1A State Tournament: Quarterfinal Standouts
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The NIAA State Tournament takes place this week. The event runs from Thursday, February 24th and concludes Saturday, February 26th. This year the tournament is split between two sites. Reno will host 5A and 2A while Las Vegas will host…
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Continue ReadingThe NIAA State Tournament takes place this week. The event runs from Thursday, February 24th and concludes Saturday, February 26th. This year the tournament is split between two sites. Reno will host 5A and 2A while Las Vegas will host 4A 3A and 1A from the Cox Pavillion. I got a chance to check out the 1A quarterfinals, providing me with a look at prospects I seldom get a chance to see. In this article, we take a look at some of the standouts from Quarterfinal Play.
Andre White 5’10 CG Mineral County 2023 – White was the best passer I saw on the day. The lefty delivered not only the flashy dime, but he also made the simple pass. He had a ton of hockey assists, creating terrific ball movement for his club. Behind his generalship, MC advanced with a hard-fought victory.
Joshua Valencia Joshua Valencia 6'3" | C GV Christian | 2023 State NV 6’3 C GV Christian – I was so happy to finally watch Valencia in person. What jumped out at me was his second jump. For a guy his size, he gets off the ground quickly. Valencia was able to snag a ton of misses, occasionally using the Moses Malone Strategy of padding his rebounding stats by grabbing boards off his own shot. He was an absolute beast, leading GV Christian to a 1st round victory over Sage Ridge.
Mason Johnson 5’9 SG Eureka 2024 – Johnson was one of the top shooters that I saw on the day. Showing range out to the college 3. His handle is a bit herky-jerky, yet he used it effectively to protect the ball and keep defenders off balance. Despite the loss he knocked down two threes on the day.
Anthony Minoletti 6’1 SG Eureka 2022 – Minoletti just seems to find buckets. He scored a ton of his points from 15 feet and in, using an efficient handle to get to the basket. He has a high IQ and did a good job of moving without the ball, finding the open spot in the defense. The sophomore guard scored from the paint and the Free Throw Line, finishing with 25 points on the day.
David Thurman David Thurman 6'3" | PF Green Valley Christian | 2022 State NV 6’4 SG GV Christian 2022 – I was really impressed with Thurman. He was one of the taller players in the bracket, however, he showed good ball skills. Thurman played the high post effectively, knocking down more than his share of 15-foot jumpers. It was his defense that caught my eye, as the 6’4 forward protected the rim well, blocking several interior shots.
Demetrius Ivanhoff 5’10 PG Spring Mountain 2022 – Ivanhoff is a gamer. Despite suffering a career-ending loss on a last-second shot, it was a terrific performance for him. Up until that bucket, he was the best player on the floor. The lefty buried threes, slashed to the cup, and kept Spring Mountain in the game with his scoring. He finished with 25 to lead all scorers.
Angel Orozco 6’1 PF Pyramid Lake 2022 – Orozco just seemed to be playing harder than everyone else. He missed a ton of shots around the rim, but that only served to add to his rebounding total. The 6’1 forward snagged more than his share of boards on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. It was his tip out that led to the wild scramble, eventually leading to a game-winning three for PL.
Tristan Keo 5’11 PF Pyramid Lake 2023 – What a night for Keo. The junior post spent most of the night either finishing layups or making free throws. He played with a high energy and was money playing the baseline against the zone. He saved his outside shooting for last as the juniors only 3 of the night came at the buzzer to send his squad to the Semifinals.
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