Coates was a fastbreak merchant against WeR1 HGSL, tilting the floor for his team every time he got a steal or a defensive board. Then versus WeR1 UAA, he was a bit more calculated. He used ball screens to get his jumper off and to create openings in the lane. Finally, with the score tied and the clock winding down, Coates sped by his defender off the dribble and called GAME with an inside-hand finish. 16p 9r 3a 1s 12p 4r 3a 1s

Coates’s quick hands and speed without the ball energized the Hawks when the game began. So with all the high flyers on the court, it was him who got a steal then raced down the floor for the first dunk of the game. Coates also got others going in transition with his outlet passes off of rebounds and turnovers. He tallied 9 points, 3 boards, and 2 steals.

Up against Dover’s array of athletic wings, Coates co-led SG’s defensive and transition efforts with some athletic plays of his own. He got his first steal shortly after the game started; but the longer the game went on, the more his on-ball pressure intensified. By refusing to let the Senators create easy offense, Coates created extra possessions for the Hawks. And once in transition, he either pushed the ball ahead to someone else or finished it off himself. The bursty sophomore racked up 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals.

Coates brought out his high-wire act in different ways versus Caravel. He sprang into action on the boards, and that eventually turned into him bounding into the lane. Coates flipped the court in transition, plucking defensive rebounds out of the air and racing down to the other end before putting his hands on the rim with a few dunks. He also managed to snag a few takeaways that initiated transition offense for others. Coates put up a balanced 12 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Attacking off the bounce and off the catch, Coates put a ton of pressure on the rim. He flipped the court in transition, after grabbing a board or stealing the ball, and created easy buckets with how quickly he got to the cup. Coates also flashed playmaking chops in those situations, as well as in the halfcourt when he drew extra defenders. He put the finishing touches on the game with a dunk to total 17 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.

Coates is an electric guard who has no issue finding the bucket. It seemed like all the buckets he converted on were very loud. I like how he could score utlitizing his in-between game. Coates scored from behind the arc a few times. He found teammates for scoring chances. Coates even came down with a few rebounds. He has a quick first step. Coates was able to turn defense to offense.

The way Coates uses his burst – with and without the ball – makes him one of the most explosive two-way players in the state. His game will go to new levels as he continues to refine his game and play at different speeds.

An incoming transfer from William Penn (DE), Coates looks to be fitting right in with his new squad while slotting in as the projected starting point guard. On a team relatively loaded with size and athleticism in the frontcourt, he looks to provide a much-needed element of playmaking off the dribble. Coates was consistent in his ability to generate paint touches off the bounce while showing nice craft as a dropoff passer to create scoring chances for his forwards. He also flashed as an impressive athlete in the open floor, with a consistent jump shot being the big thing we’d like to see in future evaluations as Coates establishes himself on college radars.