10 Best: Lanphier vs Manual
When Springfield Lanphier and Peoria Manual play it is always fun! That was what we got in the semis at the Adam Lopez Thanksgiving Tournament. It was an up and down game with lots of plays in transition. Manual looked like they were going to pull off the upset on the road, but Lanphier’s upperclassmen took over late and got the win 78-63. Here is our 10 Best: Lanphier vs Manual!
MVP
SG Cardell McGee (Lanphier – 2018)
McGee is a player we have seen his stock go up and down in the last two years. Consistency is going to be the key for him. He is taking over the senior star guard role at Lanphier and is thriving in it early in the season. Most aggressive I might have ever seen out of the 6’3” shooting guard. Consistently got to the rack over and over again. Sometimes he made the shots a little more difficult than they needed to be on the finishes, but he also used his body control when he needed it against rim protectors. Hit two threes off the catch. Seems more comfortable shooting it from deep off the catch than pulling up. Most of his damage was in the lane and getting to the line for 14 attempts. Also rebounded at a high rate on the defensive end grabbing it off the glass and going the other way. Struggled with some early turnovers, but settled in passing the ball well making some great finds on the interior. Good defense as well. He had 32 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Needs to be looked at heavily by low-major programs.
Play of the game
The play of the game was a double alley-oop pass that involved both Cardell McGee and Karl Wright. Never quite seen that before!
Best offensive performance
SG Rolando “Pee Wee” Brown (Manual – 2020)
Brown was maybe the find of the day from a new prospect standpoint. Really liked what I saw out of this 6’1” shooting guard. Projectable body with length where he should grow a few more inches. Slippery slasher that attacked with authority. Got in the lane and finished at the cup. Explosive second jump around the hoop. Plays well in transition. Got on the glass. Streaky free throw shooter. Was a tough defender as well getting his hands on quite a few balls. He had 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals. Will make a nice debut in the mid-season 2020 rankings.
Best defensive performance
PF Karl Wright (Lanphier – 2019)
Wright is an undersized four man that plays with a ton of energy and tenacity. Big fan of his athleticism around the rim. Elite bounce off the floor. He used that late to close out Manual blocking shots, getting on the glass, and dunking with power. Offensively he isn’t very skilled at this stage. Best when he dunks dump off passes and alley-oops. Runs the floor so hard! Very active on the glass on both ends and is a major shot blocking presence with timing. He had 13 points (5-7 FG), 8 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Probably best at a D2 program, but if the skill improves by next summer he could get a LM spot.
Best rebounder
SG James Jones (Lanphier – 2018)
Jones is a player we didn’t know a lot about. The 6’1” shooting guard came up in a major way for Lanphier. He scored in a variety of ways in transition and getting to the rim. Plus athlete that was a pogo stick on the offensive glass recording 7 offensive rebounds. Finished with 18 points and 10 boards. D3/NAIA/JUCO need to look at this player!
Best passer
PG PJ Edwards (Lanphier – 2020)
PJ Edwards is one of the best combo guard prospects in the state of Illinois in the 2020 class. He has great size at 6’3” with strength and projectability. He didn’t score a ton, but impacted the game in so many other ways. His defense was very good. Got up into his man and used his quick hands to get in passing lanes and swipe the ball from opposing guards. He had a few turnovers in the crazy frantic pace of this game, but also made some quality dishes for assists. Got to the line at a solid clip. Jumper wasn’t on in this game. Finished with 7 points and 3 dimes. D1 prospect.
Best guy off the bench
C Joshua Ivory (Manual – 2020)
Ivory put his name on the map this summer on the circuit. The big bodied 6’5” center takes up space on the inside. Only played a few minutes. Scored on his only attempt and got a rebound. Would like to see more PT for this prospect.
Best under-the-radar performance
PG Quintez Edwards (Manual – 2019)
Edwards is a 5’11” point guard that was the spark plug for Manual in this contest. He is quick slashing to the hoop and gets in the lane with quality ball handling. Scoring point guard that can also hit an occasional jump shot. Very turnover prone however. Went for 17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 7 turnovers.
SG Deonta Brown (Manual -2018)
Brown is a shooting guard that is a volume scorer. He gets his points, but takes a lot of bad shots to get there. Plays out of control at times especially in the lane. Does have a quick first step and plays with power. Scorers mentality. He had 14 points (4-11 FG), 5 rebounds, and 6 turnovers. Small college or JUCO prospect.
Best player that should be on gridiron
C Herb McMath (Lanphier – 2019)
McMath is a huge bodied center that takes up space in the paint at 6’6”. He plays physical, but isn’t overly skilled. Probably best suited to play on the line in football.
Best Aspect of Environment
The atmosphere during the night session was tremendous! It was an intense game with a jam packed house! First class event run by Lanphier Head Coach Blake Turner and Adam Lopez. Very well run and a must stop every year on the Thanksgiving tour!