Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Vashon vs Cascade Christian

Pretty good game between the top two Nisqually 1A schools. Vashon started out slow but the big man does not miss many shots. Cascade Christian did not do a good job of denying him the ball. They needed a man in front of him and behind him but mostly ended up with only a man behind him. And when you're 6-3 and trying to play behind a 6-9 scorer you're going to get scored on. Otherwise Cascade Christian played very well, outrunning Vashon and getting some transition buckets to keep it close. Vashon held on to win 49-43 at home.

Vashon
#40 - John Gage -6-9 JR - Very skilled, very long big man. Not an athlete but has a pretty solid body. Will need to work on defense and footwork but certainly plays hard and can score. Has a very nice turn around jumper that will be hard for anyone to defend. Needs to add some more moves and keep working on his quickness. Definitely a center, does not get out and run. Made some excellent assists, really finds his teammates when doubled. Ok rebounder. Mid to High DI

#33 - Charlie Hoffman -6-8 SR - Thin senior forward, great for a 1A school to be able to high low with this kid and Gage. Doesn't see the ball much because of Gage but has ok hands and hit a big 3pter out of the corner in the 4th quarter. Size and length give him potential. DIII/DII

#4 - Thomas Timm-Skove -6-4 SR - Strong quick guard, a good slasher that gets to the basket, ok ball handler. Ok shooter. Great size and pretty good athleticism. Averaging 10ppg DIII/DII

#20 - Alex Wagner -6-7 SO - Didn't stand out to me but is tall and long. Only a sophomore and gets lots of minutes. Keep an eye on him.

Cascade Christian
#3 - Jonnie Washburn -6-3 JR - A thin tall guard. Played hard and is leading his team in scoring. Aggressive and slashes, pretty good shooter.

#11 - TJ Tuttle -5-7 SO - This kid is worth keeping an eye on. He is total hustle and energy, a quick little pg that reminds me a bit of Aaron Bright from Bellevue. Handles the ball well and gets his teammates open. Plays hard on defense and gets everyone going. He's pretty small but only a sophomore. DIII/DII

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Garfield vs Franklin

Coach Kerr is one of the best high school coaches in the state and he proved it tonight with a convincing win against a very talented Garfield team. His guys are under control, they move the ball around and really work on defense. They had Garfield frustrated and playing out of control about 5 minutes into the game and kept the mental advantage throughout, in the matchup of #1's (Garfield 4A, Franklin 3A) Franklin showed that they are the team to beat in the state.

Franklin
#1 - Anrio Adams -6-3 FR - Really long athletic guard, keep an eye on this kid, he will be one of the top players in the state when he's a senior. Played great defense, really hustled and tried to get his scorers the ball.

#3 - Peyton Siva - 6-0 SR Signed with Louisville. I really like Siva, he will do well because of his great basketball IQ and great attitude, in a huge rivalry with emotions running high he was calm and collected and just went out and played his game, leading Franklin to the win. Great shooter, great passer and can handle the ball. High-flyer, can get to the rack. 20ppg

#4 - Vionte Reed - 5-10 JR Will be a good college pg for somebody in a couple of years. Very quick little pg, really hustles and plays great D. High DII, Low DI

#10 - Chris Holmes -6-3 SR Long fairly quick wing, can really shoot the ball, especially the 15 footer. Plays under control and plays solid D. Committed to Eastern Washington. 15ppg

#21 - Dominique Wilson -6-3 SR Long athletic guard, really hustles, slashes, rebounds and plays good D. Ok scorer. 10ppg High DII, Low DI

#24 - Freddy Wilson -6-3 SR Strong, physical guard. Good defender. High DII

#22 - Vonchae Richardson -6-0 SR Very quick little pg, solid ball handler that gets his teammates the ball. Gets overshadowed by all the talent on this team. Plays excellent defense, did a great job guarding Garfields most talented player Tony Wroten. High DII, Low DI

