KSL.com CSE high school hoops players of the week: ALA's Kannon Huntsman, Payson's Oaklie Jackman

SALT LAKE CITY — Sometimes guards get a lot of love, but the front court players are key parts to an offense in basketball, too. In an era where teams rely heavily on 3-point shooting, a dominant post player can cause a lot of problems, especially when they can take over a game in a blink.

That's the focus of this week's KSL.com Players of the Week, presented by Clean Simple Eats.

Boys: Kannon Huntsman, American Leadership Academy Eagles

This was a difficult choice. Both Huntsman and his teammate, guard Jaxon Hunter, have proven to be critical parts of Ronnie Ross' multi-pronged offensive attack recently. Huntsman had a 27-point, 29-rebound double-double against Rowland Hall, and Hunter hit a state record 13 3-pointers in a 43-point outburst against Draper APA.

And the scary part? They aren't even the main go-to players.

"I tell the kids we're a team," ALA coach Ronnie Ross said. "In basketball, and in scouting reports, people are going to try to take things away."

And opponents have proven it's hard to do, especially with Huntsman. It's his defense, however, especially rebounding, in clutch moments during the Eagles' recent four-game winning streak that has been the difference for Ross and his crew. And it's those clutch, crunch-time cleanups that earned him the player of the week honors by a razor-thin margin.

They will certainly need him to do it again, as the Eagles now set their sights on region leaders Rowland Hall in a highly anticipated revenge match that could decide the Region 17 title on their home floor Wednesday (7 p.m. MST).

Huntsman said the goal is clear: win another region championship.

"It's just super important to win as a team and feel like a family," Huntsman said. "It's just a team effort, and everyone deserves credit for getting us to this point."

Girls: Oaklie Jackman, Payson Lions

The Payson Lions are on top of 4A Region 8 and ranked No. 9 in this week's RPI. They have senior forward Oaklie Jackman to thank for that. She earned the nod for the girls player of the week honors.

Jackman is averaging a near double-double with 12.2 points and 8.5 rebounds a game; and while she hit those averages with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double Tuesday against Provo, it was her play down the stretch of the Lions' 59-50 victory that caught some attention.

She scored six of her 12 points, along with snatching some key rebounds, in the final five minutes of the game, to put it away for Payson.

Head coach Chad Bahr called Jackman a superstar.

"When the game's on the line, you need superstars to take over, and that's exactly what she is," he said.

Jackman said being locked in, no matter what the situation, is what matters in crunch time. "You have to have your fire lit, whether you're down 20 or up 15, because you never know what's going to happen," she said.

The Lions will now face Timpanogos Friday (5:15 p.m. MST) at home as part of another boys-girls doubleheader.

See anyone else's under-the-radar, on- or off-court, impact that deserves a moment in the sun? Send us an email at onlinesports@ksl.com.

Related topics