Easter Shrugs Off Rankings, Dominates Old Team;

 Easter Shrugs Off Rankings, Dominates La Lumiere In A Great Weekend in Kentucky

By Deon Cash 

Photo Courtesy of League Ready

Jerry Easter shrugged off the shade of the latest ESPN rankings, and went out this weekend and provided the leadership and playmaking that will get Link Academy back to the Scholar League Championship. 

Link Academy lost a couple games, and for some reason, the ESPN rankings dropped Easter again going into the early portion of the season.

La Lumiere, the team he played for last year, tried to say he wasn't a team player or wasn't a point guard. However, Easter lead that team in points, rebounds, assists and steals last season. 

The reports are different at Link Academy, where the coach has said that Easter has a "Next Level" work ethic and skill set, is a team player,  and that they were extremely excited to have Easter running the show.

And boy did he, as he silenced the experts who continue to inexplicably drop Easter in those ESPN rankings. It also was verification to his old team who threw shade his way with a Masterclass performance in Kentucky, which had to make Easter, USC and the Easter team feel vindication.

He had 17 points, 10 dimes 4 rebounds and dominated the tone of the game. 

He also silenced the doubters and hit a couple of 3-pointers (2-2) as well going 7-8 overall as Link Academy defeated La Lumiere.  

He would follow that up with another dominating performance, in which he was the player of the game in another big win.

Whenever someone challenges Easter, he usually rises to that challenge. And wins in the process. 

No matter what Easter has done recently, the experts seem to continue to drop him in the polls.  Despite that, Easter rolled out his best performance of the season in Kenucky.  

While the Easter camp is baffled by the recent rankings, they love the mentality that Easter II is developing and that his ultimate goal is not about rankings, but about winning. 

That seems to be the misconception. 

But Easter has made that crystal clear to everyone, especially USC, La Lumiere, ESPN, Link Academy, and anyone else who is near and dear to the 4-star McDonalds All-American candidate, that the only thing he truly cares about is winning. 

Easter is one of those players who has been a legit star since middle school. So the hype, the pressure, the accolades? He's accustomed to it. 

And speaking of Mcdonalds All-American talk, look at his resume. Very few hoopers in the country have the accolades and this type of resume. 

Follow Jerry Easter II, Link Academy, and S.E.Live365 on the journey. 

Griffin Starks Coming Into Own In Sophomore Season;

Griffin Starks Coming Into Own In Sophmore Season at Newport  

Recent Games Shows "Top 40" Player in 27 Class Could Be Ready For Breakout Season 

By Deon Cash

Griffin Starks, one of the top sophomores in the country, had another good weekend early in the High School campaign down at a showcase event in Kentucky.

Starks is a 6'9,  long, lanky, skilled forward with a load of potential. He has legit big time D-1 offers and plenty of interest, but still had work to do last summer.

He was long, but not strong. He had a skillset, but there was too much flash, and not enough grit. He could make shots but not consistently. He was still learning the game and searching to unlock his true potential.  

Starks is a just turned 15-year old sensation, and he is soft spoken. But recently Griffin has started to grow into  young man status from being a young teen, which will bear some responsibility as he will be recruited heavily over the next few years. 

Coming from a athletic family background where his older brother played D-1 football and his sister played college hoops as well, it's in the genes. 

After a rigorous schedule this summer which included the EYBL & Adidas circuit and some trips to Philly, Starks started to put definition in his game, his body, and in his preparation.  

The hard work is paying off, as he is starting to show the glimpses that have some of the top colleges and NBA executives looking, along with some NBA players who have AAU programs.

  

Griffin Starks (M) with Morris Twins  

Starks who is currently at Newport HS in Kentucky, is the leading scorer, rebounder, defender, FG &  3-Point shooter for the 3-1 squad heading into the week. 

With star G Taylen McKinney transferring before th season, it has dropped more responsibility on the sophomores broad shoulders. 

He's coming off a huge game and weekend where he dropped 17-9-3 while shutting down one of the top players in the country in Ryan Wingard in getting the win. 

Wingard, who was averaging over 20ppg, was held to just 4 points as Starks did most of the defending against the Top 20 player in his class.

As Starks navigates through his HS journey, he will face more guys who are ranked higher and will face bigger and bigger challenges. 

When watching from a distance, Starks has all the pure tools the NBA loves.  He reminds you of Wemby with his skillset, style of play, and demeanor on the court. 

But it's the drive that has been instilled in him this last calendar year which will send him up the charts over the next 3 seasons. 

Starks is a Top 50 player in the ESPN 2027 HS hoop rankings, but is as high as 30 in other national publications, which could be a sign for the talented prospect. 

He should be a Top 25 prospect by the summer.  

He's also a Top 10 player in the Northern Kenucky / Cincinnati area. As a sophomore, that definitely is a statement. 

 

Look for more statements from Starks on the season as he embraces the leader role as a rising star for Newport. 

Follow Griffin Starks, Newport HS, and S.E.Live365 on the journey during the 24-25 year.