Garfield
#1 - De'Andre Taylor -6-2 SR Good size, quick thin guard that has a very fast first step. Better than average ball handler and can shoot and score at the basket. Has been leading the team when Wroten had been unable to play. 16ppg Low DI

#4 - Tony Wroten -6-4 SO Touted as #2 sophomore in the nation. Very talented player, extremely athletic and quick for his size. Solid ball handler with huge hands, has a great 3 pt shot that he gets up over the defender. Lots of talent and potential, needs to focus on defense and rebounding and playing an all around game. Excellent scorer. 17ppg High DI

#3 - Glenn Brooks -6-1 SO Quick big guard, that can really go. Hustles and plays solid defense. Really gets out and runs. Can handle the ball well and could be a big time pg if he keeps working on it because of his size and athleticism. 10ppg Mid DI.

Bellevue vs Bellarmine Prep

Senior UW committed Abdul Gaddy had his hands full against a loaded Bellevue team. This game was Bellevue all the way as they held a 10pt advantage for most of the game. Bellarmine played hard and ran good offense but just did not have the depth that Bellevue had and could not match them on the boards. Player Comments:

Bellevue
#3 - Colton Christian -6-7 SR Strong, fairly athletic forward, great body. Has a good mid range jumper and can put the ball on the floor. Hustles on both ends, blocks shots, and rebounds. Needs to be a little more aggressive with the ball, tends to be off balance when attacking the hoop when he was clearly stronger than the guy defending him. 15ppg Low to Mid DI

#10 - Cam Warren -5-7 SR I really like this kid, I believe he is also a quarterback and his IQ shows. He is a really scrappy pg that is all about the team. He makes great passes and creates off the dribble. Sets the teams offense and makes his team run the plays. His size limits him. High DII

#22 - Aaron Bright -5-11 JR Also plays point but is more of a combo. Very quick and great dribbler, very good 3pt shooter when he's set, quick release. Needs to work on his passing and defense. 16ppg Low DI

#23 - Matt Olson -6-7 SR Long thin forward, likes to shoot outside but his shot was not on. Good hands and very mobile. DII

#11 - Alex Schrempf - 6-5 SR Small forward, not sure if he's quick enough with the ball to be a wing. Very good fundamentals, his feet are great and he's athletic and aggressive. He is a very smart, under control player and is very competetive. He blocks shots, boxes out, and sets screens. Had 25 and 15 against Bellarmine. 15ppg Low to Mid DI

Bellarmine Prep
#3 - Abdul Gaddy -6-3 SR Very quick, very athletic pg. Uses change of speed to fool defenders and can really handle the ball. Makes incredible passes when you think there's no one open. Has a little bit of problem with leaving his feet and trying to make plays. Needs to work on his shooting and defense. He reminds me a little bit of Gary Payton, but obviously has a long way to go. Signed with Washington.

#11 Donald Gaddy - 5-10 SO Just as quick and athletic as his brother, maybe a better defender, not the dribbler and passer that Abdul is... yet. Obviously he is not as tall as his brother but if he
could be just as good if he continues to work on his game. Keep an eye on him. Mid DI


Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Rainier Beach vs Dominguez(California)

This started out as a fantastic game and became a sloppy one on one game in the second half and OT periods. Both teams are loaded with athleticism and talent but not so much on the team skills and basketball IQ. While it looked like Dominguez, without their best player in Jordan Hamilton, was having an easy time, they kept leaving it open for Rainier Beach to win. Unfortunately Rainier Beach didn't want the game either, so it dragged into two overtimes where both teams must have missed at least 15 FT's and finally Dominguez pulled it out. Player Comments:




Rainier Beach


See my previous Rainier Beach vs Bainbridge post for more comments


#3 Najee Alli - 6-4 SR Did not know last time that he is a football player and likely wont be playing college basketball.


#24 DJ Dixon -6-6 SR Not sure if he plays football as well but had some good minutes. Did not see him in the last game. Athletic, strong, forward rebounds and is ok around the basket. Needs to work on his shot and touch. DII


#21 Robert Harris -5-9 JR Did not see him before either, quick little lefty pg, great defender, drives and kicks. Got some good minutes behind Pickett.

