Salem Invitational: Thursday Standouts
Thursday was another night at the Salem Invitational Tournament evaluating quarterfinal games at the mid-winter tournament. Take a look at the standout performers from the second night of action from B.E. Gum Gymnasium.
PG Jack Marinko (Edwardsville – 2018)
Marinko is having a monster season for the Tigers and it continued on Thursday night. The 6’0” point guard is a tough and scrappy leader that elevates the play of those around him. As a scorer he is a capable three point shooter especially off the catch. In this game he did most of his damage getting to the basket in both the half court and transition. Crisp handles in traffic and his speed allow him to get to the rim where he finishes well around traffic. He has a repertoire of scoring moves inside with runners, floaters, scoop shots, and acrobatic layups. Despite his scoring barrage he is also a quality passer. Shows a feel for getting others and really understands his team’s offense and where others should be. Pushes it in transition and finds his teammates. Marinko had 32 points and 6 dimes. He is a gem at the D3 or NAIA level.
PF Caleb Strohmeier (Edwardsville – 2018)
Strohmeier was the one that started off the game on fire for Edwardsville. The 6’6” four man scored on the first three times he touched the ball I believe. He is a competitive kid that plays hard. When on the block he can play physical sealing off his man in the high low or just bullying through them for a score. Also works well in the mid-range where he can hit face up jump shots from an array of spots at 15-18 feet. Efficient with his touches scoring. Rebounds well in traffic with his strong hands. At the next level he is your classic D3/NAIA pick and pop four man that will be a very productive four year player at that level. Team first player!
PF RJ Wilson (Edwardsville – 2018)
Have to give a shout out to Wilson. The 6’2” center for Edwardsville isn’t much of a college prospect, but is key for their high school team. He is a thick bodied post that brings a lot of energy on the interior. Active offensive rebounder and when he gets the ball he puts it in. 6 points on the night.
SG Nathaniel Jones (TF North – 2018)
This approximately 6’2” shooting guard is a plus athlete with a projectable frame. He is a scorer that can get to the hoop off the bounce with his long strides and quick first step. He had a couple acrobatic finishes at the cup. Flashed a mid-range jumper drilling a pair of them with a clean looking stroke. Jones had 16 points. We could see him fitting in at the JUCO level with his style of play.
SF Damond Crosby (Salem – 2018)
It was definitely a slow start in the first half for the host Wildcats as they trailed Triad early. They picked it up in the second half and a big part of that was a more assertive playing Crosby. The 6’5” small forward was a bit loose with his handles in the first half, but tightened them up as the game went along. He had a couple nice takes to the hoop where he finished with a runner in the lane. Made a three from the wing showing a higher release point. One excellent pass on a drive and dump off to a teammate. He put the game away late with clutch free throw shooting. This is an area he has struggled sometimes in his career so it was nice to see him knock down a handful late. He did a nice job on the glass as well rebounding in traffic. Crosby had 17 points and 6 boards. The projectable wing is a D3/NAIA/JUCO prospect.
SG Jaden Deatherage (Traid – 2018)
This 6’2” shooting guard is a solid athlete at the wing position. He is all slashing as a scorer. Almost all of his buckets came off the bounce from the wing on straight line drives. If you take away that from him he didn’t really do much else. Finishes well around the hoop with his body control. He had 12 points. Small college player.