5 Takeaways: Kingman vs. Northwest Christian
On Friday, January 5, Kingman took on Northwest Christian. Despite winter break being in full effect, Northwest Christian had plenty of fans in attendance. Further, Northwest Christian continued their strong play as they took down Kingman by a considerable margin. Here are my 5 Takeaways from the contest:
5 Takeaways: Kingman vs. Northwest Christian
1. Sharpshooting
Andrew Augustine found a way to knockdown 8 3s despite being faceguarded for a good portion of the game. Kingman’s gameplan seemed very clear: Make someone other than Augustine. While they had success with this strategy in spurts, any time they gave Augustine any free space he made them pay. Further, in the brief stints that Kingman tried to press and play zone, Augustine found any opening who could and got the shot off. Augustine is big time shooter.
2. Execution
Northwest Christian’s ability to execute was a key factor in the lopsided win. On multiple occasions, they got wide open shots off of in-bound sets and rarely turned the ball over on offense. Further, their disciplined defense made things tough for Kingman. In turn, Kingman forced shots and drives which resulted in easy transition buckets and turnovers.
3. Length
While Northwest Christian does not have any prospects over 6’6, they do have enough length to be deadly at this level. Their guards play tough on ball defense and are allowed to make mistakes due to the length in help side. Further, on offense, they set a lot of screens for their bigs when Kingman was in their “Box and 1”. Zach Johnson and Matt Huss were quite effective due to the high IQ of the guards and their work horse mentality.
4. Best Creator
Despite losing the game, Kingman’s guard Elijah Howery had some impressive moments. He looks taller than he did at both of the Prep Hoops combines that he attended this off-season. Further, he continued to attack the rim relentlessly much like he did at the events. He is strong and quick which enables him to get into the paint nearly at will. Moreover, he has a consistent shot from deep which forces opposing teams to guard him outside of the 3 point line.
At times, it felt like Howery against the world as the rest of the team struggled to create due in large part to the tough defense and length of Northwest Christian.
5. X-Factors
One of the biggest reasons for the struggles of Kingman was the lack of scoring from Tobias Bagby. While his athleticism was on full display in his rebounding, he struggled to create scoring opportunities for himself at the rim. He is a skilled wing who plays some post. Moreover, he has a good feel for the game as he makes good reads with the basketball and gets his teammates involved.
Eddie Van Sant is only a sophomore and had some solid moments for Northwest Christian. The guard looked confident and willing to be assertive on the offensive end despite his youth. Further, he made minimal mistakes on the offensive and defensive ends. Van Sant has a bright future and looks like an intriguing prospect to watch going forward.