Tarkanian: Jolly breaks out

LASVEGAS--ThroughthreedaysoftheTarkanianClassic,nobodyhaswonmoreovermoreobserversthanOklahomaCityshootingguardTysonJolly,andhisandPutnamCityWestHighSchoolsquadscoredanupsetwinoverhometownfavoriteBishopGormanonFridaynighttomoveintoSaturday'sfinalwheretheywillfaceRedondoUnion.Additionally,juniorstarJoshJacksoncontinuedhisterrificplayandUNLVboundjuniorJustinJacksonwasimpressive.

PutnamCitywinssemifinalthriller

ThegameofthedayonFridaywaseasilytheknockdown,dragoutovertimeaffairbetweenLasVegas(Nev.)BishopGormanandOklahomaCity(Okla.)PutnamCityWest.Gormanhadahugesizeadvantagewiththeirimposingfrontlineoffive-starsseniorsStephenZimmermanandChaseJeteralongwithjuniorfour-starZachCollins.Ontheotherside,PCWestwasundersizedbutquickandallaboutcreatingafreneticpace.Andfreneticitwas,asPCWestscoredonalayupastimeexpiredinovertimetogetatwopointwin.

ThestoryforPCWestwas,ithasbeenallweek.thehearttheyplayedwithandtheleadershipofseniorshootingguardTysonJolly.Jollyscoredagame-high24pointsanddeliveredthewinningassistwhiledoingalittlebitofeverythingelseinbetween.Thereisnotamorecompetitiveplayerintheseniorclassandhisnaturalleadershipabilityisapparentatalltimes.Hemakesenoughjumperstokeepdefendershonest,attacksoffthedribbleandplaysintensedefense.Currentlyathree-starprospect,Jollyhasprettymuchsecuredaspotinthe2015Rivals150andtheoffersshouldstartrollinginsoonbecauseheisawinner.

JollyisfarfromaonemanshowforPCWestandonFridaythekeycontributioncamefromjuniorpointguardMarquisJohnson.Standingaround5-foot-8,Johnsonissmallestplayerontheflooratmosttimesbutstillmanagedtohaveastretchwherehesecuredoffensivereboundsonthreestraightkeypossessionlateinthesecondhalf.Otherwisehewasstickingtimelyjumpshotsorgettingintothelanetomakeplaysforothers.There'snodoubtwhatsoeverthathecanplayonthedivisiononelevel,justlikeothersmallpointguardshewillhavetofindprogramsthataren'tafraidofrollingoutasmallishfloorgeneral.

ForBishopGorman,anabilitytohandlePCWest'spressurewastheirundoing.ZimmermanwasabletooperateandscoreinthelowpostwheneverhewantedbuthehadtobepulledawayfromthebaskettohandletheballandserveasapasserbecausehewastheGaelsbestoptionthere.

RedondoUnionearnsfinalbid

ThegamepriortoBishopGormanandPCWestwasalsoabattle.RedondoBeach(Calif.)UnionheldoffCorona(Calif.)CentennialinaveryhardplayedgamethatcamerightdowntothebuzzerwithCentennialunabletogetashottowinthegameoffintime.

ForRedondo,itwasatrueteameffort.ToughmanguardLelandGreenwasstrong.Thethree-starjuniorisaslasherwhoattackstherim,playsgreatdefenseandhelpsoutontheglass.Heonlyknowsattackandwhenheisabletohitjumpershecangetalotdone.ToptensophomoreBillyPrestonwasactivearoundtherim,ontheglassandasapasserearlybuttaperedoffabitdownthestretchashefoughtfoultroubleandverygoodpostdefense.

ForCentennial,pointguardSedrickBarefieldhadanothersolidgame.Hispull-upjumperhasbeenonpointinVegasandhehasbeenmorefocusedonmakingthesimpleplayinsteadofthespectacular.JuniorshootingguardJordanGriffinfoundarhythmfromtheperimeter.Griffinlovestheleftwingthreeandmadefourofthemthroughoutthegame.Downinthepostjuniorthree-starbigmanIkeAnigboguplayedeffectivedefenseandcontrolledtheglasswhilefour-starsophomorepowerforwardJalenHillshowedimmensepotential.Afullyearyoungfortheclassof2017,Hillisalongandathletic6-foot-8fourmanwhoisstartingtofilloutanddeveloppostoffenseandcanreallyrunthefloor.

Fortheseconddayinarow,JoshJacksonClickMoreFridaynotesHeretoviewthisLink.droppedthejawsofeverybodyinthegym.Afterarelativelypedestrian(whichwouldhavebeenoutstandingfor99%ofthebasketballplayersinhighschool)firsthalfagainstazonedefense,Jacksonexploitedthechancetofaceamantomandefense.WhenHouston(Texas)VictoryPrepwentman,Jacksonlookedthebench,clappedhishandsandvoicedhisapprovalbeforegoingstraighttowork.Hefinishedwith32points.22cameinthesecondhalfasheledthewayforNapa(Calif.)ProlificPrep.

UNLVClickWhileJacksongetsmuchoftheheadlinesforProlific,itisimportanttokeepaneyeonthedevelopmentof6-foot-8freshmanbigmanAmadouSow.Sowisamobileandhard-playingyoungbigmanwhohassomeabilityaroundtherim.Hechasesreboundsoutofhisarea,playsgoodpositionaldefenseandappearstohaveaprettybrightfuture.HeretoviewthisLink.haslandedagoodoneinjuniorforwardJustinJacksonClickWhileJacksongetsmuchoftheheadlinesforProlific,itisimportanttokeepaneyeonthedevelopmentof6-foot-8freshmanbigmanAmadouSow.Sowisamobileandhard-playingyoungbigmanwhohassomeabilityaroundtherim.Hechasesreboundsoutofhisarea,playsgoodpositionaldefenseandappearstohaveaprettybrightfuture.HeretoviewthisLink..The6-foot-7junioratHenderson(Nev.)FindlayPrep,whoranksNo.32intheclassof2016,hadagreatoutingonFridaynight.Astrongkidwithgoodathleticism,Jacksonwasafactorontheglass,madeplaysintransitionandhitacoupleoftimelyandconfidentlookingjumpshotsfromdeep.

For a while, 2017's No. 3 player Jarred VanderbiltClick Here to view this Link. did a pretty good job of going toe to toe with 2016's No. 3 player, Josh Jackson. At 6-foot-7, his feel for the game off the dribble is impressive and his passing and ball handling are pretty high level for a kid with his size and athleticism. It's scary to think that Vanderbilt doesn't turn 16 until April and he is an elite prospect in every way.

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