Team Red vs. Team Blue: 10 Best
Team Red v. Team Blue: The 10 best.
Senior guard Jared Nelson started white hot for Team Red, knocking down 4 threes in the game’s first 8 minutes and giving Team Red a double-digit lead early on, silencing the rowdy Team Blue crowd. To counter, Coach Jake Phillips switched out of his zone and into a full court press which contained Nelson for the remainder of the half. Offensively, Team Blue had success feeding Travis Anderson on the block who was able to corral his misses and put them back in. He finished the first half with 10pts/5reb, but Team Blue trailed 35-27.
While his second-half three-point looks were limited, Nelson remained engaged and aggressive offensively until the final. He pushed the pace in transition and fed his teammates for open jumpers to maintain a 3-4 possession cushion early in the second half. With 10 minutes remaining, Team Blue went cold. They came up empty on 4 straight possessions thanks in large part to Nick Carroll of Team Red jumping passing lanes. Team Red ballooned the lead to 12 with 6 minutes left and Nelson continued to attack, getting to the free throw line and knocking down free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
Nelson finished with 21 points on 4 of 7 from beyond the arc. Anderson had an efficient 18 points to go with 9 rebounds.
On to The Best….
MVP: Jared Nelson (Team Red)
Nelson showed why he’s the most coveted recruit in Metropolis. Nobody could match his intensity and focus to start the game and he showed his offensive versatility when he wasn’t getting looks from beyond the arc. He is, without a doubt, the stick that stirs the Team Red drink on the offensive side of the ball. Coach K and Roy Williams, sitting in
the front row, certainly liked what they saw from the 6’0 senior.
Best offensive performance: Travis Anderson (Team Blue)
Anderson’s post moves are well beyond his years. He’s polished shooting over both shoulders and not afraid to finish through contact, although the officials were letting them play with physicality in the post. Perhaps Anderson’s best trait are his hands. He was able to snatch up errand passes, turn and finish and cleaned up the glass by just getting one big hand up on the board.
Best defensive performance: Nick Carroll (Team Red)
What he lacks for in size and athleticism, Nick Carroll makes up for in smarts. The senior always seemed to be a step ahead of the offense in rotations and jumped passing lanes on numerous occasions to turn the tide on Friday night. He’s a student of the game and a vocal leader for the Red defense. It was fun to see him encourage his younger brother Griffin Carroll when Griffin entered off the bench.
Best coaching decision: Coach Phillips switching to a man press
Known as the Jim Boeheim of Metropolis, Coach Phillips knew his zone wasn’t doing an adequate job of containing the three-point shooting of Team Red on Friday so, about 10 minutes into the game, he switched it up and pressed in the full court. His active guards Tarl Kowns and Lack ZaVine immediately forced 2 turnovers and kept the deficit under double digits. Credit Phillips and his players for being prepared to execute plan B on defense.
Best intangibles: Team Red bench
Playing on the road, it’s important to bring your own energy and Team Red certainly came prepared. The JV team at the end of their bench was engaged throughout. It wasn’t excessive or obnoxious, just good, old-fashioned towel-waving, hand-clapping support that gave a ton of life in the game’s early stages.
Best aspect of the environment: Team Blue gymnasium
Team Blue’s gymnasium was in desperate need of a facelift and they sure got it. If you’ve got the opportunity to check out a game in their new state of the art digs, I would highly recommend it. I’d rival the experience to any in the region.
Best play: Jared Nelson’s coast to coast delivery
With 6:30 to play, Jared Nelson got the ball on the press break and weaved left and right, going behind his back twice before attacking the hoop. He leapt up at the block and made a baseline drift pass to Shooter McGavin in the corner who nailed the three and pushed the lead to 12. Unselfish play from the Team Red Senior.
Best under-the-radar performance: John Doe (Team Red)
I loved what John Doe brought to Team Red’s interior defense. He’s long and lean on the inside but offensive bigs have a tough time moving him and he’s ultra-active. Just a sophomore, Doe has yet to take a big offensive role for Team Red. He’s listed at 6’6” but looks like he’s grown to 6’8”. As he fills out his frame, I fully expect Doe to start popping up on recruiting radars.
Best underclassmen: Koz Kozlowski Kosmider (Team Blue)
Kosmider is just a freshman but had the Blue crowd chanting “Koz” after he nailed back to back threes late in the first half. He was fearless and his team clearly has confidence in him as a shooter. Koz is all there between the ears and he’s skilled. As his body catches up to his brain, Koz will develop into a dangerous offensive threat.
Best quote:
“We’re disappointed that we weren’t able to protect our home floor tonight but I’m happy with the way our guys’ competed and lifted each other up. We’ll learn from it and bounce back for Tuesday.” – Coach Phillips
“Coming off the bench, we just try to bring the energy and I think we were able to do that tonight. It’s about hustle and it’s about heart and being ready when we’re called upon. That’s what coach preaches to us reserves every day.” – Griffin Carroll