Columbia Christian 82, Amity 58: Five Plus Takeaways
Columbia Christian may play at the 2A level but don’t think that the Knights aren’t among the most talented teams in the state. The defending state champions are playing a gauntlet of a schedule in the pre-season and this past…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingColumbia Christian may play at the 2A level but don’t think that the Knights aren’t among the most talented teams in the state. The defending state champions are playing a gauntlet of a schedule in the pre-season and this past weekend, Columbia Christian knocked off three straight 3A squads to capture the title of the Westside Winter Jam, beating Amity 82-58 in the final.
In the win, Columbia Christian built an early lead and held a comfortable margin throughout, as they dominated the offensive boards while effectively playing team basketball and shooting well from the perimeter.
“I was really pleased with the way we shared the basketball, shot the ball, and we played hard,” said Columbia Christian head coach Bart Valentine. “It’s an honor to play up against 3A schools and come away with back-to-back championships in this tournament for us.”
Ben Gregg is the Man
On Saturday night, the super sophomore rang up a triple double of 28 points, 20 rebounds, and ten assists – and also added a couple of blocks and steals to boot. There was nothing the 6-foot-8 forward couldn’t do, except if you had to nitpick he missed the two three-pointers he attempted. Gregg was all over the boards on both ends and with the exception of taking it a little too far in on a couple of transition opportunities (where a jump stop would have done the trick), he finished everything around the basket. Gregg averaged over 30 ppg in the three games of the tournament and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him lead 2A in scoring and rebounding this season.
Munyan Also a Sparkling Knight
While Gregg is undoubtedly the star at Columbia Christian, he isn’t the only player worth the price of admission. Fellow sophomore Elijah Munyan certainly had his highlights on Saturday as well. The 6-foot-1 guard showed off his athleticism by elevating and throwing down a few dunks, a couple off of alley-oop plays behind the zone. He also knocked down one of his three point attempts and played a great second fiddle to Gregg.
Columbia Christian has Solid Supporting Cast
Mo Hartwich, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, is still a work in progress but he had his moments. He’s long and was instantly a presence on defense, rejecting a couple of shots. Senior point guard Dominic Blake is a steady hand and can also knock down the open three. Sophomores Isiah Mariscal and Derek Valentine are also three-point threats from the outside, and between the two of them they hit 5-for-10 from beyond the arc. There aren’t many teams in the whole state much less at 2A that can match the Knights both inside and out.
Wart One to Watch
There was talent on the basketball floor besides those wearing Columbia Christian uniforms. Jacob Wart, a 6-foot-6, 190-pound sophomore forward, was stellar for Amity. Despite facing likes of the 6-foot-8 Gregg and 6-foot-10 Hartwich inside, Wart played confidently and wasn’t afraid to take it inside against those two talented shot-blockers. He finished quite a few baskets around the hoop but also showed the ability to step outside and hit some mid-range jumpers. Wart finished the night with 20 points on 9-for-17 shooting and pulled down 15 boards. Already possessing a solid build at his age, Wart may be operating a bit under the radar at this point in time but that will change if he continues to play like he did on Saturday night. We caught up with Wart so look for a prospect spotlight on him soon.
Amity has Shooters
While Wart will be the top threat on offense, the Warriors have a number of shooters surrounding him. Seniors Michael Duncan and Tyler Parr and sophomores Landon Distler and Keenan Graham all hit threes and senior Brian Hatch wasn’t far off on his attempts. Amity plays an uptempo style and look for them to score some points this season while challenging to make the 3A state tournament.
There’s Quality Hoops at the “Lower” Levels
The turnout for the finals of the Westside Winter Jam was tremendous as the stands were pretty much full and high school and AAU coaches from around the area came in to take in the show. Sure, known future NCAA Division I talents like Ben Gregg were there to watch but some lesser known guys like Elijah Munyon and Jacob Wart were able to showcase their stuff as well. In the third place game, 3A contender Dayton got good performances from seniors Braeden Nowlin and Jaysen Howard. There are college prospects at all levels all over the state, and a showcase such as the Westside Winter Jam was a good chance to get a good look at them.