10 Best: DeMatha v Gonzaga
Last night Gonzaga went on the road and beat DeMatha 71-62 in a big time WCAC showdown. Gonzaga had control of the game pretty much the entire time as they looked really sharp after a defeat to Paul VI on Tuesday. Assistants from Virginia, Villanova and George Mason were in attendance and head coach Patrick Ewing of Georgetown was there as well. Here are the 10 best from the game!
MVP: 2018 Myles Dread (Gonzaga)
Gonzaga took a one point lead into halftime but as soon as the 3rd quarter started Gonzaga went on a little run and it was because of their senior leader and Penn State commit, Myles Dread. Myles only had two points at halftime but tallied 16 second half points to finish with a total of 18. In a big game like this one, teams need leaders to step up and this is exactly what Gonzaga’s leader did.
Play Of The Game: 2018 Myles Dread ices the game for Gonzaga
With 1:34 left in the game, Gonzaga was up five but that lead then went to seven after a very nice running floater by Myles Dread on the baseline over 7’0 Hunter Dickinson. This was a huge basket for the Eagles as DeMatha had just cut the lead to five but after this very impressive bucket by Dread, Gonzaga looked like they weren’t going to let DeMatha get any closer.
Best Offensive Performance: 2020 Terrance Williams (Gonzaga)
Williams had it going from the start last night for Gonzaga. He finished with 22 points with nine of them coming from three point range. He hit his first three shots of the game in the first quarter where they all came from deep. When he wasn’t connecting from the three point line he was taking the ball to the basket and connecting around the rim with contact and drawing many fouls with his size. He was extremely impressive in the post with the ball as he had a few hook shots over 7’0 Hunter Dickinson. Williams has been having a very impressive sophomore year and colleges are really starting to take notice of his talents.
Best Defensive Performance: 2018 Myles Dread (Gonzaga)
Dread has always been known to do the little things for his team and he did it last night for Gonzaga. Over the years he has drawn charges like it’s his job and last night he had a few big ones that lead to a change of possession. He is always diving on the floor for any loose ball he sees and he kept on doing it last night.
Best Guy Off The Bench: 2018 Justin Gielen (DeMatha)
The University of Maryland soccer commit always provides a spark and brings energy to the floor when he comes in for DeMatha. Justin is very athletic and extremely shifty with the basketball in his hands. He is a knock down catch and shoot shooter too. He came into the game late in the 1st quarter and provided valuable minutes for Mike Jones and he always does. His role is perfect for this team as he comes off the bench every game and can score in a variety of ways and can distribute the ball to his teammates.
Best Intangibles: 2018 Myles Dread (Gonzaga)
I believe Myles Dread could win this award every game as intangibles could be his middle name. Dread is one of the hardest playing prospects in the 2018 class and he brings it every time out on the court. Last night he rebounded, dove on the floor for the ball, caused deflections, had a block and is always the loudest guy on the court.
Best Under The Radar: 2019 Josh Wallace (DeMatha)
The stats don’t show it but I really liked what I saw from Josh last night. It seemed like whenever he had the ball in his hands there would be a positive outcome on the possession for DeMatha. He brings good activity to the floor and he had three steals last night on the defensive side of the ball.
Best Underclassmen: 2020 Chuck Harris (Gonzaga)
Harris has had a very nice sophomore season for Steve Turner and Gonzaga as he has become a little more talked about on the national stage. He finished with ten points and was an excellent lead guard for the Eagles. He is a very good ball handler and he lets the game comes to him. He has great speed and quickness and that showed last night as he was able to beat defenders off the dribble to get the rim.
Best Rebounder: 2020 Hunter Dickinson (DeMatha)
I don’t know the stats off the top of my head but most likely Hunter leads the WCAC in most rebounds per game. Last night the 7’0 sophomore finished with 11 boards. There are not many teams that are going to out rebound DeMatha and that is purely because of Hunter. Expect Hunter to win this award multiple times throughout the season as he is clearly the best rebounder in the WCAC with his size.
Best Win Of The Year For Gonzaga
This was a huge victory for Gonzaga. They lost to Paul VI on Tuesday night which was their first loss of the year so they needed a bounce back game and that is exactly what they got in defeating DeMatha last night. They handed DeMatha their first WCAC loss of the year and this race to first place in the conference is starting to heat up. Paul VI is now the lone team at the top with zero losses in conference play.