5 Takeaways: Hickman vs Oak Park
Our first game at the Norm Stewart Classic featured a match-up between an improved Hickman team and Oak Park. A strong defensive effort by a rejuvenated Hickman squad helped them race to a 35-22 half-time lead. Oak Park turned it…
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Continue ReadingOur first game at the Norm Stewart Classic featured a match-up between an improved Hickman team and Oak Park. A strong defensive effort by a rejuvenated Hickman squad helped them race to a 35-22 half-time lead. Oak Park turned it on after the break with both teams stars going back and forth. As the final horn of regulation sounded, the game was all knotted up at 66. Hickman star G Jarvis Jennings and Oak Park’s Ahmad Louis traded buckets throughout until Louis fouled out with 7.2 seconds remaining in OT and it was the Newpies who held on for a 76-74 victory.
Here are our 5 biggest takeaways from this one:
Lucky #23
There’s a lot of prestige that comes with having the #23 on a basketball jersey. Both young men who did in this game certainly have earned the honor.
Hickman’s 6’2 Sr Jarvis Jennings is a GROWN MAN! He was dominant from tip to final horn and is the clear leader for Hickman. The lefty showed off his range with a wing three and spent the rest of his night as a freight train to the rim with several crafty finishes against heavy contact. He was a force on the glass and also stepped up defensively down the stretch. He is going to make a college coach very happy in the future. He finished with 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Not to be outdone, Oak Park’s 6’2 Sr Ahmad Louis took over in the second half in route to a 29 point performance. Trailing by 13 at the half, Louis put the team on his back and sent the game to overtime with a series of acrobatic finishes at the rim and a clutch 3 pointer. It was a dazzling performance that was unfortunately cut short as he fouled out with 7.2 seconds left in overtime and his team trailing by just 1.
Hickman Much Improved
Hickman has showed to be much improved from last year, and most importantly, it is clear to see that they believe in themselves. It helps to have an absolute stud in Jarvis Jennings, but this team is hard nosed, well-coached, and they can dig in and defend. They are also learning how to close games early in the season which will bode well when they get in to league play.
Impressive “D” from Both Teams
At times, both teams were very impressive on the defensive end tonight. Oak Park showed an aggressive 1-3-1 half-court trap that gave Hickman fits early on in the game. Hickman dug their heels in at the start of the second quarter and applied suffocating man to man pressure defense that sparked their big run and healthy half-time lead. If each team can sustain that effort for a full 4 quarters, they could be hard to handle moving forward.
Supporting Casts
Each team has a star, but they both need more consistent help from their supporting cast. Hickman has some promising underclassmen who stepped up tonight. 6’4 Jr Nate Wilson was strong around the basket and chipped in 11 points and 5’11 So Roger Anderson buried two big threes in the win. For Oak Park, they had a strong 16 point performance from 6’3 Jr Bryce Butler who showed a nice outside stroke. They also got 10 points a piece from 6’4 Jr Ahmed Mahgoub and 6’4 Sr Max Gawg.
Outlook for Both Teams
The past week has been huge for the growth of a much improved Hickman team. They will need their role players to continue to develop and improve and if they do expect a lot more tallies in the win column for the Kewpies.
Oak Park has a star in Ahmad Louis and a very intriguing supporting cast developing around him. They play a tough to prepare for defense. They know how to win. Expect them to be firing on all cylinders as the season progresses.