5 More Players To Watch This Season
This is going to be a follow up to one of my previous articles. I have mentioned before that the basketball scene in Alabama is as healthy as ever and the amount of top players in high school shows it.…
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Continue ReadingThis is going to be a follow up to one of my previous articles. I have mentioned before that the basketball scene in Alabama is as healthy as ever and the amount of top players in high school shows it. The more I thought about what to write next the more I wanted to just get some kid’s names out there that might be underappreciated. And that’s what I hope to bring you here as I go over some more underappreciated talent to watch out for this season. (I’ll try to focus more on guards in this article)
Caleb Paige Caleb Paige 6'5" | NA lbs | CG Eufaula | 2022 State #NA Nation AL – 6’5 CG – Eufala
Can a guy have a ton of hustle while also making the game look so effortless? There’s not a lot of film I can find online for him but, from what I’ve seen he uses his long strides to be a menace on both sides of the floor. Again, I don’t have much film on him to go by but that’s one of the reasons I have him on this list. A combo guard with amazing size, great vision, and an awesome playmaker Paige fits a lot of different molds. He should certainly be on your radar for the upcoming season.
Joshua Paige Joshua Paige 6'5" | NA lbs | SG Eufaula | 2022 State #NA Nation AL – 6’4 SG – Eufala
Twins…They’re twins… I can’t even wrap my mind around it. Yes, the twin brother to Caleb, Josh is equally talented and just as fun to watch. Luckily, there’s more footage of Josh so I can get a better grasp of what he brings to the table. He’s a knockdown shooter who has a very relaxed jump shot with tons of arc. That’s one thing I can say about both of these guys they seem so relaxed when they play. Everything just seems second nature to them. Josh seems to be the more versatile scorer between the two just from what I’ve seen. But, a lot of the points remain the same. They are both ball hawks, they both can score well, and they both have a great understanding of how they can contribute to their team. Look for these two to be a storyline throughout the year.
John Broom John Broom 6'5" | SG Jacksonville | 2023 State AL – 6’4 SG – Jacksonville
Another young guy that looks to be shaping up to turn into one of the premier scorers in the state, if he’s not already. A lefty with awesome length to score wherever he pleases. He also appears to be the primary ball-handler for his team in most situations. With his fluid movements and passing ability, he can develop into a serious problem for teams in the future. If you are looking for the next breakout star, I think this is your guy. Broom is a standout in 2023 that I think will shoot up the rankings in the next couple of years.
Jayden Buckley Jayden Buckley 6'1" | NA lbs | PG Auburn | 2022 State #NA Nation AL – 6’0 PG – Auburn
I’m going heavy on guys who play for the Auburn Raptors, but they look to have a really fun and exciting team. That’s also how I would describe Jayden Buckley Jayden Buckley 6'1" | NA lbs | PG Auburn | 2022 State #NA Nation AL . A lightning-quick slasher who can break your ankles and leave you in quicksand before you even realize what happened. He’s certainly a flashy player that can find the open man just as easily as he can finish it. The only thing that I would critique is that his 3-ball looks a little slow. It works for him but, I would like to see it be a bit snappier when he’s in catch and shoot situations. Other than that, if you love to watch a kid that makes his team better by his playmaking this is your guy.
Dresean Knight Dresean Knight 6'9" | NA lbs | C Minor | 2022 State #NA Nation AL – 6’10 C – Minor
I couldn’t just do all guards for this post. So, I picked one of the more dominant big men in the state. Dresean Knight Dresean Knight 6'9" | NA lbs | C Minor | 2022 State #NA Nation AL is your prototypical center that can control the paint. This is especially true on defense where you will have to fight to score against him. He’s capable of sending shots back left and right. You don’t see too many people play like him these days. Everyone wants to extend their range without perfecting their inside work. This doesn’t seem to be the case for Knight, however. He will continue to dominate inside and could offer an excellent change of pace to teams looking for a tall athletic center.