Great Western Fall Classic: Day 1 2027 Standouts

Bruce Williams December 9, 2022 @ 01:14 PM

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The Great Western Classic is one of the top West Coast youth basketball events. Hosted by recruiting legend Tim Davis, the event takes place Thursday, Dec 8th thru Saturday, Dec 10th at Nets on FIre. The event featured over 80 teams ranging from 4th grade up to 8th. Day 1 was a perfect opportunity to learn about some new players, as several guys used the event as an opportunity to put their names on the map. In this article, we take a look at some of the 8th grade standouts from Day 1.

Landon Ezdebski

5'6" | SG | 2027 Desert Hills Thunder

At times Ezdebski made it look easy whether he was getting out in transition and finishing or scoring in 1 v 1 situations. The guard played with good quickness, showing that he can be a scoring threat with the ball in his hands.

Tonoai Andresen

6'1" | SF | 2027 Desert Hills Thunder

Andresen has a good basketball build complete with a solid frame and long arms. He was aggressive when attacking the basket, finishing several drives with layups around the hoop. What jumped out at me was his competitiveness, as he won several 50/50 balls, even ripping them away from opponents before finishing the play around the rim.

Briggs Fillmore

5'2" | PG | 2027 Desert Hills Thunder

Fillmore was one of the more advanced shooters that I saw during the week. The PG, shot the ball effortlessly from behind the high school three point line, snaping the net on more than one occasion.

Aamon Giles

6'2" | PF | 2027 SF Dons

Giles was one of the better future prospects that I saw, if for nothing else, becasue of his size. The big man was dominant on the board grabbing both flat footed and in traffic rebounds as well. He was also a force on the defensive end, swatting away a late shot to perserve the win for his team in the game I saw. He has a chance to be a big time player, becasue of his ability to score on the perimeter. While not polished, Giles proved he can knock down threes when left open.

Elijah Koskie

5'9" | SF | 2027 Dons

Koskie does not have a traditional game, but boy is it effective. The wing sliced and diced his way to the rim on several occasions, showing some nice transition finishing moves. He wasn’t shy to let it fly from three either, burrying a couple walk in threes. Overall I thought he was one of the better offensive weapons I saw on the day.

Wyatt Hancock

5'11" | PF | 2027 Dons

Tough doesn’t even begin to describe Hanncock. He battled on the interior, using his strength to dislodge opposing post players off the block. On the offensive end, he showed good low post skill and solid footwork. The forward liked to create contact, before turning over his shoulder to finish around the hoop.

Evan Stewart

5'11" | SF | 2027 Dons

I’m really intrigued by Stewart’s game. He wasn’t a scorer, but he impacted the game with his ability to handle and create for others. He has good passing ability, hitting teammates with nice pocket passes several times throughout the day. His size and ballhandling are both skills that are translatable to the high school level.

Tate Plewe

5'6" | SG | 2027 Stampede

In a terrific game against the Dons, Plewe showed me something. The 5’6 sharpshooter used one of the quickest releases on the day to knock down threes, all over the court. He displayed advanced shot prep, getting his feet and hands ready, before burrying several long range jumpers.

Ben Luekenga

5'6" | SG | 2027 Stampede

The tandem of luekenga and Plewe were fun to watch as the two took turns sniping from long range. Luekenga has almost a push shot, but he got it off so fast, hard closing defenders were unable to effect him. I also like the way he moved without the ball, as time and time again, the shooter used his movement to space the floor, finding a rhythm behind the three point line.

Tyler Matthews

5'10" | PF | 2027 Stampede

Matthews is a big physical player, that impacted the game from a variety of areas on the floor. I was suprised by his perimeter play, as despite his build he managed to be effective on the outside, knocking down a few three’s on the day. His favorite thing to do was slash to the bucket hard, and finish around the rim. Although he was a force on the inside, his dribble drive and shot making ability are things he can hang his hat on, as he advances to the high school level.

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