Saturday Recap - 1/19/13

Saturday’s slate of basketball games featured upsets, buzzer beaters, and blowouts. Here is a quick look back on a full day of action.

Game(s) of the Day:

College:

Butler 64 Gonzaga 63

Butler came into their much anticipated Gameday match-up with Gonzaga as 2.5 point home underdogs and also without their top player Rotnei Clarke. Butler was also down one point with 4 seconds left while Gonzaga had a half court inbounds. As Butler has proved time and time again, none of this mattered. Roosevelt Jones stole the inbounds pass and hit a floater over 7 –foot center Kelly Olynyk to win the game and set off a proper court storming. After a back and forth last minute, Butler ended up with the final shot and took advantage in a packed Hinkle Field house. Jones led the way for Butler with 20 points while Sam Dower and Elias Harris each scored 20 for the Zags.

Syracuse 70 Louisville 68

Syracuse came into their biggest game of the year in Louisville, KY without the services of James Sunderland and as 6.5 point underdogs. Syracuse held strong throughout and put together a strong final stand by holding Louisville scoreless for the final 1:58. Sophomore Michael Carter-Williams made a key steal and raced the length of the court for a rim rattling dunk with 25 seconds to give Cuse their final lead. Brandon Triche led the way for the Orange with 23 points on 9-13 shooting while Russ Smith scored 25 points for Louisville. Star guard Peyton Siva played 37 minutes but struggled mightily as he went 1-9 from the field. 

High School:

Chester (PA) 63 Gonzaga (DC) 55

Chester bounced back after suffering an upset loss in the Brandon Jennings Invitational with a strong showing against senior forward Kris Jenkins and Gonzaga. Senior forward Rondae Jefferson (Arizona) missed Chester’s loss last week but returned with a vengeance and finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and six steals. Senior guard Darius Robinson took the game over in the final minutes and went on a person 6-0 run to put the game out of reach. On the other side, Jenkins scored a game high 23 points for Gonzaga while draining several three pointers and using his big body down low.

Upsets of the Day

College:

Utah 74 Washington 65

In one of the final games of the night, Utah pulled the biggest upset of the day. The Utes came into Seattle as 11 point underdogs and winless in the PAC-12. On the other side, Washington came into the game fresh off an easy win over Colorado and a 4-0 PAC-12 record. Washington struggled from the field and the Utes jumped on them early with a 14-4 run to start the game. The Utes led by eight points at the half and held on during a high scoring 2^nd half. Center Jason Washburn and forward Jordan Loveridge led the way for the Utes with 18 and 17 points respectively.

High School:

Paul VI (VA) Montverde (FL) 67

Montverde, the top ranked team in the country suffered a stunning loss to Paul VI in the Missouri Bass Pro Tournament of Champions only one day before their much anticipated match-up with Findlay Prep. Paul VI battled back from a 10 point deficit in the 3^rd quarter to force overtime after two free throws from sophomore Marcus Derrickson. One day after hitting a game winning jump shot against St. John Boscoe, sophomore guard Kevin Dorsey delivered again with another game winning jump shot. Both teams played in the City of Palms Classic this past December but Paul VI suffered an opening night upset loss and the teams never met up. The sophomore laden Paul VI squad has now knocked off Oak Hill Academy and Montverde.

Blowout of the Day:

College:

Florida 83 Missouri 52

The Gators gave Missouri a nice welcome to the SEC with a 31 point beat down on Saturday afternoon. Point guard Scottie Wilbekin scored off the tip and Florida never looked back starting off with an 11-0 run and a 40-23 halftime lead. Four players scored in double figures for Florida led by forward Eric Murphy and his three-point shooting. One of the top point guards in the country, Phil Pressey struggled mightily as he went 1-7 from the floor and finished with 10 turnovers. Despite two losses, Florida served notice that they should be in the conversation for top teams in the country.

High School:

Whitney Young (IL) 85 Long Beach Poly (CA)52

Long Beach Poly came in 3^rd place at the City of Palms Classic while Whitney Young placed 5^th; however the match-up yesterday was not even close. LB Poly started the game off with a 12-6 1^st quarter run and then it was all Whitney Young as they went on a quick 12-0 run to take the lead that only increased throughout. Big man Jahlil Okafor dominated inside with 26 points and seven rebounds and continued his impressive junior campaign. While Okafor led the way for Whitney Young it was the least talked about Whitney Young starter that sparked the initial run. Senior point guard Ausar Madison is often disrespected by defenders but made LB Poly pay with a 15 foot jump shot and three-pointer on back to back possessions in the first quarter. After that, the remaining Whitney Young starters in Paul White, L.J. Peak, and Miles Reynolds took over. Whitney Young’s lone defeat came to Montverde in overtime after a long day of travel in Florida and face off against the 3 time defending state champion of Illinois in Simeon next Saturday.

