SPC Tournament: Friday Takeaways
FORT WORTH, Texas — At the SPC Boys Basketball Tournament, Jahari Long proved that he belongs in the conversation with state’s top point guards in the 2020 class. The tough floor general headlines Brandon Jenkins’ takeaways from Friday night of the…
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Continue ReadingFORT WORTH, Texas — At the SPC Boys Basketball Tournament, Jahari Long proved that he belongs in the conversation with state’s top point guards in the 2020 class.
The tough floor general headlines Brandon Jenkins’ takeaways from Friday night of the SPC Tournament:
WE MIGHT HAVE JAHARI LONG RANKED SLIGHTLY TOO LOW
I have been heavily critical of Jahari Long since July. However, I’m starting become more critical of myself after his performance tonight. He definitely opened my eyes tonight with his scoring from the perimeter. Known as a disciplined offensive talent who likes to facilitate primarily, Jahari took over the game vs St. Mark’s by drilling in mid-range and three-point jumpers off the bounce. The three-star guard was (as usual) magnificent distributing the rock and broke down defenders with ease utilizing his “herky-jerky” style of play. With TCU in attendance, Jahari led the Knights of Episcopal High School to another SPC Championship appearance after a close win over the Lions. His 23-point and 11-assist performance was incredible to watch.
The Knights do a tremendous job of playing together as a team. A team goes as far as their leader goes, and Jahari Long has proven to be as selfless as they come. The 6-foot-4 guard cares about every statistical category that does not involve scoring. The upside he provides at the point guard position is undeniable. He currently is being recruited by Butler, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Minnesota, Rice, Seton Hall, TCU, and VCU.
ANDREW LACZKOWSKI HAS A HIGH MAJOR CHANCE
TCU also was into see potential forward target Andrew Laczkowski perform and he did not disappoint. He was extremely active on the glass, scored with patience inside, and stepped out to knock down a long ball jumper en-route to a 19-point performance. The 6-foot-5 forward can potentially provide value to a high major school as a shooting specialist. His knack to compete and be active on the other side of the floor helps his case even more. Laczkowski holds an offer from San Diego, but expect for that to change as we are coming upon the spring season.
WHEELER LOOKS TO FINISH OFF HIS CAREER REPEATING
There were questions on if Houston Christian could make it as far as they did last season with losses of last year’s seniors: Miller Kopp, Jalon Clark, and Blake Foley. However, Sahvir Wheeler and the Mustangs have put those questions to rest as they get ready to face Episcopal High School again in the SPC State championship tomorrow at 3 P.M.
After missing the whole first semester recovering from a knee injury, Sahvir has been on a tear with his playmaking ability. His tremendous facilitating has carried on here at Trinity Valley High School. He has the sixth sense of creating open opportunities for teammates at any given situation. The Texas A&M pledge’s ability to impact a game without scoring a single point has me confident in his chances to go back-to-back. It will be an exciting game to watch.
… OTHER NOTES
- … Top 25 nationally-ranked sophomore Harrison Ingram went to work Saturday night. He scored 17 points in the loss to Episcopal. Ingram took advantage of mismatches by utilizing his back to the basket game while also hitting some shots from the outside. The four-star forward was hard to handle on the offensive glass
- … Junior big man D.J. Nussbaum was extremely productive posting a double-double of 11 points and eleven rebounds vs. St. Mark’s. He has a soft touch and a sweet stroke out to fifteen feet. The 6-foot-9 big man must continue to get stronger and work on catching and finishing inside to the point where it becomes second nature
- … Diaper dandy Colin Smith was fantastic for St. Mark’s in their semifinal loss to Episcopal. He led the Lions in scoring with 21 points, and additionally grabbed six boards, while assisting on three scores. His skill on the perimeter looks to be coming along as he is becoming a premier outside threat off the catch.
- … It was fun to watch sophomore guard Noah Kon compete. He was constantly at the rim offensively. He either finished or drew fouls when exploding to the basket. His open floor finishes also was an energy booster for his team. Kon led his team in scoring in the quarterfinal game with 22 points vs. Episcopal School of Dallas.
- … Unsigned senior Keller Casey should be on a lot of Division II’s recruiting boards. His value as an inside-out forward is inarguable. He has a strong body to physically compete and can convert on three-point play opportunities when initiating contact inside. He scored a game-high 22 points in a quarterfinal loss to Houston Christian