Ten Best Players from The New Year’s Classic at River Rouge
The New Year’s Classic at River Rouge pitted Ecorse against Detroit Denby and Woodhaven against River Rouge in what was a great night of basketball. All four teams have great talent and should make noise come playoff time. Here are the ten best players I saw from the event.
Jayvien Torrance-Jackson (River Rouge, 2018)
Torrance-Jackson had a great game on both sides of the court. Not only did he pour in 14 points, but he also frustrated Woodhaven’s leading scorer all night long en route to a 52-38 win. Torrance-Jackson is rated as Prep Hoops’ No. 79 overall prospect in the state of Michigan for the 2018 class, but he played higher than his ranking Friday night. He’s a great player that should get more recognition soon.
Kaleb Maddox (Ecorse, 2018)
Maddox might not be the top ranked player that was on display at The New Year’s Classic, but he showed out in a big way. The senior forward scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds, leading Ecorse to a 74-66 win over Detroit Denby. He’s a very underrated player that should start to get more recognition as the season goes along.
Nigel Colvin (River Rouge, 2019)
Colvin is rated as Prep Hoops’ No. 42 overall prospect in the state of Michigan for the class of 2019, and he showed why Friday night. Colvin was a scoring machine, pouring in 16 points, in what looked like an effortless performance. He is one of the best scorers in the area and a threat to go off at any moment.
Derek Linebarger (Detroit Denby, 2018)
Denby didn’t win, but Linebarger did all he could to keep his team in the game. Linebarger had 17 points in the contest, two of which came on a vicious dunk over an Ecorse defender. Not only did he score, but he also grabbed a few rebounds and set his teammates up for easy buckets all night. He’s a great leader for Denby.
Josh Warren (Woodhaven, 2019)
Warren didn’t have a great shooting night, but he was still able to score 19 points. He had trouble scoring on Torrance-Jackson in the first half, but had some success getting to the free throw line and had a few put back layups in the second half. He’s one of the better scorers in the area and should pick up more offers throughout the year.
Kyron Carroll (Ecorse, 2018)
Carroll played a very important role in Ecorse’s win over Denby, as he scored 16 points. He knocked down seven shots total, two of which came from beyond the arc. His shooting ability is a great weapon for Ecorse, and I expect them to continue feeding him the ball until he cools down.
Justin Parish (Ecorse, 2018)
Like Carroll, Parish played a huge role in the win over Denby. He finished the game with 15 points and four rebounds. His quick first step allowed him to get to the rim and either finish or kick out to shooters. He and Carroll make up a great back court that can compete with just about anyone in the state.
Robert Conner (Ecorse, 2018)
Conner is one of those players that every team needs. He is a monster on the boards and really doesn’t care about his scoring average. He had six points and 12 rebounds against Denby. He reminds me a lot of Draymond Green, because he knows his role and plays it really well. He doesn’t need to score 20 points per game to make an impact.
Dan Few (River Rouge, 2019)
Like Conner, Few is a player that doesn’t need to score to make an impact. He knows his role and he helps the team win. Few had just three points against Woodhaven, but he grabbed a game high nine rebounds and limited Woodhaven to just one shot per possession. He’s a great role player for the Panthers and should continue to develop his offensive game as the season rolls along.
Jalen Mayfield (Detroit Denby, 2018)
Mayfield actually came off of the bench for the Tars, but that didn’t stop him from making an impact in the game. He scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds in the loss to Ecorse. Mayfield played critical minutes down the stretch and should continue to be a consistent scoring option for Denby throughout the season.