Other Notes:

·         The Hangover effect – Coming off big wins, both Maryland and Wisconsin suffered road defeats. Maryland got blown out in Chapel Hill from the get-go and trailed by 22 points at the half. Junior guard Reggie Bullock scored 21 points in the 1^st half and Maryland committed 15 first half turnovers. UNC only scored 18 points through the first 17 minutes of the 2^nd half, but Maryland could not capitalize. Wisconsin trailed from the get go in Ames and suffered through a 1-10 shooting performance from guard Traevon Jackson.

·         Marquette got off to a slow start at Cincinnati with 13 first half points, but almost pulled off the come from behind victory. Last week Marquette defeated Pittsburgh in overtime as 11 point underdogs and this week they lost to a hot shooting Sean Kilpatrick in overtime 71-69.

·         Florida State only scored 36 points in a twenty point defeat to UVA while shooting 1-15 from three.

·         Oregon won at Pauley Pavilion 76-67 and took possession of first place in the PAC-12 after defeating both of the Southern California schools this past weekend.

Brandon Jennings Invitational

The third annual Brandon Jennings Invitational held outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin featured nationally ranked teams and players sprinkled with various local top Midwest schools. The event was held at Brookfield Central High school and treated spectators to come from behind victories, upsets, and even a buzzer beater throughout the day. 

 Game 1: St. Frances (MD) 60 Bogan (IL) 44

The opening game of the Invitational tipped off at 11am and it looked like neither team was fully awake early on. Senior guard Maurice White woke up first for St. Frances as they took an early first quarter lead which turned into a 27-15 halftime lead. White will be headed to play for Loyola (MD) next year and finished the first half with 10 points. His backcourt mate, senior Tevon Saddler took over in the second half as St. Frances kept their double digit lead throughout the second half. The future UNC-Greensboro guard finished the game with 19 points and took home the first MVP of the day. St. Frances is normally led by junior forward Dwayne Morgan; however he was kept scoreless during the first three quarters and finished up with six points. In the 4^th quarter Morgan had a nifty left to right cross over for a driving lay-up along with a ferocious dunk showing off his elite potential. Bogan was led by sophomore point guard LuWane Pipkins who finished up with 14 points, but overall the team struggled shooting all morning.

Game 2: Orr (IL) 50 Shiloh (GA) 45

Shiloh had the height with 7 foot junior center Trayvon Reed; however Orr, one of the top teams in Chicago brought the tenacity and jumped out to an early lead they never relinquished. Junior center Marlon Jones stands 6’8” but brought the fight to the more heralded Reed right away. Jones finished with 17 points and out played Reed throughout the course of the game. He also got some help from fellow juniors Tyquone Greer and Louis Adams who both scored 12 points. Adams helped Orr get off to a quick start scoring nine points in the first quarter en route to a 25-15 first half lead. Shiloh tried to mount a comeback in the final minutes and ended up within two points after a floater closed the lead to 45-43, but their comeback stalled and Orr pushed their lead out one more time. 

Game 3: Denver East (61) Minnetonka (MN) 60

Denver East came into their match-up as the top ranked team in Colorado and they needed all 32 minutes to leave Milwaukee with a hard fought win over one of the top teams in the state of Minnesota. While the first two games of the day lacked outside shooting and a fast tempo, this game got off to a torrid start. Star junior guard Dominique Collier knocked in two quick three pointers to start off the game and junior guard Jevon Griffin contributed nine points in building a 24-17 first quarter lead. Minnetonka then rallied back in the second quarter to take a 33-30 halftime lead. In the second half, it was the Riley Dearring show for Minnetonka. While the Wisconsin Badgers were busy reigning threes in a blowout win over Illinois in Madison, the future Badger was reining three’s for Minnetonka. Dearring scored nine consecutive points at one point and 17 total in the second half in a back and forth affair. With both teams taking turns with the lead, it was only fitting that the game came down to the final possession. As the clock wound down, Griffin controlled the ball on the left side of the floor down one point. While most expected Griffin to rise and fire he instead found a wide open Ronnie Harrell alone under the basket for the game winning lay-up. Griffin finished with 21 points and Collier had 15 despite foul trouble as Denver East escaped with a hard fought victory.

