Sterling Christmas Shootout: Frontcourt Prospects
On day two of the 2019 Sterling Christmas Shootout, four teams were in action: the Peninsula Seahawks, Sumner Spartans Auburn Mountainview Lions, and hosts, Kennedy Catholic Lancers. For the first game of the day, Sumner defeated Peninsula by a score…
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Continue ReadingOn day two of the 2019 Sterling Christmas Shootout, four teams were in action: the Peninsula Seahawks, Sumner Spartans Auburn Mountainview Lions, and hosts, Kennedy Catholic Lancers. For the first game of the day, Sumner defeated Peninsula by a score of 74 to 55. The Spartans had three players in double-digits and were led by sophomore Catelyn Deaver who scored 17 points. In the second matchup of the day, the Lions of Auburn Mountainview defeated the hosting lancers 56 to 27. The defense of Auburn Mountainview was simply too much for the Lancers to deal with. Junior Hayley Flores led all scorers with 18 points. Here’s a look at some of the talented frontcourt players featured in the tournament.
Catelyn Deaver | 6’0″ F | SHS 2022
Deaver was the most impressive of the frontcourt prospects that I had a chance to see in action. The sophomore for the Sumner Spartans came off of the bench to lead her team with 17 points. She also had 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal. Deaver is a traditional big with great footwork and an array of post moves. Deaver doesn’t have an abundance of natural athleticism, so she has developed some really strong fundamentals that she is using to her advantage. She used her long frame to her advantage on defense, keeping her hands up and disrupting passing lanes. It was just the opposite on offense as she was able to show off her ability to find cutting teammates through traffic.
Avery Watkins | 6’1″ F | KCHS 2022
Watkins was the most impressive combination of size and athleticism that this tournament offered. She’s an athletic 6’1″, and even as a sophomore, she really knew how to play physically and use her size and strength to her advantage. She was very active on both ends of the court, fighting for position on offense and rotating on defense. Watkins, our 2nd ranked player in the 2022 class, spent a lot of time at the line because she was just too much to handle down low. She has enough dribbling skills to be a handful in the open court, and she has a mid-range jumper to compliment her post game. Watkins isn’t surrounded by a lot of talent, so she will need to find a way to impact games even when her teammates can’t find her down low.
Jaimie Duckworth | 5’10” F | AMHS 2022
Another sophomore, Jaimie Duckworth, played strong defense for the Lions of Auburn Mountainview and was one of the athletes who gave Avery Watkins trouble in yesterday’s matchup. Duckworth is 5’10” with great length and athleticism. She was able to score off drives to the rim as well as rebounds and putbacks. Duckworth still has time to develop, and I think she will begin to recognize and make better use of her athletic abilities against her opponents.