5 Takeaways: Nashville vs DuQuoin
Friday night PrepHoopsIllinois traveled to Nashville High School to see the Hornets on their senior night. It was actually three underclassmen who were the top prospects in this game however! Nashville 2019 point guard Bryce Bultman is the star, but a 2020 prospect also made major noise in this game! The #3 2020 prospect in Illinois Lamontay Daughtery is the show for DuQuoin. He couldn’t overcome Nashville on this night as they won 52-42. Here are our 5 Takeaways: Nashville vs DuQuoin.
Lamontay Daughtery is a High Major Prospect
Daughery has been a player that we thought was trending toward high-major status for a while, but he solidified it with his play on Friday. Was he perfect? No. Were their flaws? Yes. The progression he has made in his game continues to impress us each time we see him. Daughtery stands at 6’6” with a long and athletic frame. Will definitely need to continue to add strength going forward. Offensively at times he forces things and tries to do too much for his team. As a sophomore he is clearly the best player and has to take on a huge load. His jump shot continues to progress. Connects on pull up jumpers and can stop and pop from mid-range. Much more consistency on the shot and mechanics look sound. His athleticism plays well when attacking off the bounce. At times he can be a bit loose with it, but he has a great burst with the rock in his hands getting to the rim. Likes to shield the ball with spin moves in the lane. His post-game is an area that works for him against smaller defenders. He uses his quickness inside for hook shots. As a rebounder he was a bit timid early, but as the game went on he started winning 50/50 balls with his quickness and length. Defensively he is still up and down. The down is he will get lost every now and then or he won’t slide his feet and his man gets by. The good is he has extremely active hands in help defense getting deflections and steals at a high rate. Once he learns how to play hard all the time on that end and defend on the ball with intensity he has the physical tools to be a plus defender. Length allows him to block shots including on the perimeter. Daughtery had 21 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals, and 3 blocks. Projects as a high-major prospect.
Bryce Bultman’s Versatile Game
Bultman is a 6’5” point guard that has great size which allows him to see over the defense. His vision especially in the half court is off the charts! He has a high basketball IQ and the feel for finding teammates with crisp passes on the money every single time! Love how this kid passes the rock! He makes others around him better. He is not an overly explosive athlete, but glides into the lane where he can score or get to the line. Best move of the night was a strong left/right rip move where he blew past his defender for a layup from the mid-post. Jumper wasn’t falling early, but he got it going in the second half. Better rotation on his jumper than we saw in the summer and fall. Clean stroke from three and can also stop and pop from mid-range. Excellent job rebounding out of this jumbo point guard. Gets on the offensive glass for second chances. He had 13 points, 14 rebounds, 5 dimes, and 3 steals. Low-major prospect for sure and definitely could become a mid-major target by the end of the spring!
Carson Parker’s Breakout Performance
Parker is a prospect that we have seen in camps, but this was our first time seeing him on the high school level. The 6’4” sophomore shooting guard was outstanding in their win over DuQuoin. He is a long and rangy wing with projectability going forward. Moves well without the ball. He can really shoot it from three. Quick and concise three point stroke. Also got on the offensive glass and scored around the hoop a couple times on an and-1 drive and a back cut. Showed off some athleticism with a LeBron come from behind block. Lot of tools to like here and someone that we will be monitoring this spring! Finished with 21 points.
Nashville is a Team to Watch in March….and Beyond
Really enjoyed watching this Nashville team play! They share the basketball and make sound decisions. Consistently giving up a good shot for a great one. Bultman and Parker were definitely the standouts. Inside 2019 power forward Tanner Bergmann brings a post presence. The 6’5” big man is able to anchor down low. He flashed some skill on a couple finishes around the hoop. Senior Jake Haley is an unsung role player that at 6’0” is a crisp passer and can hit the occasional open shot. We caught part of the JV game before the varsity tipped and it was the Terry Pelczynski show! This 6’5” 2020 forward showed versatility and mobility scoring inside and outside on his way to 31 points in the JV game. Definitely someone worth tracking going forward. Didn’t get in the varsity game although he was on the roster. With Bultman, Parker, Bergmann, and Pelczynski all coming back next year this team could make a deep run in 2A in 2019! Dark horse team this year as well.
Nashville’s Gym is Cool Atmosphere
Very cool gym at Nashville High School! It has that small school southern Illinois feel to it and you can tell that this is a basketball community. Both the boys and girls programs have had a ton of success over the years and the community really comes out to support the team!