All A State Preview: Players to Watch (Evening Session)
The annual All A State tournament tips off on Thursday morning in Richmond. There are several good teams hoping to cut down nets on Sunday, including reigning All A champions Lexington Christian. Looking ahead to Thursday, here are the players…
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Continue ReadingThe annual All A State tournament tips off on Thursday morning in Richmond. There are several good teams hoping to cut down nets on Sunday, including reigning All A champions Lexington Christian. Looking ahead to Thursday, here are the players to watch in the evening session of the opening round.
- Danville’s DeShaud St Martin – The big man from Danville is a good rebounder and strong enough to finish through contact in the post. St Martin sometimes falls in love with his jumpshot too much but when he gets on the block, he causes mismatches for opponents who can’t handle him in the post.
- Elliott County’s Korbin Spencer – One of the best unsigned Seniors in Kentucky, Spencer is averaging just shy of 30 points per game for the Lions and has them in position to get to Rupp Arena in March. He also leads the team in rebounding at over 8 boards per game. Spencer is almost definitely a Mr. Basketball finalist and caused a drastic shift in the 16th region when he came back from Hargrave Military Academy before the season started.
- Clinton County’s Jackson Harlan – Committed to Western Kentucky since July, Harlan is one of the best scorers in the western part of the state. Jackson is averaging 24 points per game this year and I watched him put up 40+ in back to back games this summer so he’s capable of going off at any time. Coach Messer runs a ton of sets to put Harlan in a position to score so look for him to attack the rim for all 32 minutes.
- Shelby Valley’s Cody Potter – One of the best players you’ve probably never heard of, Cody is a top scorer in the state and averages a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds per game for the Wildcats. He’s also a top shooter in the Junior class with shooting splits of 51/42/85 and is capable of going for 40 this week in Richmond.
- Newport’s Tahj Harding – Probably the best player in the 9th region this season, Harding put on a show in Lexington last month when Newport made a run at the Traditional Bank Classic. Tahj averages a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. He’s a volume shooter but can put the ball in the basket.
- Kentucky Country Day’s Michael Collis – The Junior leads KCD in points and rebounds. Not a great shooter, Collis shoots just well enough to keep the defense honest but struggles beyond the three point line where he only shoots 19% for the season.
- Bishop Brossart’s JD Schumacher – Averaging 15 points and 6 rebounds per game is good enough to lead Brossart in those categories. The Senior leader is a good scorer and makes enough 3s at 33% from the field to keep defenses honest.
- University Height’s KyKy Tandy – The presumed leader for Mr. Basketball at this point in the season, Tandy is a walking highlight and will likely put on a show over the course of the weekend. Tandy’s shooting percentages are way down this year, especially from 3 but he is capable of getting hot in a hurry. The 6’1 guard has already signed with Xavier for next season.