4 Takeaways: AZ Club Basketball League Day 2
The 2nd day of the AZ Club Basketball League was filled with a lot of intrigue as well. In fact, arguably the most anticipated in-state game of the summer took place with Factory playing against Powerhouse UAA with PHH taking home the win. Below are 4 Takeaways from this past weekend.
4 Takeaways: AZ Club Basketball League Day 2
1. Reed Myers is back
While Myers might still be working out some of the kinks, he is still playing at an extremely high level. He shot the ball well, but more importantly, he got his teammates involved. Myers is a good passer with really good court vision. He has skilled teammates who are capable of making plays, which helps. With that said, he utilizes those assets extremely well. He hits ahead and understands where his teammates need to be in order to be successful.
2. Stock Riser: Jordan Mains
Mains might have been the most efficient prospect of the day at the event. Mains shot the basketball extremely well from deep. He has good length which makes it challenging to contest his shot. Further, he has a smooth and quick release. In addition to being able to shoot it in catch and shoot situations, he shot it well off of screens and off of the dribble. Mains is the real deal and his stock is going to continue to rise as he can score the ball at a high level without having to have the ball in his hands for a large portion of the possession.
3. Game Changers
The number of top tier prospects who were willing to do the little things at the Arizona Club Basketball League caught my attention. In the same game, Emmanuel Taban, Majok Deng, Ajang Aguek, and Jordan Mains all took charges. Unfortunately, far too many players are not willing to do the dirty work in order to win games. However, these guys demonstrated that they are willing to take charges and dive for loose basketballs in order to get the W. Taban stands out in this category as he is always rotating in help side and looking to give up his body for the possession.
In addition, Reed Myers stood out in this regard as he is always looking to take charges any time he is near the paint defensively. He rotates well and is willing to put his body on the line to ensure that his team has a chance to be successful.
4. Jackson Ruai: Top on Ball Defender in the state
While Ruai was solid defensively against Factory, I must admit that he largely earned this distinction at the West Coast Elite event. He has a unique blend of length, speed, and quickness. Further, he has put on some size as well. Ruai did a great job of guarding the best player in both of the games I watched him play on Sunday. Against Powerhouse UAA, he was relentless on the defensive end and caused all kids of problems. While he need to improve his shooting, there is no question about his ability to lock up defensively.