Ten Best: Evansville Bosse vs. Crispus Attucks
In a lot of ways, Bosse is the Evansville version of Crispus Attucks. We saw so many similarities is their size and style of play and their mentality that it made for one really fun game to watch on Saturday.…
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Continue ReadingIn a lot of ways, Bosse is the Evansville version of Crispus Attucks. We saw so many similarities is their size and style of play and their mentality that it made for one really fun game to watch on Saturday. However, in the end, Attucks was just too good and Bosse didn’t get enough from outside of Mekhi Lairy to keep up. Attucks beat Bosse, 84-77 and will advance to the 3A State Finals next weekend.
MVP: Zac Owens (Crispus Attucks)
From the start, when the rest of Attucks wanted to start off slow and take a few bad shots, it was Owens that was making plays with his energy and toughness. That play seemed to help move the team forward and regroup. He also came in late in the game and make plays that halted Bosse’s runs. The senior finished with 20 points.
Play of the Game: Jamal Harris (Crispus Attucks)
The play of the game was late in the fourth quarter as Bosse was going hard. They had just cut it to 2 points and then Jamal got the ball in transition and decided to attack the rim rather than pull out. That decision led to an big and-one chance where he made it and it put them up 5. That gap would end up being enough as Bosse wouldn’t be able to do any magic late in the game.
Best Offensive Performance: Jamal Harris (Crispus Attucks)
Harris was easily the best offensive player as he paired his stellar driving ability with some key jumpers that he was able to hit early in the game. He was pretty consistent but missed some big free throws late. However, his 30 points was huge and pushed Bosse to their breaking point over and over again. Bosse hung in for most of the game but couldn’t get over the hump.
Best Defensive Performance: Zac Owens (Crispus Attucks)
Owens was really good in this one off and one the ball defensively. He was active and played with energy and when you have those two things usually good things happen. He was an active rebounder and was able to create a few turnovers in times of need. Helped to slow down the scorers outside of Lairy.
Best Intangibles: Javien Langley (Evansville Bosse)
Langley is one of the more dynamic players in the state that nobody knows about. he can play inside and out and can really dominate at times. He was big in this one as he did a lot of work inside and at least gave Bosse a second scoring option and had some big rebounds for second chance points. Really talented kid who will be a nightmare to defend in college.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Alex Cooley (Crispus Attucks)
Cooley had been good this whole season but he wasn’t a guy that you would really key in on. In this game, however, he was great as he scored some really big three-pointers at key times to halt those Evansville Bosse runs. He finished with 13 points and was the third leading scorer in this game.
Best Player Off The Bench: Zac Owens (Crispus Attucks)
Yes, Zac Owens came off the bench in this game. It’s a matchup play to start and then Zac gets regular minutes and in games like this he is going to play a lot. I think it shows just how unselfish some of these players are and how locked into the goal this team is that a guy like Owens can come off the bench and it isn’t a big deal.
Best Prospect College Coaches Should Watch More: Jaidon Hunter (Evansville Bosse)
Bosse guard Jaidon Hunter is a name that many don’t know and it is understandable that he gets overshadowed with Lairy on the floor. However, he is really talented and his size at 6’2 with his ability to handle the ball and make plays on drives is something you can’t ignore. He hit a couple big jumpers early in this one. He finished with 10 points on the game. DIII and NAIA programs would be good to take a late look into him.
Best Player We Didn’t Talk About: Nike Sibande (Crispus Attucks)
The thing that stood out about Sibande in this game was that he contributed 7 points and didn’t look to try and make plays that weren’t there. He’s a really good player that is going to have a great college career but his teammates were making plays all game long and he could have easily tried to go get his. Instead, he played within the scope of his role in this particular game and was a piece to the puzzle that put Attucks in the State Finals.
Best Storyline Moving Forward: We now know that Attucks will play Twin Lakes in the 3A State Championship game. This will be an interesting game in a lot of ways. Attucks will want to run and bust things open. However, Twin Lakes is built very similar to Attucks, however, their guards are bigger and stronger. They can play fast and will look to trap in a full court press. Does Attucks have enough quickness and strength to overcome that and can they hit enough shots.