Ten Best: Rochester John Marshall vs. Rosemount
It was probably supposed to the championship game for the schedule-makers but the Rochester John Marshall Rockets and Rosemount Irish had to settle for the battle for third-place at the Rochester Rotary Classic Friday. After taking it on the chin…
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Continue ReadingIt was probably supposed to the championship game for the schedule-makers but the Rochester John Marshall Rockets and Rosemount Irish had to settle for the battle for third-place at the Rochester Rotary Classic Friday.
After taking it on the chin against Robbinsdale Cooper Thursday, the Rockets used a 16-2 run over the final five minutes of the first half to take a commanding lead into halftime and while the Irish made a run to get back into the game in the second half, ultimately the Rockets had too much talent in a 66-59 win.
Matthew Hurt and Dedoch Chan combined for 37 points and 20 rebounds while Luke and Alec Loehr struggled for most of the night, combining for just 23.
MVP: Matthew Hurt (JM)
I don’t like making the trendy or mainstream pick all the time but this one was obvious. Hurt was excellent on both ends Friday night, scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. He outscored the Loehr brothers, who were averaging about 35 points per game combined going into the game. Both guys are going to Navy next year. He missed a few shots early in the game but continued to attack on the post throughout the game. His length in the middle of the JM zone was a game-changer too. Hurt might not have played his best by his standards, but he was the best player on the floor yet again.
Best Offensive Performance: Myka Edmond (Rosemount)
Edmond played exceptionally well for the Irish. He scored 29 points and did a great job getting into the lane to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.
He showed off a beautiful floater, he finished through contact and he was excellent running the break. Edmond was the best player on the floor for the first 12 minutes of the game. JM went to a zone and that slowed him down for a while, but the Irish would’ve been run out of the gym without him Friday night.
Best Defensive Performance: Dedoch Chan/Hurt (JM)
The Chan/Hurt vs. Loehr brothers matchup turned into a bit of a dud. A big part of that was because Chan and Hurt didn’t let them get anything inside. Luke Loehr scored 19 points and knocked down several outside shots in the contest, but neither guy got anything easy.
Best Under-the-Radar Performance: Ray Adams (JM)
In a game featuring three guys who will play Division I eventually and at least two guys who will play Division II, the guy who kept showing up was Ray Adams. Adams won’t play Division II but he’s a solid Division III prospect for sure. He looked great Friday night on both ends. He scored inside, he cut off the ball and he defended really well in the JM zone.
Best Player off the Bench: Solomon Antoine (JM)
The Rockets are pretty much a four-man show and they don’t get much from their bench. Neither did the Irish. The guy who did make plays though was junior swingman Solomon Antoine. Antoine scored five points and hit a big 3-pointer during a key stretch to close the first half. He was active on the defensive end too and helped ignite several transition scores for the Rockets.
Best Intangibles: Isaiah Walden (JM)
Walden might be the Rockets’ second best player and he’s a top-75 player in the state. He’s big. He’s skilled. But he’s also smart. The impressive facet of Walden’s game Friday night was his leadership. Locked in a tight game early, things weren’t going the Rockets’ way for a while. That might’ve been a game the Rockets melt down in because they couldn’t play at their desired pace. Walden captained the ship and made good decisions. When they pushed the pace, the Rockets took over.
Best Prospect: Hurt (JM)
Matt Hurt is good. People way smarter — and dumber — than me can figure that out. He went head to head with a pair of Division I recruits Friday and dominated. He’s the reason people show up to watch JM. Yeah he’s legit.
Best coaching move: 1-2-2 zone by JM
It’s a staple for this JM team but the Rockets didn’t break out the 1-2-2 zone until later in the first half. Once they did, they took the game over. Rosemount didn’t adjust very well to it and settled for a lot of shots. Against a team like the Rockets, that doesn’t work because they take rebounds and turn it into a fastbreak.
Best Aspect of the Environment: Pitino can’t find a seat – until he did
If you follow anything Rochester sports related, you get it. College coaches show up to watch Matt Hurt play. That isn’t new. It’s treated like news every time but at this point, it’s weird when college coaches aren’t in attendance. That being said, Richard Pitino was in attendance Friday night. Because the game was on a side court, seats were at a premium. And Pitino didn’t seem to have one for the first half of the first half.
He eventually got a spot and it might’ve just been one of those things where he was just hanging out behind the JM bench to stretch his legs — that drive down Highway 52 can be an underrated pain — but it looked like the gym was so packed that he didn’t have a spot for a little while.
Best Storyline Going Forward: What’s JM’s ceiling?
This JM team is like most JM teams. When the Rockets are able to dictate tempo and out-athletic their opponents, they are going to win a lot of games. When they don’t have that advantage, they struggle. Where does that leave them? Is this team good enough to finally beat Lakeville North? Right now that answer seems like an easy and resounding “no.” At their best, they can hang in a game like that maybe. If they aren’t at their best though, they can lose some games that they shouldn’t.