Perry Pumas to be led by pack of Juniors
The Perry Pumas will be strongly depending on a pack of experienced juniors this year to lead the team to victory. The Pumas made it to the quarterfinal round of the 6A playoffs last season, where they were routed by…
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Continue ReadingThe Perry Pumas will be strongly depending on a pack of experienced juniors this year to lead the team to victory. The Pumas made it to the quarterfinal round of the 6A playoffs last season, where they were routed by Valley Vista, but the team is eager to hit the court and show how they’ve grown since then. According to Coach Andrew Curtis, this class of 2021 not only has quite a bit of experience playing together, but it is also one of the most talented classes to ever come through Perry’s basketball program.
Creating the “Perry Puzzle”
As Coach Curtis puts it, each player is part of the Perry Puzzle, contributing both on and off the court. Each player comes together to help lift the others in areas where they’re strongest. In the classroom, many turn to junior Tatyanna Clayburne for help with their school work, as she excels in the classroom and naturally has the skills needed to be a great tutor. When it comes to playing on the court, freshman Jayla Cal says the group of juniors have all been incredibly helpful when it comes to working with her to improve her skills, such as ball handling, shooting and passing.
Perry’s Junior class consists of eight players, making up a majority of the team. With six returning juniors and two new additions to the varsity roster, they’re looking to dominate the court this season, especially with only one senior on the team.
Here’s what we know about the six returning juniors who will lead the pumas.
Perry’s Returning Varsity Class of 2021
#1 Tatyanna Clayburne – PG, SG
Clayburne is a natural leader both on the court and in the classroom with a bubbly personality that draws everyone in. Coach Curtis described Clayburne as a true team player who works to make sure everyone is reaching their maximum potential. Going into her junior year, she already has a couple of offers to continue her basketball career at the next level, but Curtis believes things are just going to be heating up for her. Last year, she played in all 27 games, averaging 5 and 13.6 points per game. She also led the team in assists, with an average of 4.2 per game, and steals with 85 on the season.
https://twitter.com/EVisionAZ/status/1150603918218387457?s=20
#2 Madison Conner – G
Conner is a beast on the court, and it shows with the numbers she was able to put up last year as a sophomore. Coach Curtis talked about how much she’s continued to grow as a player day after day, and said that a number of big-time schools have stopped by to watch her practice. Conner’s high basketball IQ and her skill set will help push the others to improve through sharing the same court during practice. Last season, Conner played in 26 of the 27 games for the Pumas. She led the team in points per game with an average of 17.7, as well as rebounds, with an average of 7. She also averaged 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Her list of offers is already pretty impressive and is just expected to continue growing.
Madison Conner At 2019 Top Ten All-American Camp
@coachcjASGR @ASGR1995 @NathanASGR pic.twitter.com/QssWR1lXHj— ASGRBasketball (@ASGRBasketball) October 25, 2019
#4 Gabrielle Schwartz – C
At 6-foot-1, Schwartz is the perfect fit for a center. Last season, she made an appearance in all 27 games, averaging 5.9 points per game and 5.6 assists per game. She also was able to rack up 44 steals and 17 blocks on the season. Her biggest strength is her field goal shooting, where she leads the team at 56%.
@gabbyschwartzz in 🏀Garage working on relocating off penetration and rolling hard finishing out of Ballscreen actions “Great Work G” pic.twitter.com/YmcxvgCejr
— Tony Miller (@CoachT_Miller) August 5, 2019
#5 Nicole Smith – SG
Smith saw action in 18 of the Pumas’ 27 games last year, where she averaged 6.4 points per game. She was able to hit 51% of her field goals last season and 28% from beyond the arc. Smith didn’t draw a ton of fouls last season, only putting up seven total free throws, but she was able to sink four of them.
Showcase #6: 2021 SG – Nicole Smith aka The Professor! She's patient, can shoot, pass, defend & sees the floor. A high basketball IQ and looks for the right move at every turn. Check out some of her HS highlights @LPumaBasketball this season. https://t.co/DYODTsY88b
— Team Militant AZ (@AZSwish) February 13, 2019
#23 Shayla O’Neil – SF
O’Neil played in all 27 games last year and was able to rack up the third most points for the team with an average of 9.2 points per game. She also averaged just over four rebounds per game, with a majority of them being defensive rebounds, showing that she’s able to contribute on both sides of the ball.
Here are a few clutch plays @ShayONeil23 made down the stretch of the @UCSB_WBB camp All Star Game. Including the game tying bucket to send the game into overtime. And a big defensive play on the other teams last possession that led to the game winning bucket by her teammate! pic.twitter.com/kcMcb7Jf7J
— Jason O'Neil (@jasononeil22) August 11, 2019
#24 Grace Oken – PF
Oken saw the court in all 27 of last year’s games for the Pumas. She averaged 5.9 points per game and was able to make a contribution with her defensive rebounding on the court, racking up 63 throughout the season. She made 34% of her 3-point shots and 38% of her field goals.
Grace Oken with the 3 at the buzzer to end the 1st quarter at Girls Basketball vs Hamilton! Pumas up 19-15! pic.twitter.com/yM9Ii4duAV
— Perry High Athletics (@perry_pumas) January 30, 2019
Whether it’s on the court or in the classroom, be on the look out for this group of juniors as they’re expected to take the 6A Division this year in Arizona by storm. The Pumas officially begin their season at home on Monday, December 2nd against the Westview Knights.