"Basketball is on the upswing in this area. At this point ID, Stick is ahead, however he has gotten more opportunity than Clark. Stick starts every game while Clark (he's still imo the best player Kelly has) comes off the bench. Outside of PV, JJ Kelly is the other team I follow a lot and it seems to me the difference in the two kids at this point is that PV has to have Stick, PV can't afford to take Garrison out of the game for extended periods of time to try and teach on the sideline, he has to learn from his mistakes. JJ Kelly has the luxury of taking Clark out of the game and settling him down on the bench, with the 5 seniors Kelly has it makes it much easier at this point. It's fun to watch the kids play though, both give it all they got and are tough as nails on defense."

I agree with most of this, but it's hard to tell who is ahead of whom at this point. Both have worked very hard at their games, and for a long time. Clark and Garrison, along with Stuart, have been playing travel ball since they were 4-5 graders--both around here and in the Tri-Cities. They've all shown a high committment to basketball--much higher than most around here--in the last few years as well. They do play other sports. Garrison and Stuart run track, I believe. Clark plays baseball. But they are basketball players first. All three have different strengths: Stuart is very fast in the full court, can hit the short jumper, is an excellent slasher, and plays the passing lanes well; Garrison is quick, handles the ball well, is an excellent on-ball defender, and has shown this year that he can hit the three; Clark is bigger than either of the other two. He can shoot the three and finish in the lane, but is best as a mid-range jump shooter. His on ball and help defense are both excellent. I'm glad we don't have to choose who is best at this point, but can enjoy watching them develop. I haven't seen Goins play yet, but am looking forward to it. If they continue to work, they'll all be fun to watch over the next three years.