10 Best: WCAC Championship
WASHINGTON, DC — Bender Arena was jam-packed on Monday night to see two of the country’s best teams duke it out for the WCAC Crown. NC State, Wake Forest, Maryland, Villanova, Penn State, GW, George Mason, and Loyola (MD) were all on hand to witness DeMatha defeat Gonzaga by a final of 54-53. Here we recap this hard fought duel with the 10 best.
MVP | EARL TIMBERLAKE | DEMATHA ’20
This heavyweight bout was the type of contest Earl Timberlake could thrive in. The long-limbed class of 2020 wing emphatically blocked 3 shots and hauled in 7 important rebounds to go along with a team-high 14 points. Timberlake’s presence on the floor made Gonzaga players think twice when attacking the basket.
https://twitter.com/HoopMajor/status/968504377546887168
BEST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE | ALLIN BLUNT | GONZAGA ’18
In a game where points were hard to come by, Allin Blunt had no issues in that department. The unsigned 6’6 senior scored an efficient 19 points to lead his team.
https://twitter.com/AyalewAdam/status/968500804905783296
BEST DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE | EARL TIMBERLAKE | DEMATHA ’20
We mentioned the blocks Timberlake came up with. He also recorded a steal and came up with a handful of deflections. The tape doesn’t lie; Timberlake was everywhere.
BEST INTANGIBLES | MYLES DREAD | GONZAGA ’18
After the game, Myles Dread went over to thank the Gonzaga fans for their support. This act says a lot about his character, and leadership intangibles.
BEST UNDER-THE-RADAR PERFORMANCE | JAHMIR YOUNG | DEMATHA ’19
Jahmir Young quietly played an excellent floor game, and gave max effort on both ends of the floor. The reliable lead guard came up with 3 offensive rebounds (4 total), and did not commit a turnover or miss a free throw on his way to 7 points and 2 assists.
BEST UNDERCLASSMEN | HUNTER DICKINSON | DEMATHA ’20
7-foot sophomore Hunter Dickinson recorded 12 points, a game-high 9 rebounds, and 2 important steals on Monday night. We’ll talk more about why his steals were so important in a bit.
BEST STUDENT SECTION | GONZAGA
Not only were there at least 3 times as many fans in the Purple Eagle student section, but their chants were clearly audible throughout the arena. These guys brought the heat and fed their team a ton of energy.
BEST SHOES | JUSTIN GIELEN
UMD Soccer Commit Justin Gielen broke out these ‘BHM’ Kyrie 4’s for the championship game. Love these.
BEST PLAY | HUNTER DICKINSON
We’re going to include both of Hunter Dickinson‘s steals here. The first was impressive because he shot the gap and intercepted the ball, and then like a freight train advanced to the other end and finished in traffic. Dickinson’s second steal helped seal the win as it came on DeMatha’s most important defensive possession.
BEST STORY TO WATCH MOVING FORWARD
DeMatha’s entire starting five returns next season. Is this the start of a dynasty? Only time will tell.