AHSAA January 6-11: Top 5 Players
It was an amazing week in Alabama as many teams began Area play. There were several great performances all week, but below are my 5 top players from the week. 1. Colby Jones, Mountain Brook: Colby is the PrepHoops #1…
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Continue ReadingIt was an amazing week in Alabama as many teams began Area play. There were several great performances all week, but below are my 5 top players from the week.
1. Colby Jones, Mountain Brook: Colby is the PrepHoops #1 player in the state of Alabama and committed to play for Xavier next year. He clearly showed that he was the best player on the floor from the start of the game against Vestavia. He was doubled immediately on the very first possession. The entire Mountain Brook offense went through him. He is an effortless passer, being able to pass anywhere around the court. At the end of the first quarter, he hit a beautiful fall-away, one-legged jumper as time expired. He is great at getting to the free throw line and capitalizing on it. As good as he is, though, he can be stopped. Vestavia tried to shut him down with double teams, but often picked him up at half court and he was able to exploit them because of his athleticism. What really makes Mountain Brook great is not Colby Jones, but the immense amount of discipline and shooters surrounding him.
2. Jalon Chapman, Buckhorn: He was a dominant figure the entire game and a pivotal piece in the Bucks’ 75-55 win over the Austin Blackbears. With less than a second left in the first half, he cut down the lane and finished the inbound lob with ease. He was an excellent “point-forward” able to secure the rebound on one end and push the pace and lead the fast break on the other end. He did it on both ends all night and was a matchup nightmare for Austin.
3. John Barranco, Vestavia Hills: John was the court general for the Rebels against the Mountain Brook Spartans. He seemed to model the style of LA Lakers guard, Rajon Rondo. He was very good with directing the offense from the top of the key. He could get in the lane and was very crafty with his ball fakes and shot fakes. He had quick hands on defense getting steals and deflections. He shoots well from anywhere on the court, but reluctantly. When he would drive he could separate by using an effective hop step. Sometimes he gets a little too risky on offense and tries a little too hard. As good of a player as he is, he needs to find the right balance of pass-first and getting your shot off.
4. Brody Peebles, Hartselle: Where do we even start with Brody? How about 40 points and 7 rebounds? Brody was a walking bucket for the hometown Tigers in the win against the Bearcats from Cullman. He was all over the court whether it be inside, outside, or the freethrow line. Brody never gave up and never let his energy cool off. He was agitating on defense, trying to make a steal immediately off a defensive rebound. He would pick up defenders 3/4 of the court and relentless on the boards. Hats off to Brody with an amazing performance.
5. Jayden Sullins, Cullman: Jayden led the way for the Bearcats scoring 18 points in the loss the Hartselle. He always played at a high pace. He loved attacking off the dribble, finishing layups, pulling up for floaters, or kicking out to the perimeter three. He was nifty and able to spin to his right for the finish. He anticipated passing lanes well and got a couple of steals. He did have the tendency to drive in so hard and aggressively that he could not gather himself properly for the floater and it would go hard off the rim.