The Thursday Night Show (Recaps/Evaluations)
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Of the many games watched Thursday, the following players made PrepHoopsTN take notice. Sullivan East (89) vs. Johnson County (59) Partial Rosters w/ starters* Sullivan East #11 Ethan Bradford* (2021) #25 Jon Walden* (2021) #34 Dylan Bartley* (2021) #54 Mason…
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Continue ReadingOf the many games watched Thursday, the following players made PrepHoopsTN take notice.
Sullivan East (89) vs. Johnson County (59)
Partial Rosters w/ starters*
Sullivan East
#11 Ethan Bradford* (2021)
#25 Jon Walden* (2021)
#34 Dylan Bartley* (2021)
#54 Mason Montgomery* (2021)
#50 Clayton Ivester* (2021)
Johnson County
#11 Ethan Bower* (2021)
#34 Trevor Gentry* (2021)
#21 Jackson Earnhardt* (2021)
#11 Ethan Bradford* (Sullivan East) – In the early stages, the only portion that was competitive on the scoreboard, Ethan was providing the most energy. His reputation is that of a volume scorer, but everybody is a volume scorer in an 89-point night. I will have to watch him again to get a good read on how he attacks top defenses.
#34 Dylan Bartley* (Sullivan East) – Bartley earned his way to the free throw line plenty. He was solidly-built and aggressive against a smaller frontline.
Logan Murray (Sullivan East) – Murray (2022) played at a faster speed than anyone else in the game. Murray does not have the scoring touch or ability to finish that many Johnson County guards do and yet he made a big impact with his probing and problematic dribble. Murray was sharp end-to-end.
Braden Standbridge (Sullivan East) – Guard Braden provided the visiting Patiors with quick hands and energy. On one play, BS poked a post pass from and sprinted up ahead. His teammate found him over the top of the transitioning defense to help Sullivan East extend their lead in the second quarter.
Austin Davis (Sullivan East) – Didn’t get to see much of Austin Davis on the floor, but his presence was relevant for sure. Davis is a classic big with strong shoulders and an eye for the rebound.
Cleveland (45) vs. Notre Dame (54)
Notre Dame came to play, hosting the Blue Raiders of Cleveland. Notre Dame hopped out early and showe some poise and patience defensively. The defense of Notre Dame is pretty tough. The hosting Irish ran a 1-2-2 delaying defense and when Cleveland managed to get into their set, ND backed into a 2-3 zone. The 2-3 zone of Notre Dame showed some real aggression out top though. They liked to extend on the guards the checked, almost as John Chaney’s ole Temple matchup-zone.
Despite a wonderful shooting game from Kley McGowan Kley McGowan 6'4" | SG Cleveland | 2021 State TN , Cleveland trailed through three quarters due to turnovers and missed opportunities. Senior Grant Hurst Grant Hurst 6'1" | CG Cleveland | 2021 State TN and the guard defenders of Cleveland gave CHS life late. The game tightened and the two well-coached teams executed sharply.
Kley McGowan Kley McGowan 6'4" | SG Cleveland | 2021 State TN * (Cleveland ’21) – Kley pulled up nasty from 23’ like he was wearing a Lillard jersey. Bottoms. Early in the second quarter, Kley found sweet nylon joy again this time from the far wing. Hurst made a simple pass to McGowan and KG pulled up, completely disregarding the defender standing directly in front of him. Again success. Kley’s explosion off the floor always helped him in transition, but it appears this season the explosion is being perfectly utilized in the jumper too. Kley is joined by Grant Hurst Grant Hurst 6'1" | CG Cleveland | 2021 State TN as senior scorers. Both have realistic college basketball aspirations. Kley is definitely a gifted athlete. Thankfully, he learned and learning how to cleverly use that athleticism and agile nature.Driving into the lane, Kley sprinted at the collapsed defenders. He drew attention and then fed teammate Judah Sault Judah Sault 6'5" | SF Cleveland | 2023 State TN down low for an easy two.
Grant Hurst Grant Hurst 6'1" | CG Cleveland | 2021 State TN * (Cleveland ’21) – Grant didn’t take many shots in the first half. Even though Cleveland has several young guards, Hurst was left to spearhead the attack more than a little. CHS did draw up a beautiful skip pass play to free Hurst for an open three-pointer mid 3rd. It was an intelligent call and flawless execution. You already know what happened. The passion of Grant is more visible than ever. When he was a younger scorer in the Cleveland program he kept his emotions a little more guarded. Now Grant lets his teammates know how he feels and what he wants from them. It is nice to see the willfull acceptance of a leadership role. Grant’s arms are more muscular this season. He is making that final big push to attract college coaches to his game. The work rate was also exceptional. Now it matters more than ever in terms of his future with this game.
Wesley Jones (Notre Dame ’21) – Wears #0.
DJ Brown* (Notre Dame ’23) – Wears #22 jersey. DJ has the makings of a dynamite high school player. Standing a lean 6-foot-2, Brown made a gorgeous three-pointer coming off a curl. Brown’s height at the guard spot midway through his sophomore year coupled with plus athleticism bodes well for his future in this sport. Brown is probably the third scoring option behind Smith and Vaughn. Keep in mind they are both veterans with reputation and Brown is an underclassman.
Tim Vaughn (Notre Dame ’22) – Wears #1. Vaughn is absolutely the best athlete in the green and gold. His bounce and grace at 200ish pounds is gorgeous. Vaughn, at least at this point in his development, plays much like a James Harden or Kobe Byant in that he needs the basketball in his hands for long dribbles in order to be effective. He is not a quick step, one-dribble kind of guy at all. Vaughn is adept at getting to the rim regardless of where he starts on the floor. His power and size help him usher by players.
Bryson Smith Bryson Smith 6'1" | CG Notre Dame | 2021 State TN (Notre Dame ’21) – Bryson is a player once ranked in PrepHoopsTN. I believe it was in the 80-110 range. Smith was a very promising prospect in his sophomore season. That continued somewhat last year, but what made hyping him difficult was the pedantic, methodical offensive sets Notre Dame ran. Last year, Notre Dame was a nightmare for teams to play because they defended so well. That is true this year too. Still, players like Smith do not always shine brightest in the drawn out halfcourt sets, unless they figure out their seams…their moments. Smith looked stagnant offensively against Cleveland and frankly was largely a non-factor when he touched the ball. It was frustrating considering his promise as a young athlete. Can he do more? Certainly. But, it remains difficult to fully comprehend his ceiling in this his senior year.
Jasen Brooks Jasen Brooks 6'1" | PG Cleveland | 2023 State TN (Cleveland ’23) – Wears #0. Jasen is a great basketball prospect. Perhaps he is being polite and patient. But there appeared to be a little too much deferring on the offensive end with Brooks on this night. He can get into the lane more than he attempted. Also, Jasen is really good at drawing fouls with his sturdy body. There was almost none of that in a very, very physical game.
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