Four Standouts From Arapahoe @ Smoky Hill
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The Smoky Hill versus Arapahoe game was a solid way for both teams to start the season, shaking off the rust. Smoky Hill kept the lead for most of the game but Arapahoe had some good pushes to keep the…
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Continue ReadingThe Smoky Hill versus Arapahoe game was a solid way for both teams to start the season, shaking off the rust. Smoky Hill kept the lead for most of the game but Arapahoe had some good pushes to keep the game close.
The New Kid is Legit
Brayden Maldonado Brayden Maldonado 6'0" | PG Smoky Hill | 2022 State CO is the new transfer to Smoky Hill from Alaska. Brayden showed up big time in his first appearance at Smoky Hill dropping 33 points. Brayden has a knock down jumper from beyond the arc hitting 4 three pointers on the night. He also played with poise on the floor, not forcing any unnecessarily hard shots up. Brayden commands the floor, always looking for open teammates but also always ready to jump at scoring opportunities. He also did a good job running the floor on fast breaks and does a great job creating contact and finishing at the rim. Brayden also impressed with his floaters being able to finish in the mid range.
Senior Leadership on Both Sides
On both sides we saw seniors step up for there team. On the Arapahoe side that was Ben Yagey dropping 22 points. Ben is a good leader on the floor getting the young guys in the right spots. He also attacked well inside cutting through the defense for easy layups. Ben also shot a good clip from the outside shooting %33 from the three point line. On the Smoky Hill side the senior leadership came from Jordan Whitaker Jordan Whitaker 6'2" | SF Smoky Hill | 2021 State CO who ripped apart Arapahoe’s defense. Jordan is a straight bucket he can shoot well from the outside and also has a super quick first step which allows him to get inside the paint. Jordan finishes well at the rim and also has a smooth floater. Jordan is straight bucket getter and will be a player to look out for this year.
Pranger is Looking more confident
The 6’7 forward Derik Pranger Derik Pranger 6'8" | SF Colorado Prep | 2022 State CO was a problem at Smoky Hill dropping 24 points. Derik can do a bit of everything on the floor and has great handles for a guy his size. In the beginning of the game Derik showed his jumpshot from the outside hitting a few threes, then he got out and ran the floor well on the fastbreak. Running the floor even led to a crazy posterizing dunk, that helped shift momentum for his team. Another caterogy he strived in was his footwork near the rim, he used fakes to get defenders out position and then finish around, through them, or draw a foul. As Derik gets more and more confident he is scary matchup problem for teams to plan for.
Young Guys Showing Up on Both Sides
On Arapahoe the freshman Cass Henry started in the game and showed some good potential. Cass has good size standing at 6’5, and used that size to box out well and pull down some rebounds. Cass did not see a ton of time but showed very good potential. On Smoky Hill they had two sophomore guards who came in off the bench who impressed. Ricky Mitchell showed off his shooting ability hitting a three pointer and a mid range jumper. Ricky is super lengthy which allows him bother players on the defensive end. The other sophomore is Jayson Lewis Jayson Lewis 6'1" | CG Smoky Hill | 2023 State CO who is a crazy good athlete. Jayson ran the floor very well on fastbreaks and even got a jelly finish. There was one play where he drew a foul by going up for a putback which it looked he was about to throw down, which is very impressive considering he is below 6’. Jayson also is a very willing passer who had some good passes to find open teammates.