Staying in the 16 and under age division, EOTO 2020 started slow but picked up momentum at the 6th annual Best in State tournament.
EOTO met BMaze Elite 16u and one of the top squads in the nation in said age group and couldnt quite find their momentum and fell 85-30 despite a solid 11 point effort from B.J. Marable (Grace Christian).
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The fellas bounced back in a big way getting 20 markers from Jayden Doyle (South Doyle) and 15 from Marable as EOTO bested the Tennessee Tigers 77-62.
Kendrick Holland (South Doyle) had a solid game dropping 11 in the win.
In the final contest, EAB came to play and the depth and size overwhelmed EOTO to the tune of 89-52. Javonte Thomas (Oak Ridge) had hs best game of the tournament finishing with 20 points.
For the event Thomas finished as the teams leading scorer with a 12.7 point per game clip, Marable added double digits at 10.7 and Doyle closed at 10.0.
Other than Marable, EOTO was at a major size disadvantage and playing the top two teams in the age bracket EAB and BMaze certainly didn't help that cause either.
Doyle once again showed flashes of having some serious game. Consistency and effort appear to be area where he need major maturation. His length is impressive but he tends to make things much to hard. He has ball skills, can handle, shoots well enough but wants to make superior plays instead of game winning plays.
Holland is a small guard who does understand the game. He can shoot when open and will get folks involved when he is mentally engaged in the game. He gambles a lot on defense but he plays with effort. He likes to leave his feet for everything from passing to just setting up the offense, stop that. His size could be a factor defensively but his effort and love for the game should make up for this.
Marable is a big kid who is just starting to learn how to use his size and strength. He has decent hands, he can finish around the bucket, he plays with effort and he doesn't mind being physical. He will need to add some more perimeter skills to his arsenal as he projects more on the wing than the paint for the next level.
Thomas was the lone 2019 kid on this squad due to his younger age. He showed his scoring prowess against EAB and has some quickness and offensive ability. He can knock down shots but he also needs to determine what kind of guard he is. His size will dictate point and that appears to be the natural progression. His game will need to alter as he is a score first guard in this system. He has excellent athletic quickness and could be a devastating defender.
