Spalding Hoophall Classic Notes From Sunday
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Sunday of the 2008 Spalding Hoophall Classic featured seven games that had a little of everything. It started with a team from outside the country in the opener, then featured three more prep school games mixed in with high school games.
Most of the games of the day were blowouts, but a couple of games that came down to the final seconds came in the middle of the day. One of them was a close call for a top prep school.
Scoreboard
Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy 111, Chinese Junior All-Stars 47
Richmond (VA) Benedictine HS 69, Collierville (TN) St. George’s Independent School 49
Lenoir (NC) Patterson School 68. Winchendon (MA) School 67
Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy 73, Baltimore (MD) Mount St. Joseph 70
Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s 75, Hyattsville (MD) 41
Chatham (VA) Hargrave Military Academy 90, South Kent (CT) School 68
Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s Prep 69, Oakdale (CT) St. Thomas More 58
Brewster Fills Stat Sheet, Keeps Rolling
Brewster Academy kept its winning streak going by opening the day with a 111-47 thumping of the Chinese Junior All-Stars. They led 59-19 at the half and cruised the rest of the way to improve to 18-1 on the season.
Four players scored in double figures, led by Chauncey Gilliam‘s 24 points on 10-17 shooting. Late in the game, the 6’4″ wing got the crowd going with several dunks. Xavier-bound Mark Lyons (6’1″ PG-SG) had 23 points on 11-13 shooting.
Junior Givon Crump (6’7″ Jr. SF) added 17 points, playing well in the second half and going 5-7 from long range. Crump continues to improve, as his body is in better shape and he’s playing well in his role. He’s not a player an opponent will want to leave open with his shooting touch.
Benedictine Pitches Shutout Early, Davis Dominates
With Duke signee Elliot Williams out of action, the going didn’t figure to be easy for his St. George’s team. To say that’s how it played out would be an understatement. Benedictine scored the first 25 points of the game and held St. George’s without a point in the first quarter en route to a rout.
North Carolina signee Ed Davis (6’10” Sr. PF) dominated inside with a variety of post moves that often led to dunks. He also ran the floor and got his share of fast break baskets en route to 21 points on 10-11 shooting and 10 rebounds.
Benedictine also has fine prospects in seniors Bradford Burgess (6’5″ SG-SF) and Wayne Whiting (6’7″ PF) and junior Darien Brothers (6’3″ SG). Burgess, who will attend VCU, is an active athlete on the wing, and he played well in posting a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Whiting has a mature body and some athleticism, and that along with his size should get a Division I team interested. Brothers has a good body and knocked down a couple of jumpers.
Winchendon Almost Knocks Off No. 1 Team
The Patterson School has won a number of big games this season en route to being ranked atop a national prep school poll voted on by several writers. (Full disclosure: I am one of the voters.) On Sunday, they got all they could handle from a Winchendon team that has been playing better basketball of late, and they had to hold off the Green Wave to take home the win.
Winchendon turned several run-outs early on into a good lead, but they couldn’t build on it as Patterson gradually rallied and tied the game at halftime. The Bulldogs then took the lead early in the second half and held on late in the game for the win.
Arkansas-bound Courtney Fortson (6’1″ SG) led the way with 21 points, constantly attacking the basket to make plays. He’s a great athlete and is fearless despite the fact that he’ll need to get stronger, as he plays stronger than he looks. Although he isn’t much of a shooter, he’s so good at scoring and creating on drives that he’ll be able to get open looks and one day become a good shooter with some work.
Big man Freddy Asprilla (Sr. 6’10” C) reportedly de-committed from Florida International. He was solid in this game, scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds, and he also handed out three assists. Although he’s not the swiftest inside, he moves well considering his body and also knows what he is, as he doesn’t try to handle the ball, drive or shoot three-pointers.
John Riek (7’2″ Sr. C) got plenty of attention and had his moments with 14 points and 11 rebounds. While he’s definitely more prospect than project, he has a ways to go and any thought that he should be a lottery pick in June should go out the window. He lacks lower body strength, is very raw and mechanical, and his hands look like a question mark as he couldn’t hold on to a number of balls he should have. Notably, there were several times he didn’t corral the ball with two hands successfully. By the time he gets to be good enough to be worth the kind of money a lottery pick would command, his rookie contract will be up and his drafting team will have to re-recruit him to want to stay there.
