Cornerstone Classic: Top Performers (Part 2)
This past Saturday, a 6-game event called the Cornerstone Classic took place at Lincoln-King Academy. The day featured some great games and some of Michigan’s premier talent. Games for the day included: Catholic Central vs Mumford, Western vs Divine Child, Chandler Park vs King, Henry Ford vs Loyola, Old Redford vs Hazel Park and Renaissance vs Cornerstone. Here are some of the top performers from the day:
Rocket Watts (2019, Old Redford)
Watts is one of the premiere scorers in the nation and showed it again with a 30-point performance against Hazel Park. He looked aggressive attacking the paint and finishing with an array of floaters. Also, like any game, Watts buried multiple threes from way downtown with no regards to any effort given by the defense. Watts was big down the stretch – he nailed a triple that put Old Redford up 59-57 with 30 seconds left, and would’ve been the game winner had Hazel Park’s Kyle Washington not come through in the clutch the next possession.
Tray Jackson (2019, Renaissance)
Jackson is one of the state’s top prospects and showed why in a win over Divine Child. He’s 6’8″ and has the skills to play the perimeter – when his shot is falling, he’s a huge matchup problem. Also, when Jackson plays with high energy, he’s nearly unstoppable given his leaping ability and length in combination with his size. Jackson had 20 points through three quarters and finished with 24 total.
Deontae Ulmer (2018, Henry Ford)
Ulmer is one of the top shooters in the Detroit area and displayed it again today, knocking down 6 three-pointers in Henry Ford’s win over Loyola. He’s been consistent as a shooting threat all season – he’s posted multiple games with more than 5 threes made. He would finish with a team-leading 19 points.
Kyle Washington (2018, Hazel Park)
Washington was the game-changer in Hazel Park’s 60-59 win over Old Redford. Despite standing only 6’4″ and having to matchup with Isaiah Jackson (6’8″) or Aundre Polk (6’9″), Washington was dominant on the glass on both sides of the ball. His combination of strength, leaping ability and toughness allow him to play much bigger than he actually is. Also, he had the game-winning basket with 14 seconds remaining – an offensive rebound tip-in which he was fouled on, Washington converted the and-one to give Hazel Park the 60-59 win. He finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds.