Utah Fall Jump-Off Evals: Elite 24 Volt
The Utah Fall Jump-Off took place from Thursday through Saturday and a number of club teams from Oregon made their first appearance of the season. For Elite 24, their Volt squad ended up with the best showing with a 3-1…
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Continue ReadingThe Utah Fall Jump-Off took place from Thursday through Saturday and a number of club teams from Oregon made their first appearance of the season. For Elite 24, their Volt squad ended up with the best showing with a 3-1 record, with their only loss to a Division I talent-laden PHH Prep squad in a game they only lost by 13 points. The squad was filled with several top players from the state’s Class of 2022 and here’s a look at how they performed.
Samaje Morgan Samaje Morgan 5'9" | PG Churchill | 2022 State OR (2022 Churchill)
It’d been awhile since we had seen Morgan play – it was last at the Les Schwab Invitational – so we had forgotten just how quick and fast the point guard was. The 5-foot-9 point guard was a complete blur on the court, racing up and down whether he had the ball in his hands or not. The second there was a steal in Elite 24’s pressure defense, he was streaking to the hoop for either an easy two for himself or a dish to a teammate. Morgan’s outside shot may still need some consistency but he hit enough of them to keep the defenses honest and his patented runner in the lane was on target. From a floor leader’s perspective, he dished out at least five dimes in every game and almost finished the event with a double-double, just missing out with nine assists. In our mind, he’s currently the top pure point guard in the state in any class.
Mack Wall Mack Wall 6'7" | PF Jesuit | 2022 State OR (2022 Jesuit)
Wall was one of the players we really wanted to see in the event given how much we’d heard about him, and for us he certainly lived up to billing. He ended up leading the team in scoring at over 17 ppg and he did it while being incredibly efficient. He simply knows how to move well without the basketball and get himself into positions to catch and shoot from the perimeter from mid-range out to three, cut to the hoop for an easy layup, or post up and perform a simple drop step move for a bucket. The lefty may not have handled the ball a lot but the truth was he really didn’t need to. Defensively he blocked some shots inside but also guarded guys out on the perimeter. Wall will need to add some weight to his lanky 6-foot-7 frame but this upcoming season we fully expect him to make some serious noise at Jesuit.
Christian Rowell Christian Rowell 6'7" | SF Lake Oswego | 2022 State OR (2022 Mountainside)
Rowell missed a lot of this past season at Mountainside due to illness and injury, but never quit working hard on his game. The 6-foot-7 wing/forward has always been a finesse player but over the weekend we saw some new aggressiveness to his game. Rowell drove hard to the hoop and finished either with his lefty flip floater or strong at the cup, with one flying jam on the break making the highlight reels. He stepped out for a few catch-and-shoot threes along the baseline and wing, showcasing his sweet lefty stroke. Defensively, Rowell helped guard the paint and was a shot-blocking threat.
Malik Ross Malik Ross 6'0" | CG Tualatin | 2022 State OR (2022 Tualatin)
Look up the phrase power guard in the baller dictionary and you’ll see a picture of Ross. The 5-foot-11 guard is built like a tank and was fearles driving to the hoop all weekend long. Just as effective was his pull-up jumper, of which he often converted while heavily covered. While Ross isn’t necessarily a three-point threat, he hit a few to keep the defense honest. Ross also helped out with point guard duties and made good decisions with his passing, both in transition and in the half-court.
Braden Hudgins Braden Hudgins 6'6" | SF Forest Grove | 2021 State OR (2021 Forest Grove)
The lone senior on the team, Hudgins spent the majority of his time anchoring things down inside. He’s added bulk and muscle to his frame and at 6-foot-7, was willing to bang the boards and and really compete in the lane. He showcased some of his nice perimeter shooting by knocking down some catch-and-shoot threes and also created a bit off the dribble as well.
Peyton Meyers (2022 North Marion)
Of the reserves, Meyers provided the most offensive punch. At 6-foot-5 and lanky, he was taller than most other perimeter defenders he faced off the bench and he showed a nice outside stroke from beyond the arc. Meyers did create a bit off the bounce as well and even played some at point guard when needed.
Shane Arnold (2022 Summit)
Arnold provided muscle and toughness off the bench on the frontline. Offensively he set up shop in the post and seemed to find a groove in the team’s third game by scoring ten points on a variety of buckets around the hoop out to mid-range. Arnold was very active on the glass and didn’t back down from anyone.
Spencer McKelligon Spencer McKelligon 6'3" | SF Jesuit | 2022 State OR (2022 Jesuit)
Also giving the frontline a spark off the bench was McKelligon, who also didn’t back down from anyone. The 6-foot-3 forward showed off a bit more of an offensive game by spotting up and knocking down some mid-range jumpers. McKelligon fought hard on the boards on both ends and was extremely tough defensively.