10 Best: East St. Louis vs. Tampa Catholic
Tampa Catholic did just enough to beat East St. Louis (Ill.) 77-72 in a City of Palms Classic Sunshine Series game on Friday. The Crusaders (5-1) appeared in the tournament down in Ft. Myers, Fla. for the second straight year.…
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Continue ReadingTampa Catholic did just enough to beat East St. Louis (Ill.) 77-72 in a City of Palms Classic Sunshine Series game on Friday.
The Crusaders (5-1) appeared in the tournament down in Ft. Myers, Fla. for the second straight year. This time around Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski showed up to watch top rated senior Kevin Knox play.
Knox holds an offer from the Blue Devils and he impressed in front of coach K with 30 points and 12 rebounds. Arthur Carter had 21 points while Jeremiah Tilmon posted 19 for East St. Louis (6-2)
MVP: Kevin Knox (Tampa Catholic)
Kevin Knox made a lot happen in this game even with East St. Louis doubling him for the most part. The Tampa Catholic senior had a game-high 30 points along with 12 rebounds, six steals, three blocks and two assists. At 6’9″, 205 lbs., Knox buried 3-of-10 from beyond the arc. He had dunks time and time again on fast breaks in transition. When Knox gets going, he’s hard to stop.
Best offensive performance: Tai Strickland (Tampa Catholic)
Junior guard Tai Strickland has really matured this season. He had 22 points, six assists, two steals and a block against East St. Louis. Strickland found open space in the paint, dished out some fancy passes and wasn’t afraid to shoot from 3-point range. The 5’11”, 165-pounder is in the process of taking the next step this season.
Best defensive performance: Jeremiah Tilmon (East St. Louis)
Illinois commit and senior forward Jeremiah Tilmon had a game-high 13 rebounds along with 19 points, three blocks and two steals. At 6’11”, 255 lbs., it is hard to miss Tilmon on the court. The bulk of his points came on dunks as he finished 8-of-16 from the field overall. Tilmon will have to improve his outside shot at the next level, but his strength in the paint is evident nightly.
Best guy off the bench: Zachery Forest (East St. Louis)
Zachery Forest was one of four Flyers to add double-digits in this game. The junior guard had 10 points along with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Off the bench, Forest gave East St. Louis solid minutes. Behind Tilmon, Carter and Hargrove Jr., Forest is a nice option who can get going at anytime.
Best intangibles: Arthur Carter (East St. Louis)
6’2″, 175-pound senior guard Arthur Carter led the Flyers with 21 points. He also had six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Carter is the best pure shooter on this team and plays a nice 1B role to Tilmon. He will continue to knock down big-time shots.
Best under-the-radar performance: Tim Carter (Tampa Catholic)
Transferring over to Tampa Catholic alongside his first cousin Darren Robinson, Tim Carter has made plays all season long for the Crusaders. The 6’1″, 170-pound junior guard had seven points, a block and a steal in this game. Carter is a reliable backcourt leader for Tampa Catholic.
Best underclassmen: Terrance Hargrove Jr. (East St. Louis)
East St. Louis sophomore forward had a really nice game on Friday with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The 6’6″, 180-pound Terrance Hargrove Jr. also had a steal. He connected on 5-of-7 shots from the field and proved that he is on the rise in the state of Illinois.
Best catch and shoot guy: Darren Robinson (Tampa Catholic)
Darren Robinson had seven points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor along with two rebounds and two assists in the win. When Robinson got the ball in his hands, he knocked down jumpers and took advantage of open space on the rush for Tampa Catholic.
Best energy guy: Messiah Turner (Tampa Catholic)
Messiah Turner finished with only four points, but the Tampa Catholic junior guard did plenty off the bench in just over 16 minutes. He also had two rebounds and made things happen as an attacker and outside shooter. Turner is someone who can really make plays when he gets into a rhythm.
Best dunker: Kevin Knox (Tampa Catholic)
Time and time again we see Knox put home highlight reel dunks. He did it in this game and will continue to do it due to his pure athleticism.