Ten Best: Fort Wayne North Side at Hamilton Southeastern
Game Recap: Fort Wayne North Side at Hamilton Southeastern
Final Score (OT): HSE 75 – North Side 67
Two highly talented teams clashed Friday night in what might have been the best high school game in Indiana, year to date. Fort Wayne North Side ventured down to Indianapolis to take on Hamilton Southeastern on Saturday night. North Side started the game on an 8-0 run before the Royals got on the scoreboard. At the end of the first quarter, the Legends had the lead 12-9 behind a solid quarter from Keion Brooks. Austin Boucher also had it going early for North Side. In the second quarter, Nick Bowman and Mabor Majak started to pick up the scoring. They lead the Royals to a 18-15 second quarter and were up at halftime 27-26.
Coach Shabaz Khaliq made some adjustments at halftime and the Legends came out strong in the third quarter behind two quick baskets from Lucas Kroft. They jumped out to a seven-point lead and it looked as if the game was going to get away from Hamilton Southeastern until junior guard Noah Smith began to take over on both ends. He is one of the best in the state at impacting the game in every facet. Smith scored on back to back possessions and caused a few quick turnovers to get the Royals back into the game. North Side put up a 20-point quarter and had the lead 46-43 headed into the final frame.
Noah Smith and Mabor Majak put together a few possessions early in the fourth quarter to get the big man some easy baskets on the inside. The Legends didn’t have a way to guard him in the post at 7’1” and he looked really good finishing over his right shoulder in the lane. The game went back and forth, possession by possession for the entire fourth quarter. Alijah Long had some tough baskets for the Legends late in the game that helped them maintain their lead. Junior Aaron Etherington had an off night till late in the fourth quarter when he started rebounding more consistently and getting himself involved. He knocked down a triple from the wing at the buzzer to send the game into overtime, 61-61.
Fort Wayne had let the game get away from them down the stretch with turnovers and allowing Hamilton Southeastern to get to the free throw line and score with the clocked stopped. The Royals rode the momentum they had built up in the fourth quarter throw overtime and pulled out a 75-67 victory over a highly ranked Legends group. They proved that they can compete at the highest of levels in Class 4A and have the ability to beat any team in the state. It will be an interesting season for them as they will have the opportunity to face the best the state has to offer.
MVP: Noah Smith (Hamilton Southeastern)
Noah Smith put together another outstanding all-around performance to lead Hamilton Southeastern to the win over Fort Wayne North Side. The guard has a nose for impacting the game in all stat columns and always seems to make big plays when they matter most. He has grown into the vocal leader that this team needs and backed it up with his play last night. Smith finished with 21 points (6-12 2FG, 1-1 3FG, and 5-7 FT), 6 rebounds (4 defensive and 2 offensive), a game-tying high 4 steals, a game high 4 blocks, and 2 assists. His presence was felt late in the game when the Royals were in dire need of a bucket or a stop. He anticipates extremely well on the defensive side of the floor and may be the best on ball defender in Indiana. This is following up a near quadruple-double performance the night before with 14 points, 9 steals, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. He is quick with the ball in his hands and attacks the basket with strength and poise. This is a kid that should be on everyone’s radar moving forward.
Best Offensive Performance: Austin Boucher (North Side)
Austin Boucher quietly put together one of the best offensive performances of his career against a stout Hamilton Southeastern defense. He was great with his shot selection and it showed in his output. He made some key passes in the third and fourth quarter to set up easy layups for his teammates when he could have forced up a shot himself. His growth is evident as a player and teammate. Boucher finished with 18 points (4-4 2FG, 3-4 3FG, and 1-1 FT), 5 defensive rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He stepped into all of his jumpers with confidence which lead to him shooting 88% from the field. He was poised down the stretch and didn’t look to always get his shot. Boucher moved extremely well off the ball to get open and often ran off screens as a decoy because the defense was worried about him getting open which lead to easy baskets for his teammates. Austin let the game come to him and took advantage of his opportunities. If he can continue to produce at this rate for the Legends, they will be an incredibly tough team to beat come March.
Best Defensive Performance: Noah Smith (Hamilton Southeastern)
Noah Smith is one of the best on ball defenders that the Class of 2019 has to offer. He uses his feet extremely well to turn the offensive player and make them uncomfortable. Noah is not overly aggressive with his strength but uses it in moments to get the ball handler off balance which leads to a higher rate of turnovers. Smith had a game-tying high with 4 steals and a game high 4 blocks which were momentum building plays for the Royals in the third quarter. His ability to change shots as a guard and rip opposing guards leads to easy transition opportunities for this Hamilton Southeastern team that is great in the open floor. Noah Smith is extremely underrated as a defender and has added length and a little quickness to his game in the offseason. He will have some outstanding defensive performances this year.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Keion Brooks (North Side)
It’s tough to call a performance like Keion’s as “under-the-radar” showing but that’s truly what it felt like. Keion Brooks is one of the highest talented players in the country and his big shot making ability last night proved it. Brooks wasn’t playing at 100% last night after sitting out a weeks-worth of practice and their game Friday night in Fort Wayne. Brooks was still able to put together a good performance posting a game high 23 points (6-11 2FG, 2-7 3FG, and 5-6 FT), 8 rebounds (6 defensive and 2 offensive), a game-tying high 4 steals, and 2 blocks. Although North Side came out on the wrong side of the game, Brooks looked collected in tough moments when his number was called upon to get the Legends a basket. He came down and knocked down a jumper with 7’1” Mabor Majak in his face. Hamilton Southeastern was physical with him fifteen feet and in but Keion didn’t let it through him off his game as he continually got to the rim and punished the defense for letting him do so. He is an elite athlete with the ability to take over a game in a heartbeat with his extensive offensive repertoire.
