10 observations from Gilbert at Casteel
On Tuesday night I attended the 5A Gilbert Tigers at 5A Casteel Colts. Here were 10 observations from the two games I viewed: #1 Gilbert has some nice youth on their roster with size. #2 Casteel has one freshman…
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Continue ReadingOn Tuesday night I attended the 5A Gilbert Tigers at 5A Casteel Colts.
Here were 10 observations from the two games I viewed:
#1 Gilbert has some nice youth on their roster with size.
#2 Casteel has one freshman on JV that will probably start next year with Nathan Ko.
Nathan Ko SG 6’0 2023 Casteel
-Athletic scoring guard can score it from all 3 levels. He is very crafty, skilled and smart. He has a good burst to get into the lane and finishes high above the ground. He can hit the deep 3 and plays a physical game. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him avg 10+ on varsity next year when Russell and Franks graduate.
#3 One freshman player stood out from Gilbert’s freshman/Soph team:
KJ Perry SG/SF 6’1 2023 Gilbert
-A defensive minded wing is a plus athlete. Moves really well in space and can score inside and out. He likes to touch the paint and score it but can hit shots from mid-range. He can guard anyone from the 1-3.
#4 Gilbert JV team has two bigs who may start next year with Trent Moser and Reed Shuey.
#5 Here were some of the standouts from both teams on JV:
Trent Moser PF 6’6 2022 Gilbert
-For those who watched Pinnacle over the years, Moser reminds me of a Patrick Kelly clone. A very skilled face-up 4-man. He can shoot it to the 3pt line and from mid-range. He can score it a little inside with a floater or layup but prefers to shoot it. He has great length and nice athleticism. The main issue for recruitment purposes is he may go play volleyball only. He is arguably the top volleyball player in the state, so it’s possible he quits the sport all together next year.
Moser is a true talent who excels at two sports.Reed Shuey PF 6’4 2022 Gilbert
-A physical 4-man who is an incredible rebounder in and out of his area. He uses his strength and huge motor to get every ball. He is efficient scoring the ball in the paint and he is one of those players who will run through a wall for his teams success.
Elijah Johnson PG 5’9 2022 Gilbert
-Fast guard who has good thickness and quicks. He can score it inside and has a nice pull-up from mid-range. He is creative off the pick and roll and just another talented guard the Tigers have at their school.
Liam Burt SG 6’0 2022 Casteel
-A quick scoring guard is very shifty and has some game. He can hesitate to freeze the defense and get into the lane and can hit from mid to the 3pt line. He just got back from an injury and he will be another guard like Ko that I can see playing some nice minutes next year on varsity.
Jaden Hager PG 5’8 2022 Casteel
-A well built scoring lead guard who can put up points quickly. He moved in from Philly and has good speed plus can hit from the perimeter. He will definitely play on varsity next year as well.
Varsity game:
#6 Gilbert is tough to beat when big man Griffin Lamb is playing well.
#7 Gilbert’s guards control many games and how well they shoot it in the playoffs may determine if they can beat the top teams in 5A for state.
#8 Casteel plays arguably faster then most schools in the AIA. They try scoring kind of like the old Suns team of 7 seconds or less. It is a fun style that has the entire varsity team getting minutes.
#9 When Casteel head coach Brett Huston retires next year. He will be missed.
It was a decision made back in November after careful consideration. For those that don’t know, for the past 14 years I’ve suffered through a rare neurological disorder called Trigeminal Neuralgia.
— Brett Huston (@hustonfive) January 9, 2020
#10 Here were the Varsity standouts:
Gilbert 77 Casteel 69
Griffin Lamb PF 6’8 2020 Gilbert
-A long forward post player who has soft hands. He catches all passes thrown his way and has a nose for the ball to rebound. He seems to make any shot near the cup. Floaters, hook shots, reverse layups or tough contested shots. He moves well in space to hedge on a guard and can surprisingly handle the ball really well up the court.
Brycen Long CG 6’2 2020 Gilbert
-IQ is off the charts and has a great feel for the game. The Houston Baptist commit has a pure stroke from deep but loves his mid-range pull-up off the dribble. He has a nice floater plus makes smart reads to his teammates. He also moves well without the ball. Knows when to cut and always seems to make clutch shots or FT’s late in games.
Jaqwuan Myles PG 6’0 2020 Gilbert
-A top-tier on-ball defender is very physical. He gets downhill using his body and strength with his tighter handle and scores it through contact. He is a smart passer and is the pure PG of the strong group of guards.
Paul Maldonado CG 6’0 2020 Gilbert
-A true combo guard makes plays for others and plays well on or off the ball. Another tough guard that doesn’t mind playing physical and defending. He also makes shots from all 3 levels.
Deven Franks PG 6’1 2020 Casteel
-Super quick and has really polished up his perimeter shooting. He is very comfortable from mid to the 3pt line. He gets it off quickly and has great speed with the ball in his hands. Takes body contact well and can go straight at bigs to score it.
Caelan Russell CG 6’0 2020 Casteel
-Another fast senior guard is more of a scorer. He has good open court speed and gets downhill quickly. He plays hard and rebounds well for a guard. He can improve his deep shooting but has a top tier motor and competes on every possession.
Carson Ledbetter PF 6’6 2022 Casteel
-The lone big on varsity is patient inside the paint and can score it with either hand. He is pushing 6’7 and has good length. He rebounds well out of his area using his physical attributes. The soph shows nice upside.