Battle Born Classic Recap: 5 Takeaways
The BBC got underway today at Durango. The event featured high school games of all levels. Centennial and Durango’s B and JV teams clashed at 11:30 and 12:30 respectively. Desert Oasis faced 3A power Chaparral in the afternoon, and the…
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Continue ReadingThe BBC got underway today at Durango. The event featured high school games of all levels. Centennial and Durango’s B and JV teams clashed at 11:30 and 12:30 respectively. Desert Oasis faced 3A power Chaparral in the afternoon, and the event concluded with Centennial taking on the host team at 6:30. In addition to the boy’s action, this event featured 6 girls’ games. It was a terrific opportunity to evaluate prospects at all levels. Here are my 5 Takeaways from the Battle Born Classic.
(1) Dom Ford Can Score From Every Level.
I always hear this can score from all 3 levels stuff. While it sounds good, I’m not quite sure what they’re talking about. What I do know is that Dominique Ford can score from every level. The guy makes 3’s, can dribble-drive into mid-range shots, and gets to the rim. He also can turn defense into offense, score in the post and put back offensive rebounds. Ford had the complete repertoire on display on Saturday as he finished with 22 to lead DO to a victory.
(2) The Size And Length Of Desert Oasis Is Underrated.
The Diamondbacks are a candidate for my All – Airport team. They have a ton of size and length. Between Mason Mich’l, Cade Savell, and Marcus Connolly they can easily roll out a frontcourt of 6’5 and over. The size isn’t limited to just their bigs either. Evan Lake, Dom Ford and Nathan Van are all 6’2 or taller and capable ballhandlers that can solidify the backcourt. DO used their size to harass Chap, get deflections and force turnovers. Their size is more than just for looks, as the frontcourt guys are extremely fluid, and the backcourt guys have the strength to score down low.
(3) Austin Anderson Has Volleyball Lift On His Shot.
It should come as no surprise, considering he is one of the most talented Volleyball players in the state. Anderson puts those hops to good use. He has springs in his legs and gets tremendous lift on his jump shot. This translates into both his catch and shoot jumpers as well as pull-ups.
(4) Durango Has The Deepest Frontcourt Of Any Team In The State.
It dawned on me during the Durango game, that they are never without a frontcourt presence on the floor. The Trailblazers have the luxury of bringing quality bigs off the bench. Their quartet of Tyson Guild, Kendrick Gilbert, Sam Johnson, and Jacob Howard each provide their own unique skill. Guild, is an athletic rim protector. Johnson uses his size and strength to carve out space down low. Howard is a dedicated rim runner, and Kendrick Gilbert quietly gets buckets around the rim. They are an unselfish group that loves to play for one another. Gilbert spoke about the luxury of now having two new additions to the frontcourt. “Last season it was just me and Tyson” Although competitive in practice according to Howard, these guys genuinely enjoy seeing each other succeed.
(5) Is Durango A Title Contender?
Yes. As always, the title goes through Gorman, however, Durango has the size, depth, and talent to compete. To have a chance to beat Gorman you’re going to have to have.
- Elite Guards – Both Keshon Gilbert and Anthony Hunter are D1 guards.
- Size – As mentioned above Durango has 4 bigs that they rotate ranging in size from 6’5 – 6’6
- Coaching – Chad Beeten is one of the top coaches in the state
- Confidence – The Trailblazers already took Gorman to the wire once. Beeten has also had his share of battles with the Gales while at Clark. These experiences should serve Durango well, as they won’t be intimidated taking the floor against BG.