Thoughts from the Cedar Hill Lions Club Tournament
Cedar Hill High School - TexasHoops.com’s analyst, Blue Zertuche attended the Cedar Hill Lions Club Annual Tournament Saturday. Here are a few observations.
Red Oak’s Marcus Sasser is versatile
During the championship game, Marcus Sasser and his Red Oak Hawks had to fight off Trinity Christian-Cedar Hill for the title in overtime. Red Oak came out on top with a great showing by shooting guard Marcus Sasser. We all know that Sasser is a sharpshooter, but he does so much more for the Hawks.
As proven in the title game, Sasser is a key ball handler and defensive stopper. He gets going in the open court and pushes the ball by defenders. He showed to be both a penetrating guard with the ball in his hands, along with stopping from 15-feet away and dropping in soft jumpers. Sasser scored over 20 points in the finale while showing leadership.
Tyreke Smith - Is a game changer
If you are or will be in the market for a high-flying athlete in the class of 2019, look no further than Trinity Christian-Cedar Hill’s Tyreke Smith. The 6-foot-8 elite athlete can change a game on the defensive end due to the explosive nature that he gets off the floor. Smith, is raw offensively but has the knack for putting the ball in the hole by finishing over defenders and attacking the rim. It’s not uncommon (as it was this past weekend) for Smith to score double-digits and at least half of those points coming off thunderous dunks.
Every roster at the high-major level has a player or two with the athletic caliber that Smith possesses. Smith does lag behind in his overall skill set, but he produces with one attribute that you can’t teach, instincts.
Unsigned: Justin Nimmer and Dominique Jackson are Division 1 Prospects
The 6-foot-6 small forward Justin Nimmer of Waxahachie Life Prep is becoming the player that he started showing last season before injuries struck him in the spring and summer.
Nimmer is a fluid athlete with a smooth off the dribble shot. The Life Prep product is long and athletic, and he stroked in 28 points vs. Arlington Sam Houston in the consolation side of the bracket. He attacks his defender and shows an understanding of his position as a ball handler, defender, and rebounder.
Another unsigned senior Dominique Jackson of Trinity Christian-Cedar Hill and Jackson is also a lefty. Jackson likes to get the ball up the court in a hurry, and when he comes to a stop, he gets good elevation on his shot. Besides hitting the mid-range jumper, Jackson, a 6-foot-4 guard can stroke the three and get the ball to the rim. Like Nimmer, Jackson has a smoothness to his game that will translate at the next level.
TexasHoops Jukes and Jumpers
Destin Eke of Irving Nimitz helped the Vikings to a 51-48 win over El Paso Andress. Eke scored 14 points, with 10 of those coming from the free-throw line. The 6-foot-6 undersize big takes the contact and is a load to handle when he gains position on the block. He doesn’t have a ton of lift, but Eke is powerful and gets up and down the court in transition.
El Paso Andress has two prospects that caught the eye of TexasHoops.com. Seniors Diego Ramirez and James Curry combined for 28 of Andress’ 48 points. Ramirez is a shooter who gets open on the perimeter and hits his open looks. He has good length and an excellent shot. Ramirez hit three three-pointers. Curry handled the duties in the paint where he scored 17 points. Castro showed off a couple of back to the basket moves and finished with both hands.
Catching fire in the championship game was junior, 5-foot-11 combo guard Howard Turner. Red Oak received three-pointer after three-pointer (at least five) from the lefty, and he was nailing from behind the arc from all angles. He used speed to beat his opponent to spots on the floor, and his teammates got him the ball.
We conclude our thoughts with Trinity Christian Cedar Hill’s guard Isaiah Range. This year, Range has been used in an entirely different way from what I have seen in the past. Range has stepped into the role of a guard and a primary ball handler. He is fast, reliable and can score. Range likes to put the ball on the floor to get to the basket and play through contact. A few things are still developing in his game, but everything is coming together for the 6-foot-3 Range and no longer being thrown in the paint to battle against post players, Range showed that he is a guard that can carry the load.