Best Two-Way Players of Southern and Northern Nevada
In sports a two-way player is defined as a player that is dominant on the offensive side and defensive side of the ball. With the 2019-2020 season officially in the books its time to reflect on all the stellar performances…
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Continue ReadingIn sports a two-way player is defined as a player that is dominant on the offensive side and defensive side of the ball. With the 2019-2020 season officially in the books its time to reflect on all the stellar performances we have seen this past year. Many young players made a name for themselves and jumped on a lot of radars for their dominate play. Here’s a look at some of the ones who really left their mark on the games they played.
Cort Ballinger 5’10 PG Bishop Manogue 2021 (#25PHN 2021) 11.8 ppg 6.8 apg 5.8 rpg 4.8 spg – You can’t talk about defense in the state of Nevada without bringing up Ballinger’s name. He has the ultimate basketball name in Cort because he runs the court. He is the ultimate floor general. He’s a trusted leader. He will protect the ball for you and won’t make a lot of bad decisions The state’s leading assist man had a game-high of 14 earlier this season against Damonte Ranch. And Ballinger is a lock down defender averaging a suffocating 4.8 steals per game. Ballinger is the key to a lot of Bishop Manogue’s success. He is a do it all complete player who always leaves an impact in a major way.
Seth Bozzi 6’5 PF Mineral County 2020 12.8 ppg 2.1 apg 12.9 rpg 1.7 bpg – Bozzi’s strong inside play helped Mineral County to their second straight title. Bozzi is a three sport athlete that uses his athleticism and height to strike fear and overpower his opponents. Bozi has good size, length, and jump ability. He was dominant on the glass all season, with 19 games of 10 rebounds or more.What makes Bozzi game so well rounded is the fact he can score in many different ways Bozzi has scored in double figures in 17 games. He was a double double machine in a lot of games and he is one of those seniors who had a fantastic high school career.
Jesus Gonzales 6’1 SG West Wendover 2020 22.2 ppg 1.9 apg 7.8 rpg 2.3 spg 1.2 bpg – Gonzales was the leading scorer for the 2A state champs. The senior played at an extremely high level all season. He dominated at the 2A level all year recording an insane 10 double- doubles on the season including a 27 point 14 rebound game in a 1 point victory against American Leadership Academy. Gonzales plays every position for his team. It’s not uncommon to see the 6’1 SG grab the ball off the glass lead the break and set up his teammates. His rebounding numbers are Russel Westbrook esque. Not only is he a solid rebounder and shooter he is also a lock down man to man defender. He has had multiple 6 steal and 6 block games. Really if you played West Wendover this season it was pick your poison when it came to playing Gonzales because he could score on you lock your best player down and grab the rebound after the miss.
Kade Madsen 6’2 SG Palo Verde 2020 (PHN #17) 13.5 ppg 5.4 apg 5.7 rpg 2.0 spg- Madsen has what I like too call a buffet game because he does a little bit of everything. A solid athlete with wide receiver speed. It’s his speed that makes him a solid combo guard.He’s able to get a lot of his assists out in transition. Madsen is a willing passer and a marksmen from deep. Teams had to play honest defense on him all year. As a defender you can’t give him space because he was a shooting threat. If the defender was lazy for just a second Madsen would pick you apart with his passing ability. The ultimate zone buster. He has an overall game and is the ultimate competitor. I’m a huge fan of this kid because he is never afraid to guard the other teams best player. Those 2 steals per game he averaged were hard earned hustle steals. He’s a scrappy defender. Once his Mormon mission is over I can see this young man being a walk on some where.
Tavionte Jackson 6’0 PG Las Vegas 2022 (PHN #6) 17.1 ppg 3.4 apg 7.0 rpg 2.4 spg – Perhaps no player has risen as rapidly as Jackson. Jackson is starting to develop the reputation as being one of the better guards in the state. The reason for his rise was his terrific sophomore season. Jackson did it all for Las Vegas this year leading the team in points and steals. He was second in assist, and perhaps most impressively, he was 2nd on the team in rebounds averaging over 7 per game. He is a tempo setting player who is only getting better each time he plays. His feel for the game at such a young age is impressive. Jackson’s stock will continue to rise.