Wanted to add that D'Vonne Pickett was the player of the game for Rainier Beach (in my opinion) this is kid is tough and is going to be a great pg in the Big Sky with Eastern Washington.

Dominguez
#20 Dominick Lacoste -6-0 SR Thin quick pg, can create for his teammates, good in transition and very good defender, overshadowed by other talented guards. Low DI

#21 - Keala King -6-4 JR - Very talented player, best on the team (Did not see Jordan Hamilton, he did not play). A thin long lefty that is very athletic and aggressive. More of a 2 guard but plays lots of point. Can attack the basket quickly and shoot the 3. Needs to learn to pass the ball more. Mid DI

#34 - Myron Green -6-4 SR Strong talented guard. Solid outside shooter and tough defender. Very aggressive, also a lefty. Very quick first step, could be a very good rebounder. Mid DI

#24 - Robert Mandingo -6-4 SR Strong, aggressive, long guard, pretty good ball handler. Very physical player. Tough defender and ok rebounder. Not sure he's a shooter but didn't take bad ones. Low DI

#10 - Darrell Espy -6-4 SR Thin athletic backup pg. Will create for teammates, had good minutes behind King and Lacoste. Pretty good 3 pt shot. Low DI

#5 -Somehow missed this kids name and cant find it on the Internet. A 6-9 SO, really thin and long. Good hands, ok feet and mobility. As he grows he could be a really unstoppable player. He had some big two handed dunks. Mid to High DI



Decatur vs Federal Way

A very good game, Decatur did a great job of executing their offense and setting up good shots but they could not overcome the depth and athleticism of Federal Way. The difference was Micheal Hale who transferred from Decatur to Federal Way for his senior season. If he were still with Decatur they would have certainly won.



Decatur

#3 - Marcus Tibbs -6-1 SR Very athletic guard, can really jump. Strong and quick, good passer that can create for teammates. Needs to work on D and take better shots. Averaging 15ppg Low DI



#12 - Jerron Smith -6-3 SO Good body, will be a good college wing. Lights out shooter, at one point made four 3's in a row, and some were not easy - off balance full speed shots. Needs to get stronger and work on ball handling (dribbling and passing) and defense. Averaging 18ppg Low to Mid DI potential



#5 Terrell Williams -5-10 SO Little quick lefty guard, like the way he hustled and got in the game, worth keeping an eye on.



#34 Jordan McCloud -6-6 JR Good size, strong but mobile. Very aggressive player, goes and gets the ball, good rebounder. Pretty good hands and can finish around the basket and get fouled. DII, low DI potential



Federal Way

#25 - Cole Dickerson -6-7 JR On my previous post for Federal Way I didn't see if he had a jump shot - he has a nice soft 15 footer, made a couple of them. Low to mid DI potential

#24 - Jaleel Williams -6-6 SO Did not notice him at the Kentwood game, a long athletic forward that can put it on the floor and attack the hoop. A bit awkward and out of control but has a lot of potential. Low DI

See my previous post for more Federal Way player comments.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Kentlake vs Kentridge

This was a game that was close but didn't feel like it. Kentridge seemed to be able to score whenever they wanted and Kentlake played like everything they got was difficult. Kentridge only won by 6 or 8 on the road but seemed like they were clearly the better team.
Player Comments:

Kenlake
#44 Jeff Budinich -6-9 SR Committed to Montana St. Clearly the best player on the team. His strength is his shooting, he has a very nice high arcing shot that is good from 3 and in. His turnaround jumper is deadly, it will be hard to block even at the college level. He needs to work on his footwork, rebounding, and defense. He would be dominant if he were more aggressive. Has a lot of potential. Averaging 16ppg

#24 Mike Salazar -6-3 JR Toughest guy on the team, made some big plays late to keep them in the game. Long and thin, needs to get stronger. Can handle the ball ok and slash, needs to work on his passing. Has a nice shot but a bit slow on the release. Quick and athletic for his size. Good hustle and good rebounder from the wing. Averaging 11ppg DII