Unsigned senior Larry Anderson (6’5″ Sr. SG-SF) had another nice game for Winchendon, leading the way with a game-high 24 points on 10-14 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds. Anderson is great in transition and scored that way often on Sunday, and he’s great at getting to the basket.
Albany signee Anthony Raffa (6’0″ Sr. PG) had 10 points to go with six rebounds and six assists. He’s a tough, solid point guard with a real leader mentality, and with above-average quickness he should be a contributor right away next season.
Hargrave Pounds South Kent, Keeps Pace with Patterson
Another undefeated in the prep ranks, Hargrave Military Academy, rolled to a 90-68 win over South Kent. Hargrave is ranked No. 2 in the same prep poll with Patterson at the top, and there seems to be no indication that either team is going to relinquish its spot anytime soon.
The perimeter unit for the Tigers carried them again. Marshall signee Damier Pitts (5’11” Sr. PG) led the way with 22 points and 10 assists, Mississippi State-bound Dee Bost (6’1″ Sr. PG-SG) had 21 points and five assists, and Dexter Moore (6’2″ Sr. SG) added 15 points. Moore, a steal for Coastal Carolina, was 5-7 from long range and should make an immediate impact there next season.
Eladio Espinosa (6’8″ Sr. PF), an intriguing prospect, had 10 points and 10 rebounds. He signed with South Florida, and he’ll have to avoid the charging fouls he committed on Sunday. Teammate Tommy Brenton (6’5″ Sr. SF) plays bigger and has a mature body, and does well in the role he plays on this team. He scored just two points, but pulled down ten rebounds.
With his future college head coach watching, Isaiah Thomas (5’8″ Sr. PG) led South Kent with 18 points and six assists.
Mount St. Joseph Gives Oak Hill All They Can Handle
In one of the best games of the day, Mount St. Joseph nearly knocked off national power Oak Hill. They were right there throughout the game, but a late steal and layup by Brandon Jennings (6’1″ Sr. PG) gave Oak Hill a 73-70 win.
The Arizona-bound Jennings scored 32 points, but none were bigger than the two he got after stealing the ball in the final seconds to seal the victory.
The win spoiled a terrific game from Georgetown signee Henry Sims (6’10” Sr. PF-C), who had 32 points on 10-16 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. Sims was unstoppable for a lot of the game, except when he made a bad decision and either turned it over or took a bad shot. He was active, scored on some drives, and was almost automatic when he got the ball near the hoop.
Teammate Eric Atkins (6’2″ So. PG-SG) impressed with 18 points on 6-11 shooting and four assists. He’s just a baby physically, but he has some range on his jumper and is capable of shooting off the dribble or off the catch.
Jennings’ best complement was Glenn Bryant (6’7″ Jr. SF-PF), an active forward who scored 14 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked four shots. He has some length and showed a nose for the ball at both ends, and has some good upside as he’s not physically mature yet.
Bryant’s classmate, Houston native Keith Gallon (6’9″ Jr. PF), is an intriguing prospect. He has some skills and moves reasonably well for his size, but he must improve his conditioning if he is to be a factor at the next level.
Jackson Shoots Well in St. Benedict’s Rout
St. Benedict’s routed DeMatha Catholic by a score of 75-41 in a game that was never really in doubt. The Graybees had a 23-11 lead after the first quarter and held the Stags to just four points in the second quarter before cruising in the second half.
Tamir Jackson (6’2″ Jr. SG) has always been able to score, but on Sunday he was knocking down shots from the outside. He was 3-5 from long range en route to 20 points, and was a constant thorn in DeMatha’s side. If he continues to shoot like this, he’ll be that much tougher to defend as he’s already proven he can drive to the basket to score.
The Graybees are loaded, and include intriguing sophomore Tristan Thompson (6’8″ SF-PF). Thompson has combo forward potential with his size, athleticism and some ball skills that will need continued improvement.
The prep team at the school cruised in the final game of the day. The Graybees never broke the game open, but St. Thomas More never seriously challenged them in the second half. Penn-bound Zach Rosen (6’2″ Sr. PG) struggled shooting the ball, but he finished with 13 points and nine assists.
As has been the case most of the season, St. Thomas More was carried by Indiana signee Devin Ebanks (6’8″ Sr. SF), who had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and T.J. Robinson (6’7″ Sr. PF), a garbage man who had 17 points and 14 rebounds.
