Some impressions on Stockton and Ward from The Northwest Shootout
The Northwest Shootout is a high school all-star basketball game between a team from Oregon and a team from Washington. For any runners out there, it's the Border Clash of hoops. The Griz had a couple recruits playing in the game in Mathias Ward and Shawn Stockton. I was not at the game, but Portland State blogger Ian Ruder was and his impressions on the Griz recruits are below.
On Stockton:
Easily the player I was most excited to see and easily the most disappointing player in the game. Some of the disappointment is a product of hype, when you're NBA-legend John Stockton's nephew and are coming off a record 58-game winning streak, well, that's part of the deal.But hype aside, Stockton looked over-matched in his 18 minutes on the floor. He finished with a team-low four points and three turnovers. He did a nice job pushing the ball at times but didn't show the court vision other point guards did and had an awful looking shot. He was 2-5 from the floor and missed both three-pointers he attempted.
On Ward:
He didn't stand out amongst his talented teammates but showed a nice stroke, three-point range and good rebounding instincts en route to eight points and five rebounds. He's not a huge dude, but has a solid frame and above-average athleticism that should make him a solid Big Sky contributor.
Being completely honest, some of what I've heard on Stockton scares me a little. He's a gritty guy playing at a skill position, getting by on effort and toughness. But then I read something on his style of play and he sounds like exactly what the Griz need: a strong, quick point guard who can get to the rack and put pressure on the defense. Ruder calls him overmatched but in the article linked to above, DeAngelo Casto—who Ruder justly raves about—says everyone notices his strength. It should be easy to see early, with Stockton going up against the likes of Hasquet, Qvale and Selvig in practice, if his style of play translates to this level.
Take note Grizzlies, this is what happens when you get your bigs the ball in a position to score. News comes from the Kitsap Sun that 