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Sabes Invitational- Weekend Recap

Sunday at the Sabes Invitational was championship day. Starting in the 15 and under division, KC Pump 'N Run knocked off Kingdom Hoops to claim a crown. Following that game, both the title games in the 16 and 17 and under divisions were played between the host Howard Pulley Blue and the Houston Hoops. Howard Pulley held serve in both finals winning a thrilling double overtime game 78-73 in the 16's and grinding out a 61-53 win in the finals of the 17 and under game.
Because of travel, we were unable to stay around for the finals action. However, we did want to take the time to write about a few other prospects that we didn't get to over the weekend.
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More Sabes Invitational Notables
Zach Lofton, SG, Howard Pulley Blue- Lofton is going to be an interesting guy for regional mid majors to keep an eye on. He'll kind of float around the perimeter and the next thing you know he's scored on four straight trips down the floor. Good shooter, can get to the rim and has some upside if he can develop consistency.
Isaiah Zierden, SG, Howard Pulley Blue- The more you watch Zierden play the more you appreciate the way he operates. Not the biggest guy around, he's clever both with and without the ball and has an exceptional feel for creating space to shoot. If he does get that space, look out because the 2012 shooter is among the premier shooters from distance in the country.
Anthony Collins, PG, Houston Hoops- The class of 2011 isn't particularly deep with playmakers and because of that Collins is going to get looks. At 5-foot-11 he is a little small, but he's got much improved speed off the bounce and can definitely get into the lane and create for others. Now, he just needs to be a little more under control and make sure he keeps his head up.
Paul Jesperson, SF, Wisconsin Playmakers- Really wish that we would have gotten a longer look at Jesperson. He looks to be a shooter with excellent size and a crafty in-between game featuring pull-ups and stop and go moves. Has a good overall feel for the game and some high majors will have to take a look.
Corey Hilliard, PG, KC Pump 'N Run- In the process of transitioning to playing the point full time, Hilliard is a speedy and strong floor general. Good on the defensive end, he slides his feet very well and doesn't mind getting a little physical. He can score in the lane but gets his offense within the flow of things instead of hunting jumpers or forcing the issue at the rim.
Wesley Staten, SG, Kingdom Hoops 16's- A lean wing, Staten has high level athleticism and is capable of making some explosive plays at the rim. He's still quite lean and is probably closer to 6-foot-1 than he is 6-foot-3 so he is a little small for the off guard position. Even though he's a little short, his explosive scoring ability will mean that high majors will take a long look now that he's no longer committed to Iowa State.
Scott Bruxvoort, PF, Kingdom Hoops 16's- We will have to watch him more down the road to get a better gauge for him as an overall prospect. However, he's among the toughest kids we've seen in quite some time. Very athletic, he tries to dunk everything and loves to play through contact even though he's not exactly thick. During one game, he lost a pair of teeth courtesy of an elbow. Shortly after, he was fouled on a dunk attempt, landed on his cheek, lost a ton of blood and came right back trying to dunk on guys!
Arroyo Edwards, SG, Playground Elite 16's- Although we didn't get to focus on him, Edwards continues to intrigue. Like his size on the wing and the fact that he's already very comfortable attacking with his off (left) hand.
Danuel House, SF, Houston Hoops 16's- We expect that House will start to get a little more notoriety and he appears to be on his way to being high major prospect. A long and slender athlete, he attacks the rim off the dribble and in transition and will finish strong with dunks. His jumper looks workable as well.
Branford Jones, PG/SG, Houston Hoops 16's- Another bubble prospect, Jones actually handles the ball quite a bit for the Hoops. Athletic and tough, he finds ways to help out all across the board and loves to put pressure on defenders with his relentless style.
Travis Jorgenson, PG, KC Pump 'N Run 15's- From a skill standpoint, the 5-foot-8 Jorgenson can hang with just about any floor general in the class of 2013. He's quick, a deft handler and passer and makes good decisions. He can hit jumpers, but because of lack of strength he shoots and off the shoulder set shot that will have to be re-worked as he gets older and stronger.
Payton Plagge, PF, Kingdom Hoops 15's- As he adds strength and matures this 6-foot-7 face-up four man is likely to draw the attention of plenty of coaching staffs. He runs the floor well, has a good looking jumper and does a solid job of rebounding his area.
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