5 Takeaways: Waukegan vs Warren
Waukegan traveled to Warren for a Tuesday night conference contest. The talented senior led squad got all they could handle from a scrappy Warren team. It was a three point game at the half, but Waukegan won behind a strong second half winning 62-52. Here we dive into our 5 Takeaways: Waukegan vs Warren.
Bryant Brown Lets It Fly from Three
The top prospect in this game was Waukegan 2019 small forward Bryant Brown. The wing ranks on PHI as the #17 overall prospect and #5 player at his position in 2019. He is also one of the top available prospects in the state after the early signing period has past. Good size at 6’5” with long arms. In this game he showed off his perimeter shooting. Brown connected on five triples from beyond the arc. A lot of times he spotted up in the corner for shots. Quick release with not a lot of lift on his shot. At times he settled too much for it instead of using his quickness and athleticism to try make plays against Warren’s zone. It was a nice sign to see him shoot it at a high level connecting on 5-7 from deep. That will help his college recruitment. In the second half he mixed up some inside getting an and-1 and put back. Didn’t rebound at his usual rate. Brown went for 20 points and 4 rebounds. Low-majors need to seriously consider him.
Waukegan Supporting Cast Backs Up Star
Last year Brown did his thing posting huge numbers, but the team didn’t necessarily translate into wins because he didn’t get a ton of help. He has three running mates that he should be able to rely on fairly consistently this season. The first is transfer point guard Andre White who is on his fourth high school in four years. This senior is a quick guard that has speed in the open floor. Gets to the charity stripe on a regular basis. Likes to make plays in the lane and is a crisp ball handler. High risk/high reward passer that had 6 dimes. He scored 15 points. Jordan Brown is a shooting guard at 6’2” with plus athleticism. Quick second jump and rebounded very well in traffic. Did most of his damage inside and off energy. Scored 11 points. Another senior is 6’3” shooting guard Jaylin Cunningham. The wing is a high motor athlete that converted a pair of and-1s. He had 11 points and brings something to the table on the defensive end.
Is Waukegan Ready to Go Deep in March?
Last year was a disappointment for Waukegan. No doubt about it. They have a star which can put them on his back and get key buckets when needed. Brown has three guys he can rely on offensively. This team has the tools to be a very good defensive team, but in this game they gave up too many easy buckets.
Warren Defense and Passing Gives Waukegan Test
I came away impressed with Warren in a defeat. They did a nice job defensively against a high octane offense in Waukegan. Played zone most of the game forcing their opponent to shoot to win and work for everything they got. They mixed in some traps in the full court that caused turnovers and netted them some points. Also loved the way they passed the ball. Team that doesn’t have a go to guy, but their best asset is sharing the ball. Tavion McCarthy is a left handed point guard that drilled a pair of threes and pushed in open floor. Went for 8 points. Sawyer Shrake is a crafty off guard that is a solid passer. Also drilled a pair of spot up triples on his way to 10 points. Alex Manoiu had a nice few dimes and four points. Cole Thompson is a senior 6’6” four man that can stretch the floor with his shooting. Decent rebounder. Thompson had 9 points. Then there was their junk yard dog big man…
Adnan Sarancic Classic High School Big
Sarancic is an undersized four man that absolutely got the most out of his ability. He isn’t super athletic, but did a tremendous job of playing with a high motor and always being in the right place at the right time. Soft touch around the hoop and caught several bullet passes in traffic or dump offs for buckets. Efficient with his shots in the paint. Quality rebounder that grinds it out against more athletic opponents. He also shot it well from the free throw line. He had 15 points.