Five Standouts: Eaglecrest versus Cherry Creek
Earlier this week was a Centennial showdown between two of the best and youngest teams in the best conference in the state going at it. Eaglecrest is a mixed team of senior leadership but also has talented underclassmen that step…
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Continue ReadingEarlier this week was a Centennial showdown between two of the best and youngest teams in the best conference in the state going at it. Eaglecrest is a mixed team of senior leadership but also has talented underclassmen that step up when needed and Cherry Creek is a team that consists of mostly underclassmen but have plenty of varsity experience. Creek put together one of their most balanced games and hit some timely shots to beat the Raptors 60-57 in what we deemed as the game of the night. Here are five players that stood out.
Sebastian Cole and Myles Purchase a dynamic duo
One of the biggest reasons that the Bruins were able to win this game was due to their defense. They were trapping and pressing Eaglecrest and they were turning the ball over. The two main culprits were Sebastian Cole and Myles Purchase as they were heading the charge and getting their hands in the passing lanes. Purchase had seven points in the game as he was out on the break and finished, got to the FT line and also hit a dagger 3-pointer that put the Raptors away but he was best on the defensive end of the floor. He finished with three steals in the game and also defended Ruckard as well as anybody else has this season. He is an athletic player that commits on that end of the floor and he had a backcourt running mate in Sebastian Cole that also joined in. Cole chipped in eight points for the Bruins. He was not finishing how he wanted to so he made sure to get involved on the defensive end of the floor. He got a steal but also played excellent help-side defense and also gave the Raptors different looks. He hit a 3-pointer and also found open teammates as well.
Zion Ruckard attacked
Ruckard finished with 16 points in the game but it came in different ways then we are used to. The Creek defense was a bit different as for once we saw guards that were able to match his speed. He had 11 points in the first half and then in the fourth quarter he went back to getting inside of the lane and trying to make plays. He went to the FT line six times in the final frame alone and that goes to tell you when he is attacking the rim, teams are having a difficult time slowing him down. He also made a few key passes that led to his team getting a few easy baskets and whenever his team needed a basket for him he seemed to deliver. It was a bit different of a game that I have gotten accustomed to with him but to see him adjust throughout the game and still remain his downhill attacking self while finding lanes for others was a positive sign even though it came with a loss.
Skylar Wilson is finding his outside shot
This was a game that he was ONLY playing on the perimeter and that is an area that he will have to work on as when he is going inside and dissecting teams with his size on the block and hitting shots inside while also shooting the outside jumper which is almost impossible for high school players to block with his 6’7 frame he is going to be an even more dangerous weapon to attempt to contain. It is hard when you see one fall early though and the way that Eaglecrest plays and what Cherry Creek was allowing was outside shots. Wilson opened up the defense with his early 3-pointer and then moved a lot without the ball after. He did not get any other clean looks until later in the game and he hit both of those as well. Starting Wilson a few plays on the block and forcing switches to get him on a smaller defender will open up his game a bit more and also getting to the free-throw line will make it a bit more difficult to defend him but all-in-all, not a bad game for him as he finished with three 3-pointers in the game for nine points.
Ty Robinson more aggressive
This was one of the better Robinson games I had seen this year as he finished the game with 16 points and was actively hunting for his shot. He hit a 3-pointer in every single quarter and also made it a point to get inside where he went to the free-throw line. He was not turning down open looks and also seemed to step up to the challenge against another top player. He and Hammond went at it for the night as they are both two players in the 2021 Top-3 rankings that we just came out with so there was added incentive in that alone. Robinson responded on big shots and runs that the Bruins went through and stepped up in his battle while attempting to get Eaglecrest a win. I really enjoyed seeing him shoot more.
Julian Hammond III takes over
Hammond has that take over badge where he demands the ball on every single possession and knows when he is in a rhythm and against Eaglecrest he was in a rhythm. This was a game that I am sure was circled on his calendar as he made it a point to guard Ty Robinson on every single possession and this was a personal game for him. One thing about this game is it is smooth. He is not just out there settling for jumpers as one of the best shooters in the entire state but he got inside and finished in traffic and also stepped out and hit his shot. Hammond finished with 26 points as he was a very efficient 11-16 from the field. He defended at a high level which is something that he has progressed at but what I really enjoyed was his playmaking abilities. He finished with four assists and it was at crucial moments where Eaglecrest was selling out on trying to slow him down. He was finding his players for open passes right under the rim and this was a game that he proved just how good he really is. Big night for him.