Standout 2022s from Underground Invitational IX
After a week off, I got back in the gym to check out some of the top players in the state go after it in a concentrated private run. There were some of the usuals, some new faces, and plenty…
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Continue ReadingAfter a week off, I got back in the gym to check out some of the top players in the state go after it in a concentrated private run. There were some of the usuals, some new faces, and plenty of baskets to go around. Here are the 2022 standouts on the day.
Jaeton Hackley Jaeton Hackley 5'11" | PG Douglas County | 2022 State CO — Douglas County
Hackley is on a tear right now and will be one of the exciting players that I make sure to watch this upcoming season. This week was much more of the same for him. Hackley is a true floor general that can find his teammates anywhere on the court and was the best passer on the day. He had some no-look passes, outlet passes, and crafty pocket passes for basket after basket. Although he does not say much, he lets his game do the talking. He led his unit and shot the ball well from deep as he was hitting consistent 3-pointers and stopping on the dime for mid-range pull-ups. He is shifty on offense and does what he wants, so it was great to see him get after it for yet another week as a standout guard.
Jackson Brennan Jackson Brennan 6'3" | CG ThunderRidge | 2022 State CO — ThunderRidge
This was my first time seeing him in the run, and he looked comfortable. Brennan is a player that fits any situation, and it is going to be great to see him with ThunderRidge this upcoming season because he is one of the best X-factor, fit any role type of players. Brennan does everything well and is as balanced as they come. Brennan shot the ball well, found holes in the defense as he cut without the ball as a slasher, and his gravity on offense opened things up for his teammates. On defense is where he really impacts the game. Brennan got his hands on everything; he was getting on-ball strips, poking the ball loose, and very active on that end of the floor. He is also super athletic and showcases that in various ways—exciting player to watch that I want to see more of.
Brock Mishak Brock Mishak 6'3" | CG Fossil Ridge | 2022 State CO — Fossil Ridge
Mishak is the baby-faced assassin. He looks like the youngest player in the gym but has a mature calmness to his game. He is a natural scorer with a nice shooting stroke. He is grabbing boards, starting the break, and pushing the pace. Mishak is a shooter, but is also comfortable breaking defenders down off of the dribble, starts the break, and cuts after making passes. Mishak understands spacing and had some strong finishes through contact as he held his own to show that he belongs. He rebounds well, uses his size on both ends of the floor, and plays extremely hard at all times. It was great to see him in this setting to evaluate him around his peers.
Elijah Knudsen Elijah Knudsen 5'10" | CG Mead | 2022 State CO —Mead
Where Elijah goes, 3-pointers follow. The last time that I had seen him play, he had just reeled off one of the best shooting performances that I had seen in quite some time. Knudsen has continued to prove that is, without a doubt, one of the best 3-point shooters in the state, and he had it going from deep yet again. This week was a perfect blend of knocking down shots and also looking to make players for others as well. He was setting up teammates, driving and kicking, and he also got to the rim and finished with both hands. Knudsen is a difficult player to defend when he mixes it up and has the defense guessing.
Joey Bilello Joey Bilello 6'8" | SF Thunderridge | 2022 State CO — ThunderRidge
This was one of the aggressive days for Bilello, and that is when he is at his best. When he makes up his mind to attack, he gets to where he wants due to his size and keeps the defense guessing because he also is a knockdown shooter that can get going in bunches. Bilello was active on the boards, kept plays alive, and went right up with boards as well. On defense, he was deflecting passes, altering shots at the rim, and pushing it right when he grabbed the board. Bilello is a versatile wing that can play and defend multiple positions, and it was a day that he was able to get going on both ends of the floor, which led to his team picking up wins.