GIRLS-
This game started and ended and I felt totally different about what I THOUGHT was going to take place. The North Central Lady Indians have some new weapons! As much as I love Megan Dean’s full throttle game, it got even better as she is handling the ball and running the point most of the time! Awesome, thanks Coach! Now she is not only all gas, shes able to expand her game and show the ability to set people up for scores, which she does well. Megan also looks like she is thriving in the leadership role with this young up and coming squad. Now on to my rest of the “What happened over the off season?” observation. Lexie Brandt, the next PG in line, is something else to watch. First of all she’s in 9th grade, second- she’s fearless, third- her ball handling is slickness, and fourth- she just has that “looks like a baller” quality to her that coaches love when the skills match. Obviously she has some weak spots, but again, see point #1! Next up is Quincy McDeid, who is another 9th grader and may already be the best player on the team. She started off kind of ho-hum, just hung out hitting threes, grabbing rebounds, and then she opened my eyes with this nice baseline floater, and then started breaking the press. What? A 5-10, freshmen breaking the press with two very capable point guards on the floor with her. She is very poised! Cant wait to see them again. For Mt Spokane, they too possess a large pool of young talented hoopers. I can pick 4 or 5 to brag about but I’ll leave something for later. Ill start with a couple of sophomores, Meghan Henry, who just gets it! She nailed two threes and knows exactly how to space the floor and find openings. Miahna Waters, who I definitely remember from volleyball season is a monster on the boards. She plays HARD and hustles her butt off. Shes obviously very athletic but what was nice to see was her ability to pass from the high post. I didn’t mention players like Jaidyn Lyman, Aspyn Adams, or Jordan Smith but I will soon enough. Overall this was a fun game to watch with so many capable players who have some years left to improve and pave their way through the GSL.
BOYS-
This game was a tight battle as well that showcased the leader on each team. For Mt Spokane, Sam Stiles slowly heated up and scored 9 straight at one point in the 4th quarter keeping NC behind. Stiles scored on a deep three and also a nice driving lay up. He’s a lot tougher of a player than I remember and could be one of the league’s top scorers if he continues to be aggressive on offense. Senior Garrison Beckley also showed signs of a toughness and leadership that I don’t remember, he was not deterred by the super star in the Red uniform. Beckley finished the game with some clutch free throws. North Central, once again lead by all around talent, Senior Riley Smith. Smith has the ability to own a game with his deep threes, pull up jumpers, and dribble driving dime drops. I would have to say that he’s somewhere in the 80% range of NCs offense, albeit scoring or setting up a teammate for a score. A very good player. First year varsity player, RJ Tensley ran the point for a lot of the game is under control and does a nice job to not force the issue and look for his scorers. Tensley also has a nice defensive game, getting into ball handlers and using his hands to cause problems and make deflections.
NEXT?
