Sun Prairie Hangs On Against Bay Port
SUN PRAIRIE — No. 2 Sun Prairie (20-1) hosted No. 9 Bay Port (17-4) in a top 10 battle in Division 1. After getting out to a fast start, the Cardinals were able to hang on for an 83-72 victory, extending their winning streak to 16 games.
Jalen Johnson – 2020 – G/F – Sun Prairie
When Johnson flips the switch and opts to take over, there isn’t much, if anything the opposition can do.
The five-star prospect got off to a great start. Johnson had a couple of early dunks and killed Bay Port in transition, grabbing rebounds and hitting open teammates well up the floor for easy buckets. When Johnson is hitting his jumper, there’s no matchup for him on the floor. Without Cordell Tinch, Bay Port couldn’t keep Johnson away from the rim much. When they did, he could shoot over the top of small defenders.
Show. Time. @Jalen_J23 pic.twitter.com/kyUHrJ9wZk
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) February 18, 2018
Bay Port made a charge in the second half, but it was Johnson who shut the door. The most impressive thing about the top 10 talent is he can take over a game in a variety of ways. While Bay Port did eventually slow his scoring production, Johnson made impact plays defensively and dished out clutch assists to keep Sun Prairie in the driver’s seat.
Johnson went for 18 points, including 14 in the first half.
Lucas LaMue – 2018 – SG – Bay Port
LaMue hit a number of big time shots help Bay Port close the gap. The 6-foot-2 senior got hot in the second half and you could see his confidence grow as the game wore on. LaMue was 5-of-8 from 3-point range for 15 points. While the offense runs through Jack Plumb, LaMue works well with his big man with great post entries and then re-positioning himself on the arc for open looks. When LaMue got in a groove, he had no trouble sizing his man up with a jab step and then taking a contested triple.
Jack Plumb – 2018 – PF – Bay Port
While he’s going to play football at Iowa, Plumb had a handful of Division 1 offers on the hardwood. A blue collar post prospect, Plumb doesn’t say a word on the floor. He just kicks your butt and jogs to the other end.
Plumb had a game-high 27 points.A skilled, strong player, Plumb can beat people with finesse or force. 1-on-1 on the block, Plumb displayed some outstanding footwork, able to pivot around people with his back to the basket or face up and go to work. He established good, early post position and essentially scored a lot of points before the ball even arrived in his possession.
Loved the way Plumb handled double teams. After a strong start to the second half to lead Bay Port back from the dead, Plumb was surrounded by multiple defenders. He didn’t panic. Plumb did a great job of maintaining poise, seeing the floor, and finding his shooters for quality looks.
Plumb finished with a game-high 27 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
Marlon Ruffin – 2018 – G – Sun Prairie
Division 2 schools don’t want to offer because he’s an obvious Division 1 talent. No Division 1 wants to be the first to give this kid a scholarship. After another strong performance against one of the state’s top teams, what more do you want Ruffin to do?
It might be a moot point anyway if Wisconsin gives Ruffin a walk-on offer, but Ruffin continues to prove he’s a scholarship player. We already knew Ruffin is an athletic slasher with upside, but when he’s hitting his mid-range and 3-point shots like he was on Saturday, Ruffin gives us a glimpse of what could come in the future.
I get it. He’s unorthodox for a guard and he’s hard to define as either a point guard or shooting guard, which could make it tough to plug him into a lot of systems. Still, there’s very little downside into offering a plus-length, athletic guard who, at the very least, should be a defensive stopper at the next level. Even if he never gets a minute, Ruffin will undoubtedly make the starters better in practice with his workman like approach.
Ruffin poured in 27 points on Saturday, scoring from all areas of the floor. He broke down his man efficiently in the half court and got to the free throw line a ton. Ruffin also connected on a huge 3-pointer late to end Bay Port’s comeback.