Game 4: Brookfield Central (WI) 64 Chester (PA) 56

Chester came into their game against the host school with a national ranking, but left Wisconsin with a shocking defeat. Despite not having their five star senior in Rondae Jefferson, Chester was still the more talented team on paper and used their speed and athleticism to overwhelm Brookfield Central in the first half. Facing a zone, senior forward Richard Granberry had his way down low early and scored nine first half points as Chester enjoyed a 28-20 halftime lead. The second half was a different story as junior guard Riley LaChance caught fire for the hometown squad. LaChance scored 11 points in the first half, but started the second half with several picturesque three pointers and mid-range jump shots. Brookfield Central grabbed the lead in the 3^rd quarter and never looked back. LaChance finished with 29 points and his teammate junior big man Elijah Goodman finished with 20 rebounds. After losing two games in the City of Palms tournament, Chester added a third loss to their resume.

Game 5: Lone Peak (UT) 63 High Point Wesleyan (NC) 59

After running through teams in the City of Palms tournament on their way to a 2^nd place finish, Lone Peak worked themselves up to a top 3 national ranking. Lone Peak is known for their stellar three-point shooting and they opened up the game knocking down a wide open three in a set play off the opening jump ball. Both TJ Haws and Nick Emery knocked down long jumpers to start the game, but then Wesleyan utilized their athleticism to control the game. Junior Theo Pinson scored 15 first half points as Wesleyan Christian led 35-28 at the half. Lone Peak closed the gap to three points entering the 4^th quarter and regained the lead on two Emery free throws in the final minutes. TJ Haws had the play of the game following up a missed Emery lay-up with a two-hand tip dunk giving Lone Peak a 60-57 lead, one they would not relinquish. Emery finished with a game high 20 points and Haws tallied 17 points. Pinson finished the game with 19 points and freshman big man Harry Giles put up 7 points. Despite only being a freshman, Giles went toe to toe with Lone Peak big man Eric Mika and showed off why he is considered one of the top players in the class of 2016. Despite not playing up to their normal standards, Lone Peak gutted out a hard fought victory as they get ready for Archbishop Mitty in the Hoophall Classic.

City of Palms - Day 4

Dick Vitale was not in attendance on Day 4 of the City of Palms tournament, but that didn’t stop a capacity crowd coming out for the night’s semi-final match-ups. With a birth to the 40^th annual City of Palms championship on the line the top teams in the nation battled for the coveted final game on Saturday.

Game of the Day:

(67) Lone Peak vs. (52) Southwind

On Thursday night, Lone Peak jumped out to an early lead against Chester and never looked back while snapping their 61 game win streak. On Friday night, Lone Peak needed until the 3^rd quarter to pull away. The athleticism of Southwind created some problems early on for Lone Peak as the game started out with Southwind’s center, 6’10” Jonathon Williams III hitting a 3-point attempt over Eric Mika. Williams followed up his first offensive possession with a blocked shot on the first defensive possession setting the stage for the first half. Senior guard, Jujuan Johnson came off the bench and quickly scored 7 points in a matter of minutes. With Lone Peak miss-firing on deep three pointers, Southwind had a 19-14 lead after the 1^st quarter. Future BYU guards Nick Emery and TJ Haws brought Lone Peak back in the 2^nd quarter with their shooting and Lone Peak trailed 31-30 at the half. TJ Haws and Lone Peak came out blazing in the 3^rd quarter. Haws went for 13 points in the quarter and turned a 1 point deficit into an 11 point lead. Haws was getting to the basket for mid-range jumpers and lay-ups while also connecting on a three pointer plus the foul. After this scoring explosion, Lone Peak held on in the 4^th quarter despite Southwind’s pressure and won 67-52. TJ Haws led the way for Lone Peak with 24 points (four 3’s) and Nick Emery added in 16 points. Big man Eric Mika added in a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds as well. Southwind cooled off in the second half, but Jonathon Williams III still had a fine performance and finished with 22 points and 9 rebounds. 

Performance of the Day:

Malik Newman – 21 points

In one of the early afternoon games, sophomore guard Malik Newman led his team to a 59-43 victory over Tift County 59-43. This game was tied at 21 a piece at halftime before Newman took over. Despite facing a box and one defense all game Newman started the half off with a quick 3-pointer. Newman then added another corner three before going to work off the dribble. Tift tried to make it hard for Newman to catch the ball, but when he did they were in trouble. Routinely catching the ball at half-court, Newman drove to the left and right at will and went 4-4 in the lane on contested finishes. Newman shot 6-8 in the 2^nd half for 14 points and helped turn a tie game into a 16 point victory. Along with his offensive foray, his mere presence on the court led to easier shots for his teammates such as TreShawn Bolden. Newman also added in 10 rebounds and 3 steals. Despite having a future Kansas commit on Tift in Brannen Greene, Malik Newman was far and away the best player on the court.

