more interest after the next open recruiting period.
Jordan Mccants 5’10” PG 2016 – Mccants has been the heart of this team for the majority of their tournament run as well as their season. Mccants is a physical player that does a good job of being efficient with his dribble. He is able to get north and south in a hurry which puts constant pressure on the defense. His ability to finish at the rim is above average, and he is a strong on-ball defender. Mccants has been receiving a lot of attention from junior colleges, but could probably play at the low Division-II/High NAIA-Division II level.
Isaiah Olvera 5’11” PG/SG 2016 – Olvera plays fairly mistake free basketball and has been responsible for guarding some of the better players on other teams. Last night, for instance, he was tasked with guarding Bibby. His ability to play tough on ball defense, shoot the ball at a high level, and make few mistakes make him a Division-III/NAIA Division-II player.