Kentridge
#24 Shaquielle McKissic -6-3 SR Athletic long wing. Has a nice jump shot though he needs to work on his follow through. A very good defender and solid rebounder. Ok finisher at the basket and ok ball-handler. He reminds me of Kenny Barker who is an all-conference DII player at Alaska Anchorage who I coached my first year in Fairbanks. Kenny could be an impact player for a low DI and I think Shaquielle could too. Averaging 14ppg High DII, Low DI

#2 - Gary Bell 6-1 SO Big time pg here. Very athletic and completely in control of the ball. Has great balance and see's the floor well, does a great job of backing up and re-attacking, looking for the assist. Can finish at the basket and has a nice jump shot. He even rebounds and place tough defense. He has a lot of potential and will be a high DI pg if he grows a couple more inches, he may go that high anyway. Averaging 21ppg Mid DI

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Foss vs Mt. Tahoma

This was a fantastic game, after a great start to league play Mt. Tahoma had lost the last two games and needed a win on the road against 1st place Foss. Foss jumped out to a 19-6 lead and Mt. Tahoma had no match for their energy level. Foss' big lead turned out to hurt them as they stopped putting on their passing clinic and individuals decided they needed to score some points. Mt. Tahoma quietly cut the lead to four before half. The second half started as the first ended with Mt. Tahoma jumping ahead. They continued to lead and were up eight with two minutes left. Then Foss put on the pressure and made it a game. They battled back with steals and fast layups to tie it at 58 and send it to overtime. In the end the difference was the outstanding second half and overtime performance of Mt. Tahoma sophomore Xavier Bazile and the poor outside shooting from Foss. Mt. Tahoma won by eight. Player comments:

Foss
#33 LuQuam Thompson -5-10 SR Very quick little pt. guard, athletic and strong. Was a solid ball handler that kept his balance and his head up. Rarely turned the ball over and was the go to guy when they needed a bucket. Great defender that constantly hustled, took high percentage shots and got to the foul line, always made the pass when his teammate was open. Needs to work on finishing in the lane. Had 18 pts and 7rbs. Low DI

#2 Nate Walker -6-6 SR Athletic long 4, a bit thin and could get stronger. Can dunk off of two feet and finishes well around the basket. Runs well has good post moves and a nice 10ft and in jumper. Can really get up and grab boards, had a couple nice blocks. Needs to improve his shooting, missed a lot of big FT's. High DII, maybe low DI

#1 Jonathan Payne -6-6 SR Mobile, strong, undersized post. Runs the floor well and posts up hard. Good rebounder and good finishing ability, blocks shots. Did not see him shoot the ball outside of the low post area. DII

#32 - Jeremy McClain -6-6 SR Another strong, mobile, post. Heavier than Payne and likes to shoot the ball, played high and low post but more high post. Did not see him shoot a lot but has ok form. Made some great high low passes for easy buckets to Payne and Walker. Runs ok and aggressively rebounds and posts. Blocks shots. Lefty. DII

#10 - Julian Cruell -5-10 JR Strong athletic little guard, slightly heavier than Thompson, can handle the ball very well and will run the team next year. Gives them great depth as he could easily be a starter. Very tough on D, cat quick. DII, potential to go higher

#31 - Damari Lewis -5-10 SR - I'm getting repetitive but this is another small, quick, athletic guard. Plays under control and made some big defensive plays late in the game. Hustles and is a good slasher. Had some huge buckets late to cut into Mt. Tahoma's 8 pt lead in final minutes. Good finisher. Ball handling is ok but needs work. Scored 16. DII

Mt. Tahoma
#22 - Rashard Byrd -5-9 SR - Tough, quick little pg. Size was lacking and had a tough time going against Thompson. Good ball handler, ok passer. Has the ability to create and had some very nice finishes in traffic. DII

