Five Takeaways: Bullis Holiday Classic
POTOMAC, MD — Eight strong teams competed at the Annual Bullis Holiday Classic this weekend, and we were present for all three days checking out the action. Here are five takeaways from our time in the gym.
BALANCED PALLOTTI PANTHERS ON A ROLL
Pallotti nearly had six players put up double figure scoring numbers in their semifinal win over Bullis, and this theme was consistent for them throughout the tournament. Led by senior point guard Steve Cannady, a Wheeling Jesuit commit who dished out 11 assists in their opening round blowout win over Good Counsel, the Panthers claimed the title by sharing the ball and making the extra pass. 2019 Ronell Giles, a 6-foot-4 combo guard who recorded 21 points and 7 assists in the title game against Wilson, was named all tournament. The Panthers, who sit at 8-3 after a very tough schedule thus far, also received valuable contributions from Amir Warrick, Kyron Martin, Gilbert Otoo, and Miles Mallory.
WILSON TIGERS SHOWCASE POTENTIAL
Led by explosive seniors Ayinde Hikim and Ricky Lindo, along with some vintage heroics by Jay Heath and instant offense off the bench from Dimingus Stevens, the Wilson Tigers showed that on their best day they can compete with any team in the DMV. Consistency will be key as they begin their title defense in the DCIAA.
MAROON SUFFER FIRST LOSS, BUT LOOK VERY GOOD
Episcopal recorded a blowout win over Westtown in the opening round, never trailing and leading by close to 30 points for a majority of the game. The Maroon did an excellent job defending Cam Reddish, and 2019 Xavier Johnson and 2020 Tymu Chenery performed exceptionally well. 2021 Darius Johnson, the younger brother of Xavier, got hot in their 2-point loss to Wilson. Sacred Heart commit Zach Pfaffenberger and 2019 wing Asa Shannon had some bright moments as well.
TARKE EMERGES FOR BANGED UP BULLIS
By the time Sunday rolled around, the Bulldogs were without their starting back court of Vado Morse and Lincoln Yeutter. 2019 Nendah Tarke, who scored 26 points during a 1 point loss to Westtown in the third place game, showed toughness playing through an injured wrist. The athletic junior is coming into his own this season, and will only improve as he regains full health.
DJ SLAUGHTER IMPRESSES
John Paul the Great suffered an opening round loss to Bullis, but 2020 DJ Slaughter had some nice moments for the Wolves. The crafty lead guard showed that he can create space off the dribble and pull up from 15, or get in the lane and finish in traffic. Slaughter led his team in that game with 14 points, and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
CAM REDDISH REPORT
Reddish was touted as the new #1 prospect in the country after two dominant performances at the National Hoop Fest earlier this month.We mentioned how well Episcopal defended Reddish, and here are his unofficial stats from that game: 19 PTS (5/20 FG, 0/9 3FG, 9/10 FT) 3 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 4 TO. This comes after he averaged 44 points in two games at DeMatha, where he scored a career high 53. Reddish bounced back, though. He pumped in 33 in a one-point win over Bullis on Sunday.