The Big Man Battle of Chicago

 Whitney Young and Curie battled on Sunday night in a game which featured a plethora of top notch 2014 talent. Division 1 assistants (UNC, OSU, Wisconsin, Illinois, FSU, etc) and fans came to witness the big man battle of sophomore studs Jahlil Okafor (#3 – ESPN) and Cliff Alexander (#13 – ESPN). While these big men had their moments, it was Curie’s guard play of Devin Foster and Malcolm Hill-Bey who overcame the efforts of Whitney Young’s other 2014 star, Paul White (#17 – ESPN). Curie won the game 59-47 behind Foster’s 20 points, however for this first high school installment the focus will be on the play of the 2014 stars.

Jahlil Okafor – Okafor ran the floor with a grace and agility usually unseen in a player his size. Okafor had no problems keeping up with the guards on either team and could flourish in an up-tempo college system. Okafor reminds me of a young version of Sean May (although in better shape) with his strong post moves and good hands around the basket. 

courtesy of Chicago Sun Times

In the first half Okafor had two power dunks and a contested in traffic lay-up after establishing a strong post presence in the middle of the lane. Okafor rebounded the ball well during this time and kept the game close with his defensive presence. In the second half, Okafor started with another two hand dunk and then went right at Alexander the next time down the court. Upon catching the ball on the right post, Okafor used his pivot to face up on Alexander and took one dribble with his left hand, utilized a spin move, and went up for a 5 foot bank shot. The shot attempt was a bit off the mark, but the move was a thing of beauty and unfortunately something the crowd would not see the rest of the game. As Curie extended their lead, the Whitney Young guards forgot about Okafor and he slowly disappeared from the game. In the 4^th quarter, Okafor had one shot attempt blocked from behind by Alexander and several shots swatted out of his hands by the Curie guards as he brought the ball down low before going back up with his shot.

Stats: 9 points (3 dunks, 1 contested layup, 1 free throw) and 8 rebounds

Positives: Great agility and strength for only a sophomore. Had several advanced post moves and can finish in traffic. 

Negatives: Shot 1 of 5 from the free throw line. Despite this percentage he did show good form and I would expect him to eventually shoot between 60-70%. Several times Okafor brought the ball down to his knees after offensive rebounds allowing Curie’s guards to strip the ball out of his hands. Needs to work on rebounding and going back to the basket without bringing the ball down. 

Overall, this was not one of Okafor’s best games, but it is easy to see why he is ranked #3 in the country and is getting looks from almost all of the top teams in the country.

courtesy of Chicago Sun Times

Cliff Alexander – While Okafor reminded me of Sean May, Cliff Alexander resembles a poor man’s Amare (meant as a compliment). Alexander used his length and quickness to try and offset Okafor’s strength and power. While he did receive help at times guarding Okafor, Alexander did a great job in the post by fronting Okafor and not allowing the Whitney Young guards a passing lane. Alexander finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds despite the quick triggered referees. Alexander was a non-factor in the 2^nd quarter sitting out the first 5 minutes, but made his presence felt right off the bat in the 2^nd half. Alexander began the half with a thunderous dunk and then went right at Okafor the next time down. Upon catching the ball on the left hand low post, Alexander made a quick spin to the basket which resulted in an And 1. This move showed off the quickness that Alexander possesses and got the crowd off its feet. Alexander was in foul trouble throughout the game and did not receive a whole lot of touches in the post as Curie’s guards were dominating their counterparts. 

Stats: 10 points, 7 rebounds, two blocks

Positives: Quickness and length. Alexander used both of these attributes to frustrate Okafor on the defensive end and challenge him on the offensive end. Showed off an improved post game and solidified his top 25 ranking.

Negatives: Picked up early fouls and was a non-factor in the second quarter. Alexander needs to work on his 12 foot jump shot in order to pull his man away from the basket in order to show off his god given athletic ability. Also needs to work on establishing a stronger post presence. There were several instances where the Curie guards were looking inside, but did not want to risk a turnover due to Alexander's post-up position.

Overall, in limited minutes, Alexander held his own / outplayed Okafor. It would not surprise me to see Alexander rise up the rankings during the spring and summer AAU circuit.

Paul White – Paul White’s game and confidence have grown leaps and bounds over the past year. White was very assertive and showed off a nice handle, athletic ability, and desire to get to the basket. He handled the ball for Whitney Young approximately 40% of the game and had several nice assists including a one hand pass from half court for an easy lay-up. White was in attack mode all game and got to the basket frequently. White did connect from just inside the arc at the end of the game, but this was his only outside shot attempt. White was extremely impressive to watch and with his length and body type will most likely be compared to Tayshaun Prince down the road.

Stats: 12 points, 4 rebs, 4 assists, 4 blocks

Positives: Dribbling ability, body control, quickness

Negatives: Outside shooting. White connected on a deep jumper late in the 4^th quarter, but for the most part he did not look to score outside.

Overall, White’s game has grown up quickly and if he continues to improve year over year he will continue to be mentioned as one of the premier wing players in 2014.  

With two top 25 sophomore on their team, Whitney Young needs to iso White and Okafor on the same side of the court and let them play a 2 man game. The big man battle of Chicago did not fully materialize this past Sunday night, but there should be many more high school and AAU match-ups in the future between these two top 25 players.