#11 - Ronald Baines -5-10 SR - Strong combo guard. Ok ball handler but very good 3pt shooter. Made some key shots in the second half but for some reason was on the bench for some key moments in the game. Solid D, very athletic and quick. Good leaping ability. Could be DI if he was more skilled with the ball. DII

#21 - Koloneus McClarron -6-4 SR - Very nice body, athletic strong wing that can handle the ball. Pretty good penetrator and great rebounder from the perimeter. Good athletic ability and defensive ability. Would be DI if he could shoot but he didn't force anything. DII/potentially higher

#23 - Xavier Bazile - 6-4 SO - Absolute athlete and only a sophomore. Had at least 3 dunks, one of which he caught the ball on the low wing, made a shot fake and drove right by his man, the help was late and he went up and threw it down on them. Two dribble drive and dunk. He seemed to be getting all sorts of rebounds and put backs and was basically a 3, 4, and 5 for Mt. Tahoma who does not have anyone taller than him on the team. He needs to work on his defense but if he continues to grow he will be a great college player. Did not see him take many outside shots but he did make his FT's. Had 19pts and 9rbs, Mt. Tahoma does not win without this kid. Mt. Tahoma Mid DI

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Seattle Prep vs. Chief Sealth

This was a very sloppy game for both teams, lots of turnovers and missed layups. It was a low scoring battle that came down to the last minute. It ended much like the game was played with Chief Sealth down one and Seattle Prep with the ball, Jon Humphrie tried to force a play and had the ball stolen by Jordan Kidd. Kidd then raced down the court and came to a jump stop with a good look at the basket just to have Humphrie come from behind him and strip the ball loose and give it back to Prep. There were a lot of fouls and a lot of free throws. Prep won by 4.

Seattle Prep
Because I already wrote about Prep I will just add a couple of things.

#25 - Patrick Nyeko -6-6 SR Played very well, has very good hands and caused a lot of those aforementioned turnovers. Got some key put back buckets to get them the victory.

#24 - Sam Howell -6-2 SR Did not play much at all, not sure why he's suddenly in the dog house but it seems that JR #20 Julian Mason took his role and played some solid minutes.

#21 - Mitch Brewe -6-5 FR Played a ton of minutes and scored a lot of points. He is very skilled and plays hard. He is only a freshmen and if he keeps growing he's going to be a big time player.

#3 - John Humphrie - 6-1 SR Big stocky pg, keeps his balance well but still trys to do to much. Plays hard and is very strong, has potential. DII

Chief Sealth
#24 Jordan Kidd - 6-1 SR Combo guard that is leading the Metro league in scoring at 24ppg, the reason I went to this one. He's cat quick and has a ton of potential but has a lot of learning to do. He just doesn't see the floor very well. He's very aggressive and will always attack the basket. He's athletic and deceptive and can make defenders miss and earn foul shots. He's not a great shooter though and takes a ton of shots. He forced a lot when he didn't need to some times taking on 2 or 3 defenders at once. He did draw defenders and make a couple of good passes but that was not his focus. I think he would be a better pg then a shooter but he doesn't seem to want to do that. DII/Low DI potential

#43 Tomas Ogbaslassie -6-5 JR Big long wing - definitely skilled enough to be on the perimeter. Slashed and made plays on both ends of the floor, very aggressive and grabbed some big rebounds to keep them alive. Athletic but thin, averaging 9ppg, second on team. DII/Low DI potential

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Lake Washington vs Skyline

This was a pretty good game though Skyline took a 10pt lead in the second half and never gave it up. Both teams played hard aggressive basketball but Skyline's depth held up to get them the 56-41 win. Player Comments

Lake Washington
#23 - Spencer Wozeniak - 6-0 SR Small pg that must have barely been 6ft. A fairly quick guard that was best on defense. A pretty good ball handler, a bit out of control - had trouble keeping his head up. He is undersized and I'm sure the local JC's will be recruiting him. He is averaging 12pts a game, second on the team. Maybe DIII

