Ten Best: Eastern Greene vs. South Knox
From the jump, it was all South Knox. Eastern Greene got down by 9 in the first quarter and then almost 20 points later in the game. A matchup that was supposed to be a lot closer ended up being…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingFrom the jump, it was all South Knox. Eastern Greene got down by 9 in the first quarter and then almost 20 points later in the game. A matchup that was supposed to be a lot closer ended up being a blowout as South Knox beat Eastern Greene, 56-40.
MVP: Sam Downen (South Knox)
While Sam wasn’t the leading scorer, his impact on the game spanned across many areas. He was great on both ends of the floor, turning drivers away from the rim and not allowing second chance opportunities. His presence inside was tough to ignore. Then, on the offensive side of the ball, he was effective and really unstoppable when he wanted to be. He scored 11 points on 4/5 shooting and racked up 7 boards. He had a great all around game and set the tone early on.
Best Offensive Performance: Gannon Bobe (South Knox)
Bobe was really good in this one. His mentality to attack the rim constantly and not let up was the early undoing of Eastern Greene on the defensive end. They didn’t know how to deal with it and in turn they racked up fouls and gave easy layups. Down the stretch, Gannon kept making his way to the free throw line and helped himself to a 17 points, 5 rebounder performance.
Best Defensive Performance: Zach Welage (South Knox)
Really liked Zach’s intangibles on the defensive end. He was really solid on the boards, grabbing 7 of them while also scoring 5 points. He drew a few different matchups throughout the game and he was able to switch on different guys without really missing a bit. His versatility really helped and the rebounding was huge. South Knox just didn’t give up any extra chances. They controlled everything and Welage was a big part of that.
Best Guy Off The Bench: Nick Johnson (South Knox)
South Knox only goes about 6 guys deep and this was the game that Nick came off the bench. The 6’2 sophomore showed a lot in this game but in terms of his bench production, scoring 8 points on 3/5 shooting and grabbing a pair of rebounds qualifies him to win this category. He was 2/4 from behind the arc.
Best Intangibles: Ethan Helton (Eastern Greene)
For Eastern Greene, Helton was the most consistent player and he did a fantastic job at times being the leader. Their biggest problem was they needed more from their roster. Helton gave them energy and some leadership while adding in some offense and defense. He scored 12 points on 4/6 shooting but his 6 rebounds might have been the most valuable. He knew when he got the board that they needed to counter attack and that was about the only time Eastern looked great.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Caleb Hamilton (Eastern Greene)
When looking through the stat sheet, Caleb Hamilton could be overlooked as he didn’t do too well on the glass but his scoring was impressive. He had a few really nice plays around the rim and had a couple and-ones that were just unstoppable. He scored 12 points on 3/8 shooting. He did a lot late in the game around the rim trying to finish through contact and it ended up with him shooting a lot of free throws.
Best Underclassmen: Nick Johnson (South Knox)
Nick is an intruiging player to watch. At 6’2, he’s got a really lean frame with some strength and some scoring ability. It looks like he could still sprout up a bit and if he does, with his skill set, he could be a really solid prospect. He had a good jump shot and showed it from behind the arc going 2/4. He’s also active which is huge for an underclassmen. He didn’t wait to make a play, he attacked the play.
Best Stat Line of the Game: Eastern Greene’s Three-point Shooting
While rebounding was a huge statement in South Knox’s favor, it was the three-point shooting of Eastern Greene that really was astounding. They went 3/12 from behind the arc. Only one player on their roster hit a three, Ethan Helton. They weren’t likely to win this game with the lack of rebounding but they definitely were going to struggle shooting the ball like they did.
Best Player For College Coaches To Watch: Sam Downen (South Knox)
College coaches are always looking for size and Sam is a big boy down in the paint. He is a really tough load to handle and he has legit height to go along with the size. He could do some damage in DIII ball as a space eater that does really well clearing space and drawing contact.
Best Storyline Moving Forward: South Knox now will face North Knox on Friday night. This should be a fairly easy win for them before likely facing rival Barr-Reeve in the Championship game. Barr-Reeve has kind of owned South Knox for a while but both teams have been really good and have really fought to close outcomes. After this night, South Knox definitely gave the best performance and looked like they might have enough to beat them if they do indeed matchup.