10 observations from PHHS at ALA-QC
On Tuesday night I attended the Paradise Honors at American Leadership Academy-Queen Creek game. Here were 10 observations from the games I viewed: #1 Both JV teams are stacked with talented youth and most likely won’t lose many games,…
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Continue ReadingOn Tuesday night I attended the Paradise Honors at American Leadership Academy-Queen Creek game.
Here were 10 observations from the games I viewed:
#1 Both JV teams are stacked with talented youth and most likely won’t lose many games, if any at all, the rest of the year in 3A.
Here were the top 3 performers:
JV Score: Paradise Honors 46 at ALA-QC 55
Brooks Jones SF 6’5 2022 American Leadership Academy-Queen Creek
-A fluid wing forward who is very athletic. He can score it from all 3 levels with good length. He can comfortably shoot from the 3pt line plus go down the lane and flush it above the rim. He can hit from mid-range and rebounds out of area.
Ashton Earl PF 6’6 2022 American Leadership Academy-Queen Creek
-A big and strong post player who is a top-tier rebounder. He boxes out and carves up space inside and springs up to grab the rebound. He can face-up from elbow and in and has a decent hook shot. He is an extremely strong kid as he was moving anyone who defended him. First time viewing him and was impressed.
Jones and Earl were dominant together and will both start next year on varsity.Jayson Hunt F 6’4 2022 Paradise Honors
-A long and fluid athletic forward. He likes facing up and is active near the rim. He has a nice left-handed hook shot and can extend his shot out to around 15-feet. He can handle the ball decently and throw it down with a good second jump.
Varsity game:
#2 Both varsity teams have a chance at the Final-4 this year for 3A.
#3 Paradise Honors is the odds on favorite to win it all in 3A and will be very good in 4A next year.
#4 PHHS Head coach Zach Hettel got kicked out on one of the first plays of the game but guards Jalen Scott and Wyatt Bell took care of business.
#5 The rebounding edge unofficially was probably 2-1 in PHHS favor. Iliya, Nwotite and Scott were all over the place.
#6 The defensive pressure PHHS put on the guards were one of the main reasons they won the game.
#7 The two bigs of Devon Brooke and Dyson Lighthall will give teams problems all year long!
#8 ALA-QC guards will have to step up on the biggest stage if they want to win it all.
#9 PHHS may get better when super soph Nate Pickens is eligible.
#10 Here were the Varsity standouts:
Varsity Score: Paradise Honors 86 at ALA-QC 58
Jerry Iliya F 6’5 2020 Paradise Honors
-Downhill driver who is very strong and athletic. He is a way above the rim athlete on the break. He is also an outstanding rebounder and defends well in space. He can guard post players with immense strength and he is a capable perimeter shooter but still needs to make strides with his consistency.
Jalen Scott PG 6’3 2021 Paradise Honors (pictured)
-A bigger true PG who is improving his skills and athleticism. The ball gets out of his hands so quickly to make pinpoint passes to teammates. He is an unreal advanced passer and has a nice burst to get into the lane and throw a dart. His pull-up off the dribble has greatly improved and he is decent off the catch from the 3pt line.
Wyatt Bell SG 6’1 2021 Paradise Honors (pictured)
-A scoring guard who has a pure stroke from the perimeter played in his first AIA game in over a year. He hit 6 3’s with a very quick trigger. Even his FT attempts have a fast release. His fluidity with the ball has improved and he also has become more athletic. His feel for the game is good and makes smart reads to teammates.
Blessing Nwotite SG 6’2 2022 Paradise Honors
-A defensive nightmare. He is a fast-twitched guard with good length and athleticism. He can guard every position on the court and guarded the 6’7 Brooke most of the night. He is an incredible rebounder for position and collects steals in bunches. He is a downhill scorer but has made some strides with his 3pt shot.
Devon Brooke SF 6’7 2020 ALA-QC
-Plays like a bigger guard and handles the ball really well. Makes incredible passes to teammates. He loves the deep 3 and did something I haven’t seen him do yet which is pull-up off the dribble from the 3pt line like a guard would. He has a nice floater game and is a good rebounder in area.
Dyson Lighthall PF 6’8 2020 ALA-QC
-A thick post player is starting to take his game to the perimeter on a more consistent basis. He can comfortably shoot the 3 plus is still a low post beast. He has a polished hook shot over the defender and has the softest hands. He can dribble in traffic to create his own shot and is very strong to work inside vs anyone.