#42 - Greyson Blue -6-9 SR Big body, great frame. Fairly mobile and ok feet, does a good job of posting big and asking for the ball. Has soft hands and nice touch around the basket. Makes his FT's and rbs the ball. Plays hard on both ends of the floor but not a get out and run sort of player, definitely a back to the basket post. Low DI

Skyline
#41 - Corey Hutsen - 6-8 JR I like this kid a lot. Very skilled big man with a good frame and really long arms, can play the 4 or the 5. Very good with the ball, can put it on the floor make a move and score with a nice soft touch, goes left or right when finishing. Makes his free throws and will pass the ball when help comes to double him. Mobile for his size but I wouldn't say he's quick. Very good feet. Very high percentage shooter, was scoring or getting fouled all game. Lots of potential as he works on his speed and strength. Smooth smart player. Low to Mid DI

#0 - Nick Crossan -6-0 SR Tough take charge combo guard, very right handed. Unlike Corey though Nick is what my last boss would call a volume shooter. He's leading the team averaging 18ppg but I'm not sure there's a shot he doesn't like. He's got a very quick release and can knock down 3's, definitely a shooter. He also did a good job slashing but had trouble finishing on the left side. High DII

#43 - Jared Lemke -6-7 SR Tough smart undersized post. Big body, needs to get in better shape and put on some muscle. Not athletic but great feet and low post moves. Pretty good finisher and makes FT's. Uses his body really well to rebound and create space. Good reverse pivot post to get open. DII

#25 - Kasen Williams -6-3 SO Very athletic guard, did not try to force many shots. Played within his game, needs refinement. Great body and mobility. See's the floor and made some excellent passes. Can handle fairly well just needs to learn the game and get more comfortable. Needs to work on his jump shot. Lots of potential. Low DI, maybe Mid DI with work

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Nathan Hale vs. Tyee

Not the best game here but wanted to see the Tyee big man and the two players at Hale that are both top 5 in the Metro league in scoring. Unfortunately this game was all Nathan Hale, the final was a low scoring 50-39 in favor of Hale and Tyee struggled the whole game. Nathan Hale was putting on a clinic in screening and cutting while Tyee needs to get back to the fundamentals.

Tyee
#34 - Jacob Brown -6-7 SR - Big bodied center. I was expecting to him to do a bit more but he did not get on the court much because of poor play and foul trouble. He is very slow but has a big frame and is strong. Has pretty good hands and long arms and can get big when posting up. He really needs to do lots of Mikan drills because he was all over the place with the ball. His size and potential should get him recruited JC or DII but he needs to redshirt and work on his individual skills.

#5 - Justin Scipio -6-1 SR - Quick somewhat athletic pg. Long and good sized for a pg. Can handle the ball well and plays with his head up. Makes good sharp passes but needs to work on his fundamentals. Is a bit out of control and doesn't finish well but has the ability to create. Has an ok pull up when he sets his feet but tried to shoot shots while moving too much. Has some nice moves in open court. Needs fundamental work on defense. Has potential. DII/DIII

Nathan Hale
#23 - Dagem Sebsibe - 5-10 SR Fairly quick pg that can handle the ball well, has a nice set shot when he has time. Passes and plays smart. Size and lack of creating ability will hold him back. DIII/JC

#4 - Ben Scheideman -6-2 SR - Got injured about 1 minute into the game and stopped playing. Is 5th in the Metro conference in scoring at 19.4 ppg.

#3 - Thomas Pierson - 6-4 SR - Plays forward for Hale because of their lack of size and guarded the big man. I liked this kid a lot. He will be a wing in college, probably a 3. He's focused and plays hard on both ends, always rebounds and is ready to make a play. Shot a great percentage for the game and finished with 18pts. He gets high percentage shots and has a great 12ft and in jumper. He scored at least 3 layups on great backcuts and got open by setting screens. A good all around player that really knows the game. Needs some work on his 3pt shot. Intangibles really add to his game. High DII, maybe low DI by the end of the year. 2nd in Metro league scoring at 21.4 ppg.