Ten Best: Iowa City West (78) at Dubuque Senior (63)
Connor McCaffery scored 28 points on 9-13 shooting for West No. 1 Iowa City West 78, No. 2 Dubuque Senior 63 Top ranked Iowa City West was in control nearly from start to finish on Friday night, as they rolled…
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Continue ReadingNo. 1 Iowa City West 78, No. 2 Dubuque Senior 63
Top ranked Iowa City West was in control nearly from start to finish on Friday night, as they rolled to an impressive 78-63 road win over No. 2 Dubuque Senior.
Senior jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on a pair of Noah Carter buckets, but the Trojans quickly responded with nine straight of their own, claiming a 9-4 lead, and they didn’t trail the rest of the way, winning every quarter.
Playing without star guard Devontae Lane, our No. 2 player in the 2017 class, West didn’t miss a beat. They played fantastic basketball on both ends of the floor en route to arguably the most impressive win any team has this season. (Lane was serving a one-game suspension after receiving two technical fouls and getting ejected in Tuesday’s win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy.)
Dubuque Senior gained back the services of star guard Carter Stevens, one of the best scorers in the 2018 class, who had missed ten games with a stress fracture in his foot. He was, however, on a minutes restriction and wasn’t terribly effective for the Rams, scoring just three points. As he continues to get back into the rotation, he’ll help make the Rams a more dangerous team.
West (14-1) was led by Connor McCaffery, who scored 28 points on 9-13 shooting, to go with six rebounds and five assists. Patrick McCaffery added 17 for the Trojans.
Noah Carter led Senior (14-3) with a game-high 33 points. Louis Psihoyos added 12 for the Rams.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Iowa City West | 17 | 20 | 14 | 27 | 78 |
Dubuque Senior | 10 | 19 | 13 | 21 | 63 |
Iowa City West: Connor McCaffery 28, Patrick McCaffery 17, Hakeem Odunsi 9, Nate Disterhoft 7, Seybian Sims 6, Evan Flitz 6, Izaya Ono-Fullard 5
Dubuque Senior: Noah Carter 33, Louis Psihoyos 12, Sam Link 7, Tatum Hallstoos 6, Carter Stevens 3, Nick Timmerman 2
MVP: Connor McCaffery (Iowa City West)
This showing is among the best I’ve seen McCaffery play. He was highly aggressive on the offensive end, getting to the rim and using his strength to score at the rim. He scored 28 points on 9-13 shooting (7-10 2P, 2-3 3P, 8-9 FT), had six rebounds, five assists and a block. His strong start to the game, scoring 10 points in the first quarter, helped pace the Trojans.
Play of the game: Patrick McCaffery chasedown block
About midway through the first quarter, the younger McCaffery missed a layup, got his own offensive rebound and tried to drive and dunk over someone. The dunk hit the back of the rim and missed, leading to a runout for Senior. McCaffery showed great effort and raced back down to the other end to block the layup attempt in a big way.
Best offensive performance: Connor McCaffery (Iowa City West)
The older McCaffery did a bit of everything on the offensive end in the win. He knocked down a pair of 3s, scored on postups, scored on dribble penetration and facilitated the offense with his outstanding court vision and passing ability.
Best defensive performance: Patrick McCaffery (Iowa City West)
With his length and athletic ability, McCaffery has turned himself into a really good perimeter defender. He’s routinely drawing tough assignments and performing well in those situations. He’s got great lateral movement, and his length makes it nearly impossible for smaller guards to get clean shots off.
Senior’s best: Noah Carter
The loss overshadowed a brilliant performance from Senior’s 6-5 sophomore. Carter amazes me every time I see him with his ability to score at crazy angles, displaying great touch around the rim. He’s able to stretch the floor with the ability to step out to the arc and knock down shots, and he’s strong on the glass. As he continues to grow and get stronger, he’ll just become more of a force on both ends of the floor. He finished with 33 points on 12-18 shooting (11-16 2P, 1-2 3P, 8-9 FT) and six rebounds for the Rams.
Best player off the bench: Hakeem Odunsi (Iowa City West)
Odunsi has given the Trojans another dimension off the bench since he’s become a part of the rotation. A 6-5 playmaker, he’s capable of both scoring and distributing off the bench, and gives them an opportunity to take both McCaffery’s off the floor for a few minutes without a massive dropoff, as they did in this game. He’s a capable ball handler who can penetrate a defense, is a strong passer with good court vision, and he’s able to score from anywhere on the floor. He’s strong, physical and agile.
Best intangibles: Izaya Ono-Fullard/Nate Disterhoft (Iowa City West)
These two start for the Trojans (typically) alongside the McCaffery brothers and Lane. Neither are great threats to score, but they do all the little things for West – they rebound, they defend, keep the ball moving and can score when they’re given the chance. Both are capable of knocking down 3s or scoring at the rim, but their biggest value comes in limiting mistakes and gaining their team extra possessions, something they’re both very good at.
Best underclassman: Patrick McCaffery (Iowa City West)
Noah Carter is a very good underclassman as well, but it’s clear to see why McCaffery is so highly regarded as a national prospect. At 6-8, he’s got a high-level skill set on both ends of the floor. He’s got the ability to shoot from the arc, has greatly improved with his ability to score in the paint and he’s a good passer and ball handler. On the defensive end, he’s playing at a high level with his length, lateral movement and instincts. He’s still rail thin, but you can see some definition in his shoulders and arms, so he’s starting to get stronger. It’s rare to find a kid with this type of length, size, athleticism and skill.
Best passer: Connor McCaffery (Iowa City West)
McCaffery has been playing off the ball a lot more this season than he has in his first three seasons at West, as they’ve needed him to be more of a scorer. With Lane out in this one, he had the ball back in his hands and showcased his passing ability, dishing out a game-high five assists, including a few passes that not many high school guards can see, let alone make.
Story to watch moving forward: Carter Stevens’ re-assimilation into Senior’s rotation
Returning from a ten-game absence, it was clear Stevens wasn’t right quite yet. He was on a minute restriction, but as he continues to get healthier, his scoring and facilitating abilities will help take the pressure off of Noah Carter and Louis Psihoyos.