Ten Best: Desert Vista vs. La Joya Community
It’s playoff time in Arizona and after defeating Perry in their first round play-in game the La Joya Lobos headed East to Ahwatukee to face off with the 5th ranked Desert Vista Thunder. In a helter-skelter game that turned into…
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Continue ReadingIt’s playoff time in Arizona and after defeating Perry in their first round play-in game the La Joya Lobos headed East to Ahwatukee to face off with the 5th ranked Desert Vista Thunder. In a helter-skelter game that turned into a track meet Desert Vista outlasted La Joya 81-74 to advance to the next round where they’ll meet Brophy at home.
MVP: Wesley Harris was the difference early and late, changing momentum with thunderous dunk and blocked shots. He led the Thunder with a double-double scoring 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The much shorter Lobos had no answer for his inside presence and struggled to score inside in their half court dribble drive offense.
Best Coaching Decision/Strategy: Coach Roger Lefebvre knew his smaller team would be no match for Desert Vista inside. As such he employed a full court press for the entire game causing 19 turnovers (12 in the first half) and used his guard’s superior quickness to drive into the middle of the Thunder defense and kick out for open shots.
Best offensive performance: La Joya’s Tre Mitchell was virtually unstoppable! He opened the game with two quick 3 pointers on his way to a 36 point effort on the night. Slowed in the 3rd quarter after landing awkwardly after being fouled on a dunk attempt, you could feel the air going out of the gym knowing that the Lobos best player might not be able to finish the game. Though severely hobbled he tried to gut it out for the rest of the game with a noticeable limp. Though he could barely move he still managed to hit another big three to give the Lobos a last bit of hope.
Best defensive performance: Caleb Simmons did a little bit of everything for the Thunder. The versatile 6-6 Forward nearly guarded all 5 positions on the floor during the course of the game all while managing to grab 6 rebounds along the way. Checking back into the game with 3 minutes left in the 4th he fortified the backline defense altering shots and providing energy.
Best performance off the bench: Aishwar (“Ice”) Kumar made a big difference for the Thunder. His 3 clutch 3 point shooting ( going3 of 6 for 10 points total) gave a big boost foe desert Vista who struggled mightily with the Lobos full court pressure. He stepped up to handle the ball (1 assist, no turnovers) gave Desert Vista some much needed depth.
Best Underclassman: Sophomore Sterling Isiah Wilson showed why Coach Gino Crump is very high on his future. Showing he belonged with the big boys he played great defense and chipped in with 13 points in a great effort off the bench. Look for Wilson to a major contributor for this team over the next two seasons.
Best Under The Radar Performance: 6’7” Junior Jaden Rollins certainly added something for the Thunder upon checking into the game. Rollins doubled his scoring average adding 6 points on putbacks and great baseline drives. He also did a great job on the boards grabbing 7 rebounds and even getting a steal. With his size and array of skills he should start receiving more attention from college scouts.
Best Intangibles: Duane Miller has been Desert Vista’s starting point guard for the entire season. His game does not resemble his recently retired NBA father Andre Miller. Duane uses his elite quickness to change directions and get into the lane. Playing Varsity basketball since his Freshman year you can see as a junior he is finally comfortable taking the reins of the team.
Best Shoes: While over the years most players have preferred Nike’s, Caleb Simmons has been a loyal Under Armor guy. Rocking baby blue Curry’s seem to give his game a lift as he did a bit of everything, even playing some point guard like the namesake on his signature shoes!
Best Story To Watch Moving Forward: Desert Vista typically has one of the most talented teams in the state but at times struggle to put it all together. They are 3 deep at every position and have the ability to defend but can sometimes play with little poise. It’ll be interesting to see if they can mature and reach their immense potential to make a deep playoff run.