Bryce’s Notebook: Early 16U standouts from the #GrindSZNKickoff
Jaden Bray 2021 Buddy Buckets Elite point guard
Jaden Bray is given to be the fastest player on the floor at any time, and he does a great job of pushing the pace for Buddy Buckets. Bray has an elite combination of athleticism, quickness, finesse and control, as he can score in spurts and expose defenders’ shortcomings, especially in their abilities to move laterally and play help defense. He can pass the call exceptionally well in movement, routinely dishing the ball out in traffic quicker than you could blink.
Ethan Scott 2022 Buddy Buckets Elite point guard
Ethan Scott shot 5-of-7 from 3-point land in Buddy Buckets’s first matchup of the day on Friday evening. Scott was electrifying to opposing defenders, showcasing his next-to-none shooting talents as he played up a division in 16U. The soon-to-be sophomore, who just finished his freshman season at Westmoore High School, displayed what many in the gym already knew: few can shoot the ball out of the spot up as consistently and repetitively as Scott.
Trey Alexander 2021 Team Griffin wing (pictured above)
When you’re the first-ranked sophomore in your state, many expectations come with your young successes. Alexander regularly exceeds those prior expectations as he did on Friday afternoon in Team Griffin’s first-round matchup of pool play. Alexander is an elite scorer, who utilizes his 6-foot-5-inch frame to score from each of the three levels. Namely, he is an explosive ball-handler who can blow by his defender with his refined crossover, hesitation or pump fake.
Bijan Cortes 2021 Team Griffin point guard
Bijan Cortes, a standout sophomore from Kingfisher High School, must still have momentum on his side. After leading his team to a 4A State Championship just month ago, Cortes was back in action Friday night playing as well or better than I have ever seen him. His floor vision can be considered among the best of players in the 16U division. He is an extremely talented down-floor passer and can quickly expose defenses by taking advantage of the passes that most players can’t make or, frankly, don’t see. Cortes’s height lends to his ability to see and quarterback the floor as he stands at 6-foot-4-inches.
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