Other Notes:

Whitney Young (#17) won a close game with Omaha Central (#15) 60-57 behind Jahlil Okafor’s 23 points and 11 rebounds. Okafor dominated down low and shot 6-8 in the first half and 5-6 in the 2^nd half despite constant double teams. Okafor showed off a great set of hands and even hit a deep jumper to lead the Dolphins. Omaha was led by a well-balanced attack and had 4 players in double figures. A Louisville assistant coach was in the stands to watch a future Cardinal in Akoy Agau. Agau had 14 points and 8 rebounds while going 3-3 from behind the arc in the first quarter.

Junior Whitney Young guard Miles Reynolds had another solid effort in the tournament with 15 points on 5-6 shooting. Despite not getting the publicity of the other top three juniors on his team, Reynolds is rapidly gaining recognition. Reynolds went 3-3 from behind the line including the biggest shot of the game as he gave the Dolphins a two point lead with under 2 minutes to go. LSU offered Reynolds a scholarship after watching his game on Thursday night. More offers will be coming shortly.

Montverde Academy (#4) easily defeated Long Beach Poly (#9) in the 2^nd semi-final 76-51. Montverde was just too big for the Jackrabbits of Westchester and jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Big men Dakari Johnson and Devin Williams led with 17 a piece. Senior forward Roschon Prince led the way for Poly with 22 points but it wasn’t enough.

After having their 61 game win streak snapped on Thursday, Chester (#3) took their aggression out on Lake Wales with a 78-64 victory which was not as close as the score suggests. Senior forward Rondae Jefferson (Arizona) led the way with 27 points and 14 rebounds and attached the rim with several highlight reel dunks in the first half. Jefferson went 11-13 from the field. Despite the loss, Douglas Brooks scored a tournament high 32 points with 8 three pointers.

Sophomore forward Marcus Derrickson of Paul VI scored 17 points in an easy win over Lake Highland Prep. Derrickson mixed in several outside jump shots with his brute strength down low to dominate.

One day after Nick Emery won the 3-point shootout for Lone Peak, Erik Mika won the slam dunk contest.

Championship Preview:

In what could be the most anticipated game of the high school season, Lone Peak faces off against Montverde in the City of Palms championship. Montverde has the size and all of the five star recruits, but nobody shoots the ball or moves the ball around like Lone Peak. Here are several keys to the game:

Size – Future Mountaineer, Devin Williams is the X-Factor. While Dakari Johnson and Eric Mika will square off, Lone Peak does not have anyone to guard Williams in the post. He made Long Beach Poly pay; can he do it again tonight?

Pressure – Lone Peak has feasted on the full court pressure shown to them by Chester and Southwind. Montverde does not press full-court but will instead apply half-court pressure led by guards Kasey Hill and DeAngelo Russell. Lone Peak has been used to getting numerous open looks after breaking the pressure. How will they fare in a half-court game?

Shooting – Lone Peak relies on outside shooting, which certainly isn’t a secret. Will Russell and Hill be able to slow down the future BYU back court of TJ Haws and Nick Emery? Conner Toolson and Talon Shumway are more than capable of hitting from the outside as well, but they will have to be ready to play to keep in Lone Peak in the game.

City of Palms - Day 3

Day 3 of the City of Palms brought out a variety of college coaches along with ESPN’s Dick Vitale. The star studded event did not disappoint with the game of the day wrapping up close to 1am between Montverde and Whitney Young. This game was the most competitive game of the day as several of the other hyped match-ups turned into early blowouts. Despite a lack of close games, there were a few strong individual performances, notably the 31 point exhibition that Andrew Wiggins, the number 1 player in America put on. In addition, a 61 game winning streak was snapped.

