10 Best: Madison County vs. Robert E. Lee
It’s always fun when two rival programs match up in such a big game, and that’s what happened when Robert E. Lee of Staunton met up with Madison County in the 2A East Regional Championship. The two teams, separated by…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIt’s always fun when two rival programs match up in such a big game, and that’s what happened when Robert E. Lee of Staunton met up with Madison County in the 2A East Regional Championship. The two teams, separated by about 40 mins up I-81, did not disappoint, with the game going down to the wire and an electric atmosphere.
The Leemen came out hot, jumping to a quick lead and using their size to attack the glass. After a few minutes, Madison County settled in and the battle began. It was a back-and-forth affair the whole first half, with Madison making some big plays late in the half to take a two point lead into halftime.
It was more of the same in the second half, as the teams battled it out in an all out slugfest. There were six lead changes in the third quarter, with the final one coming as Kobi Alexander beat the buzzer for Madison and they went into the fourth up 47-46.
The fourth quarter was more of the same, with the lead changing seven times in the final period. It looked like the Leemen were in control with star Darius George dominating inside, but the whistles didn’t go their way and they saw two starters foul out in the final minutes. The Mountaineers were able to make enough plays and hit their free throws down the stretch, as they escaped with a 59-57 win and the 2A East Regional Championship.
Here’s some more takeaways from the game.
MVP | Isiah Smith | Madison County ‘17
Smith struggled a little bit with the size of Robert E. Lee early, but he adjusted midway through the first half and went into half as the best player on the floor. The 5’8” two sport star used his quickness to get in the paint offensively and to dog ball handlers and jump passing lanes defensively. Of his 20 points, 15 of them came in the first half, and when the Leemen keyed on stopping him in the second half he became more of a playmaker and got others involved. He finished with 20 points, seven assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Play of the Game
Smith not only was the biggest player, but he made key plays throughout the game, none bigger than right before the half however. With Madison trailing by two with less than five seconds left, Smith stepped to the line and knocked down two free throws to tie it up. He then proceeded to get a steal in the backcourt and finish a tough layup to beat the buzzer and the Mountaineers stormed off the court up two instead of down two with all the confidence and momentum.
Best Offensive Performer | Gaines Swink | Madison County ‘19
Swink stepped up huge for Madison, especially early in both halves. With the Mountaineers struggling to get their star Smith going, Swink stepped up and went for eight straight points and ten in the first quarter. He then shot it extremely well in the beginning of the third and fourth quarter, and his ability to rise to the occasion was huge throughout the game. He finished with 21 points on the night, eleven of which were in the second half.
Best Defensive Performer | Darius George | Robert E. Lee ’17
He battled with foul trouble in the first half, but he came out and showed his length, high motor and athleticism that makes him a mid major recruit. The game was called very tightly, which didn’t help the bigger Leemen and seemed to penalize George and the other bigs for simply working hard. Entering the second half with seven points and five rebounds, George did everything he could to try to take over the game. He hit the glass ferociously on both ends, and defensively he protected the rim and made big plays in transition. He finished with 14 points, 17 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.
Best Intangibles | Dre Twyman | Madison County ‘17
Everyone needs a senior role player that’s willing to do whatever it takes to win, and that’s what Twyman did for Madison. The 6’2” forward guarded players much bigger than him, and he banged with them all night long on the glass. He pulled down some crucial rebounds late and hit two big free throws down the stretch to help them seal the win. He finished with six points and nine rebounds on the night.
Best Under-the-Radar Performer | Jarvis Vaughan | Robert E. Lee ‘18
Vaughan isn’t under the radar out near the mountains, but the rest of the state, and college coaches at that, better take notice of this skilled big men. The 6’8” high post threat came out hot, as he picked up the slack from George early scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the first half. Foul trouble kept him limited in the second half, and he eventually fouled out on a very questionable call, but Vaughan showed his promise in a number of ways. He moved well without the ball, made shots out of the face up, set good screens and attacked the glass on both ends of the floor. If someone can help him improve his conditioning and footwork, he could have a breakout summer on the recruiting trail.
Best Underclassman | Gaines Swink | Madison County
There’s no one else that can be in this conversation, because Swink was arguably the best player on the floor. He shot it well from deep in the second half, and what was exciting to watch was that even though he isn’t the go-to guy, his teammates realized he was shooting it out of his mind and started to getting it to him more frequently. He worked well in isolation situations, creating his own shot and getting a bucket whenever they needed one. He’ll need to play that well if they plan on making a run to the Siegel Center.
Best Aspect of the Environment
With both schools located along the mountains off of I-81, they had to travel around two hours each to the Richmond suburb of Mechanicsville and Hanover High School, but that doesn’t mean they did’t travel to support their team. Both teams’ colors were blue, and the place looked like Rupp Arena. While both teams saw a lot of support, Madison County fans filled up an entire side of one of the bigger gyms in the Richmond area, and they were LOUD. The passion from both the players and the fans is one of the reasons I love what I do so much.
Best Story to Watch Moving Forward
While the honor of being the 2A East Champions is great, the game’s biggest impact lies in who the teams have to play now. After being upset by Dan River in the 2A West semifinals, preseason favorite Gate City featuring the high scoring duo of Mac McClung and Zac Ervin finished as the #3 seed in the West, meaning whoever lost this game would have to play them in the first round. So now we’re set up with a huge quarterfinal matchup of Robert E. Lee and Gate City at JMU on Friday, who were widely considered two of the preseason favorites in 2A. Not only are they two of the most talented teams with two of the best players in the classification, they also are two teams that score the ball a lot and love to get up and down. It’s going to be a battle, and one question to ask is despite them both being favorites and having to eliminate one of them early, will the other team have enough in the tank after an up-and-down, high scoring battle to make a run at the Siegel Center after.