Petit Jean Basketball Classic-Part 2

Bobby Brown

December 10, 2022 @ 11:10 AM

Round two of the 14th Annual Petit Jean Basketball Classic completed yesterday with only two schools remaining. Russellville defeated Sylvan Hills 53-50 and host Morrilton topped Bryant 55-50 in the nightcap. Intense high-level competition was the theme in these semifinal contests. Below, I've listed a group of student/athletes who displayed quality skill set despite not advancing to the championship game;   Brilynn Finley 5'7" PG Bryant H.S. 2024-A prototype point guard, Brilynn, pictured above, has a high IQ and a game to match. She's quick and agile. She could elevate her game with a stronger upper body, but the tools are there to play at the next level. her balanced attack on either side of the court makes her very difficult to guard. Keep an eye on this young lady!   Lauren Lain 5'10" F/SG Bryant H.S. 2023-Lauren is versatile in that she can play at the swing guard position as well. Her length and quickness, coupled with her 5'10" frame can create a problem for opposing teams. She has excellent anticipation skills and gets out on the break for transition baskets. This girl is a natural athlete. I was impressed with her game.   Emileigh Muse 6'0" F Bryant H.S. 2023-Emileigh is a "Big" that can go out past the arc and shoot the trey. She's a very good rebounder on both ends of the court. Needs to work on her weak hand but is very effective on her strong side. She's a tough matchup for most opponents because she can draw the defense out of the lane.   [player_tooltip player_id='465495' first='Austyn' last='Oholendt'] SG Bryant H.S. 2025-Youth is what got my attention about Austyn. Her skill set is off the chart for a sophomore. She handles the ball very proficiently and has those intangibles that you just don't see in a player so young. She comes off the bench and supplies instant offense. Look for this athlete to make many honor lists in the future.   [player_tooltip player_id='306107' first='Jianna' last='Morris'] SG Sylvan Hills H.S. 2023-Jianna can definitely play at the next level. She has the talent to play any of the guard positions. Excellent footwork, great anticipation skills, and is as quick and fast as anyone on the court. She needs to keep her intensity level up throughout the entire game, but from a tools perspective, she has it all.   Courtney Savell 5'11" F Sylvan Hills H.S. 2023-Courtney has the height and size to dominate inside but prefers to face the basket on offense. She's hard to guard outside the paint. Courtney likes to shoot the 3-ball and will periodically go in for a rebound, but will get bumped around a bit. Upper body strength will eliminate that problem.   [player_tooltip player_id='442425' first='Jayla' last='Stirgus'] PG Sylvan Hills H.S. 2023-Jayla is very quick. She utilizes both hands equally and will get out on the break. Her strength is shooting the trey. She's more of a catch-and-shoot guard. Jayla moves very well without the ball. Defensively, she uses her physicality to her advantage, anticipates well, and is very quick to the loose ball. She's a smart basketball player.   Next up, last but not least, top performers participating in the championship game of this classic.   Bobby Brown

Round two of the 14th Annual Petit Jean Basketball Classic completed yesterday with only two schools remaining. Russellville defeated Sylvan Hills 53-50 and host Morrilton topped Bryant 55-50 in the nightcap. Intense high-level competition was the theme in these semifinal contests. Below, I've listed a group of student/athletes who displayed quality skill set despite not advancing to the championship game;