Game of the Day:

Montverde (FL - #4) vs. Whitney Young (IL - #17)

Okafor vs. Dakari - Rd. 2

The most anticipated game of the day, not to mention the most anticipated individual big man match-up of Jahlil Okafor (#2 – 2014) vs. Dakari Johnson (#12 – 2013) tipped off at 11pm in Fort Meyer, FL. Despite the late start and the travel that Whitney Young had incurred (plane flight to Tampa, drive from Tampa to Fort Meyer), the Dolphins got off to a strong start with a 17-11 1^st quarter lead. Montverde made a strong second quarter run to take a 29-26 halftime lead before a back and forth second half. Okafor started off slow going 1-4 early, but finished the half with 9 points and 5 rebounds on 3-6 shooting. Okafor ran the floor well and attacked Johnson in the post when not facing double teams. Dakari held his own in the first half with 7 points. The 2^nd half was a bit more guard dominated by players such as Whitney Young’s L.J. Peak (#53 – 2014) and Miles Reynolds (2014) along with Montverde’s Kasey Hill (#9 – 2013) and DeAngelo Russell (#13 – 2014). Peak and Reynolds hit several timely three pointers towards the end of the 4^th quarter to keep the game in reach and Reynolds hit three free throws to send the game into overtime after being fouled on his game tying three point attempt. With players beginning to foul out in overtime, Montverde’s other big man; Devin Williams (#85 – 2013) came up large with several clutch free throw attempts and buckets. Junior guard LJ Peak missed a last second 25 foot three in overtime to try and tie the game again. Williams and Russell led Montverde with 17 a piece and Reynolds led Whitney Young with 18. Okafor finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds while Johnson finished with 10 points and 17 rebounds. Okafor may have won the individual battle, but Johnson goes to 2-0 against Whitney Young at the City of Palms (both matched-up in 2010).

Mismatch of the Day:

Lone Peak (UT - #7) vs. Chester (PA - #3)

In the early quarterfinal match, Chester carried a 61 game win streak into their match-up with everyone’s new favorite team, Lone Peak. Chester took a 2-0 lead to start the game before Lone Peak completely dismantled them. Junior TJ Haws (#66 – 2014 Scout) began the game with two threes along with a buzzer beater three to end the first quarter up 17-8. Haws continued to stay hot in the 2^nd quarter while big man Eric Mika (#76 – 2013) joined the action down low and dominated the boards. Chester was still within striking distance at the half only down 33-22; however senior guard Nick Emery (#61 – 2013) put the game out of reach leading a 9-2 run for Lone Peak. Emery continued to knock down shots and went for 16 2^nd half points as Lone Peak led 59-36 after the 3^rd quarter and 73-50 at the end. Both Haws and Emery scored 23 points for Lone Peak while Chester was led by Arizona commit, Rondae Jefferson (#17 – 2013). Jefferson’s strong performance was not enough to keep his teams win streak going. Chester pressed the entire game and apparently did not get the memo from Proviso East (IL) that it is futile to press this Utah squad. Next up for Lone Peak is the number 12^th ranked team in the country, Southwind (TN).

Player of the Day:

Andrew Wiggins (#1 – 2013)

Wiggins started the day off taking pictures with Dickie V during lay-up lines and finished the day with 31 points on 15-22 shooting. Wiggins came out of the gate a bit slow going 2-5 in the first quarter for 4 points, but picked it up in the 2^nd quarter where he went 4-5 for 9 points. He showed off his ridiculous hops with a two handed alley oop and his head at the rim to get the crowd off its feet and added in a three for good measure. Wiggins also guarded 6’7” Justin Jackson (#16 – 2014) and made his life miserable in the first quarter. In the second half, Wiggins showed why he is the future number 1 pick in the 2014 draft by going 9-10. All 10 of his shots came within a few feet of the basket either on powerful two-hand dunks or strong forays to the basket. Wiggins dominated the game on both sides of the ball and helped his team to a 77-50 victory.

Wiggins Domination 

Other Notes: 

·         Paul VI (#16) suffered an upset loss in Day 2 of the tournament and needed a last second free throw to defeat an injury riddled Prestonwood squad. Despite having a double digit deficit primarily the entire game, PG Marquan Botley led the Lions back and scored 5 points in the last minute before Paul VI won on a free throw.

·         Jonathon Williams III (#37 – 2013) and Jujuan Johnson (#64 – 2013) combined for 48 points in a blowout win against Lake Wales, FL.      
  Jujuan Johnson

·         Kiski defeated Brewster Academy and Tilton in the New England Prep School Showcase, but met their match in Arlington County Day (FL). Breakout star Rashad Richardson, who had 30 against Brewster went 2-15 for 5 points.     

·         Malik Newmann (#3 – 2015) was in foul trouble for most of the game but still scored 12 points to lead his Callaway team to a 47-44 win.

·         Day 4 of the City of Palms tournament features a Lone Peak vs. Southwind semi-final followed by a Montverde vs. Long Beach Poly semi-final.