Seniors you may be overlooking in the first round
The first round of the AIA playoffs begins Wednesday, February 13 for the big schools of the AIA. Most of the state’s top players will be on display, fighting for the right to hoist the state title. Several seniors will…
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Continue ReadingThe first round of the AIA playoffs begins Wednesday, February 13 for the big schools of the AIA. Most of the state’s top players will be on display, fighting for the right to hoist the state title. Several seniors will be attempting to end their careers with a win.
Here are a few under-the-radar seniors set to compete in the first round, on teams you may not have considered:
Saguaro: Hayden Hatten and Kyler Mikkelsen
Saguaro is considered first a football school, and the basketball team has a tall task as the 15-seed of knocking out 4A power Deer Valley if it wants to advance to the next round. However, Hatten and Mikkelsen both are big players that can both score and defend against opposing big players. Working as the center and forward, both seem a little more comfortable playing from the perimeter, and possibly will do so in college, but their flexibility from all parts of the floor could serve them well in this game against a tough opponent.
Sandra Day O’Connor: Keaton Rodgers
The top-producer for an O’Connor team that also has a tall task of knocking off a 2-seed in the first round, Rodgers played extremely well all summer and made a lot of improvements to his game. A big player who will likely play well, like the two aforementioned guys, on the wing at the next level, he is the make-shift big man for a team that does not have a ton of size. He has shown an ability to score from all parts of the floor, and positions himself well for rebounds.
McClintock: Josh Baker and Jalen Calvert
I’m not a scout, but it baffles me that Baker doesn’t already have more offers than he does, and I’m not sure he’s gotten the attention he’s deserved thus far. He’s one of the top players in 5A at every facet of the game. He scores both at the basket and from behind the arc with ease, defends hard and gets his teammates involved.
For Calvert, all I can say is he led the state – and the entire United States at one point – in blocks. It is impressive to see how well he defends the rim, altering shots even when he’s not necessarily getting a hand on them.