Best Quiet Impact: Nick Bowman (Hamilton Southeastern)
Nick Bowman was a little of an unsung hero last night for the Royals. He stepped up and knocked down some key jumpers in crucial moments when North Side started to expand their lead. Nick finished with 15 points (1-4 2FG, 2-2 3FG, and 7-7 FT), 4 rebounds (2 defensive and 2 offensive), and 1 steal. His jump shot is much improved and he looks to use it more often than in the past. He is a great athlete at the guard position and has the ability to finish at the rim with the best of them. Bowman’s 15 points helped pace a balanced scoring attack from Hamilton Southeastern as they pulled out a tough overtime win last night.
Best Passer: Brandan Johnson (North Side)
Although Brandan Johnson didn’t have it going offensively when it came to putting the ball in the basket, he was still great attacking the rim. He is one of the longer guards in the state and has always excelled more as a slasher than a shooter. He set up easy opportunities frequently last night as he never really got it going from the field. Johnson finished with 5 points (1-9 2FG, 0-1 3FG, and 3-3 FT), 7 rebounds (6 defensive and 1 offensive), a game high 6 assists, and 1 block. His vision as a guard has improved in his four years of playing varsity at North Side. He works well in ball screen action and has proven that he can beat his man one-on-one off the dribble. Johnson’s offensive game has improved leaps and bounds in the past years as he was always known for his defensive prowess. Tough game for the senior guard but his court awareness is greatly improved.
Best Intangibles: Aaron Etherington (Hamilton Southeastern)
Aaron Etherington struggled early on to find the range with his jumper. The junior wing is a well developed offensive talent but North Side’s length and athleticism bothered him out of the gate. He was able to flip the script in the second half and knocked down the game-tying three with two defenders in his face right in front of the Royals student section. Aaron finished with 16 points (2-8 2FG, 3-7 3FG, and 3-4 FT), 7 rebounds (5 defensive and 2 offensive), 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Etherington made some big plays late in the game and in overtime to help propel his team to the late comeback win over a talented North Side team from Fort Wayne. His toughness and willingness to do the little things also allowed for the Royals to get back into the game.
Best Rebounder: Chaz Birchfield (Hamilton Southeastern) Keion Brooks Jr (North Side)
Chaz Birchfield was another one of those guys who didn’t necessarily get it going offensively but was able to have a big impact on the game. Chaz finished with 6 points (2-9 2FG and 2-4 FT), a game high 10 rebounds (5 defensive and 5 offensive), 5 assists, and 1 steal. He attacked both backboards with reckless abandonment and owned the glass. His athleticism was on full display with a couple rebounds above the rim. He is moving much better this season out on the perimeter and is looking to expand his offensive game. It allowed him to attack the glass from different angles and truly use his leaping ability to high point the ball. Keep an eye on Birchfield to put together a strong senior campaign and help lead this Royals team into the playoffs.
Best Underclassmen: Mabor Majak (Hamilton Southeastern)
Mabor Majak is one of the best young talents that the state has to offer. At 7’1”, he runs the floor extremely well, uses his length to alter and block shots, and has a soft touch from fifteen feet and in on offense. He was virtually un-guardable in the lane last night as North Side didn’t have the size or talent to put behind him in the post. He turned over his right shoulder with great success and used his frame to get his shot off against some good athletes on the interior. Majak finished with 15 points (5-8 2FG and 5-6 FT), 6 rebounds (3 defensive and 3 offensive), 3 blocks, and 1 steal. If Hamilton Southeastern can get this kind of production and interior dominance out of the sophomore moving forward, they will be an all-around team that will have matchup nightmares up and down the lineup.
Biggest Takeaway: True Road Test for Fort Wayne North Side
Fort Wayne North Side had a true road test against a great team early in the season, and failed to pull it together in crunch time. This should be a good learning experience for the Legends who have a tough schedule ahead including New Albany next weekend at Southport. They definitely have the talent to win the State Championship in Class 4A but will need to learn how to play together down the stretch. Hamilton Southeastern was a good early season foe on the road as they came ready to play and have some great talent to match up with North Side. It is still early in the season and the Legends have some time to figure things out. The Royals may have solidified themselves as a contender after the showing they put together last night.