2022 Lehigh Valley Conference Players to Watch Pt. 2
Pennsylvania is gearing up for what is being hyped up to be one of the most interesting, competitive and intriguing high school boys basketball seasons in recent memory. It’s been well over 250 days since basketball has been played across…
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Continue ReadingPennsylvania is gearing up for what is being hyped up to be one of the most interesting, competitive and intriguing high school boys basketball seasons in recent memory.
It’s been well over 250 days since basketball has been played across the state, and programs have been gearing up for these last few weeks for quite a while.
Prep Hoops continues a multi-part series, taking a closer look at some juniors to watch in the Lehigh Valley Conference.
Liam Joyce, PF Allentown Catholic: Joyce’s athleticism is the first thing that pops off the page when watching him on film. He makes acrobatic plays on both sides of the ball and it’s really impressive to watch him lung out for a rebound, track down a player for a block on the boards or maneuver his way into the lane for a crafty layup. His 6-4 frame really helps out when it comes to his ability to get anywhere he wants and dominate the game. He’ll find a way to score, however it might be, so expect him to build off his success from his sophomore year and blossom this season.
Steve Recchio, SF/SG Bethlehem Catholic: Recchio is a complete player, playing out of that shooting guard/forward combo. He’s versatile on the floor, able to adjust and switch different positions, but he’s a scorer. He shoots it well from beyond the arc, a really easy motion, but he’s a confident shooter. At 6-3, he can also feature down low on the block, creating turnovers from blocks or broken-up passes, and he makes opponents work for a bucket, playing stout, tough defense.
Kola Lysynecky, F/C Easton Area: Lysynecky is the type of player you want dominating the boards, commanding the paint, just being a big presence down low. A 6-7 forward, he shows promise as both a traditional center and a stretch 5, the latter of which will play more in college and the pros. His presence and size on the court is simply overpowering against opposition and if someone comes in the lane to contest a rebound or try to get up a shot, he’s taking that rebound or swatting that shot away. It’s just sheer big man dominance with Lysynecky.
Josh Farrell, PG/SG Liberty: Farrell fits the mold of an elite combo guard, offering the best of both worlds when he gets on the floor. He likes to push the tempo of the game, speed it up as he accelerates to the rim, either putting up a high percentage shot attempt or drawing contact for a foul. That also helps on the defensive side as he’s pesky, disrupting play, creating a lot of steals and bad passes that end up with Liberty on the fast break the other way.
CJ Santos, SF/SG Nazareth: Nazareth has a deep junior class, and Santos is one of the highlights of this upperclassmen core. There are some minor tweaks he needs to make in his game, especially being a bit more effective and efficient at the hoop, but he’s aggressive and he plays hard, which has created significantly more scoring opportunities. Aggressive play is a real positive and for Santos, that’s going to translate into a stronger scorer who will use his 6-4 frame more to create space in the paint and push his way in for an easy bucket for Nazareth.
Stay with Prep Hoops this season for more player profiles and previews as the 2020/21 high school boys basketball season creeps closer.