Standouts: Rock the Ribbon Roundball Shootout Day 1
The fourth annual Rock the Ribbon Roundball Shootout takes place this weekend in Lexington, VA, and features three All Americans and countless great players and games. I was in the building on Friday the first game, which featured three games which were:
Greenfield (NC) 80 Broadway 43
Oak Hill Academy 62 Saint James (MD) 52
Spotswood 66 Robert E. Lee 59
There were a good amount of high level performances, so here’s a look at 10 standouts from the 3 games.
- Coby White | Greenfield (NC) 2018
The UNC commit and McDonalds All American got off to a slow start in the first quarter, but once he got it going there was nothing Broadway, or pretty much anyone else in the country, could do to stop him. White started rolling in the second quarter, where he made five straight shots including an impressive step back three-pointer from about 27 feet out. He finished the half with 17 points and the game with 27, but it was the way he did everything that was so impressive. The 6’3” combo guard was shifty off the bounce, finished with style and creativity and made plays for everyone else as well. He finished with 27 points, but also pitched in seven rebounds ,five assists and five steals as well.
- Elijah McCadden | Greenfield (NC) 2018
The Georgia Southern commit didn’t exactly shoot it extremely well, but he pitched in by doing a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor. He showed off his athleticism with some impressive finishes above the rim and some highlight worthy blocks, and he showed versatility both in the way he scored it and the fact that he was able to guard multiple positions. He finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.
- Keldon Johnson | Oak Hill Academy 2018
Playing with the flu didn’t slow down the McDonald’s All American and Kentucky commit, who came off the bench because he missed a few practices. Despite not starting, he got it going with a big time throw down just a minute into him checking in and he kept the crowd on their feet throughout the game. He plays with tons of energy, and he uses his length and athleticism to wow crowds with big time dunks and blocks, but it’s his leadership that’s most impressive. When his team needed a bucket, he’d take it into his own hands. He started the run in the third quarter that helped them create the separation they needed to put away Saint James, and he finished with an impressive 19 points, five rebounds and three steals in the win.
- Keyontae Johnson | Oak Hill Academy 2018
While the other Johnson is a highlight reel himself, Keyontae is the more bouncy one as he’s a walking highlight reel that has to average upwards of four or five dunks a game, which is about how many he had. He struggled at some areas, especially from the line in the first half, but his ability to play above the rim both in transition and in the half court is something you can’t stop even if you game plan for it. He moves well without the ball, so finding him on a back door for an easy dunk happens multiple times a game, and his highlight plays throughout the game give energy to both the crowd and his teammates. He finished with 19 points, four rebounds and four assists.
- Anthony Garcia | Saint James (MD) 2018
I’m dubbing Garcia the “midrange king,” because he was money from 12-18 feet throughout the game. He has somewhat of a unique jump shot that goes over his head and has a ton of arc, but it’s tough to block which allows him to shoot it without a ton of space and he did that on a number of occasions to keep Saint James in the game. In the first half, he scored all 10 of his points with midrange jumpers, which he hit five in a row. He understands spacing and moves well without the ball, and he’s a very high IQ wing with length and a high motor. He finished with a team high 18 points and pitched in six rebounds as well.
- Amir Harris | Saint James (MD) 2018
Harris, who was originally committed to Rhode Island before backing out in October, showed why he’s one of the best point guards in Maryland. His numbers of 10 points and nine assists were impressive, but his length, athleticism and ability to create shots for himself and teammates off the bounce against some of the best players in the country really stood out throughout the game. Harris is crafty off the bounce, as he’s able to change pace, sees the floor with great vision and he can thread the needle on passes others can’t. He showed crafty finishing ability and made good decisions with the pace, slowing it down when needed and pushing it when he should, and he was a main reason they were in the game for so long.
- Elijah Mushagasha | Spotswood 2019
Described by Spotswood Head Coach Chad Edwards as “our glue guy,” Mushagasha stepped up when the Blazers needed it the most in the second half as he helped will them to a 66-59 win over Robert E. Lee in the final game of the night. The 6’0” combo guard scored 10 of his 18 points in the third quarter, and he came up with two really big buckets in the fourth when Lee was looking to make a run. He has all the intangibles you want, and his leadership on a young but talented team is something you can’t put into perspective with numbers. He’s an all out motor kind of kid who does a little bit of everything, and he’s willing to take whatever role is needed to help his team win.
- Kaleb Strawderman | Spotswood 2020
While Mushagasha was the star in the second half, Strawderman stepped up and made shots when the Blazers needed him to in the first half after a slow start. When fellow sophomore Robert Smith went to the bench late in the first quarter with two fouls, Strawderman stepped up and took over, scoring 10 points in the second quarter. He did it in a number of ways, as he hit three three-pointers on the game, and also showed that he can be a secondary ball handler and he can create his own shot within the flow of the offense. He was important for them in the first half, and while he only scored four points in the second half, he also created plays for others as he finished with a team high six assists and pitched in four rebounds as well.
- Robert Smith | Spotswood 2020
While he struggled with foul trouble as well, Smith showed signs that he’s likely going to be the next in a long line of very good players at Spotswood. He’s sprouted up to about 6’4”-6’5” with long arms, has a high motor and gets after it on both ends and he showed the ability to put it on the floor and create shots off of curls and dribble hand offs. He really thrived in transition, where he was able to start the break off the rebound, get downhill and force defenders to foul him or give up a layup. He got to the line and converted 8 out of 10 times, and he hit the glass on both ends, finishing with a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds.
- Jarvis Vaughan | Robert E. Lee 2018
The ODU commit battled with foul trouble throughout the game, picking up his second in the second quarter and his third early in the third quarter, but despite losing valuable minutes and having to sit on the bench Vaughan had a stellar performance and took over late, keeping Lee in the game with his inside scoring presence. He had a couple of nice finishes on the block, but his ability to face up and knock down the 15 footer and pass from the high post was on display. He made a number of plays late, scoring 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter.