Five Takeaways: Centennial 64 vs Urbandale 37
Urbandale — It’s always a good thing to go into Winter Break with a win, and going in with an emphatic 27-point win is even better. Centennial has struggled early in the season, limping into the Urbandale game with a…
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Continue ReadingUrbandale — It’s always a good thing to go into Winter Break with a win, and going in with an emphatic 27-point win is even better.
Centennial has struggled early in the season, limping into the Urbandale game with a 2-5 record. But 3-5 has a better ring to it, and they showed what they’re capable in the blowout win over the J-Hawks (2-5).
“This win was a big confidence booster. I thought we shared the ball really well tonight, everybody contributed, even people off the bench put in good work tonight,” said junior forward Cody McCullough. “And that’s what we’re going to need to have a good year.”
McCullough has been the best player for the Jags this season, and he came away with a double-double in this one going going for 11 points and 12 rebounds. Micah Johnson led the Jags’ balanced scoring attack with 12 points. Preston Kelling scored 11 and Tyler Rodgers chipped in with 10.
Urbandale’s got a nice junior guard with Chance Knox, he scored a game-high 14 points.
Team Scoring
Centennial — 13 14 21 16 — 64
Urbandale — 6 7 12 12 — 37
Individual Scoring
Centennial: Micah Johnson 12, Cody McCullough 11, Preston Kelling 11, Tyler Rodgers 10, Brady Petersen 6, Kamron Francis 5, Caleb Van Meter 5, Karter Kester 2, Keaton Gray 1, Garrett Severseike 1.
Urbandale: Chance Knox 14, Luke Sams 5, Will Pattison 5, Cal Watson 4, Seth Anderson 3, Alex Economos 3, Alex McConkey 3.
Five Takeaways
McCullough Beasting
Very few players in Iowa have had more of a breakout season than Centennial junior Cody McCullough. We knew the 6-foot-7 forward had the capability to be special, he’s currently ranked 31st in the 2020 prospect rankings, and he’s justifying that in a big was this season. Against Urbandale, McCullough recorded his fifth double-double of the season (in only eight games played). He’s averaging 12.6 points this season on a sterling 67 percent shooting, and pulling down nine rebounds per game, both team-bests.
Kelling Coming Along
It’s been a rough shooting year for Centennial guard Preston Kelling, but last night he showed how far he’s come in the last two years, and what he’s capable of in the next year-and-a-half. At 6-foot-4, Kelling is bigger than most guys he comes up against, and he pairs that size with ever-increasing speed and athleticism. He was getting to the rim at will last night, and put in some tough buckets when he got there. He canned a 3-ball too as part of his 11 points. If he can get that going in the second part of the season, that will render the Jags an exponentially tougher out each night out. With a consistent 3-ball paired with his size, athleticism and slashing ability, Kelling could become one of the very top players in the CIML by this time next season.
Knox is Nice
Last night was a tough one for Urbandale, but it wasn’t without some highlights. Junior guard Chance Knox was impressive despite the loss, scoring a game-high 14 points and doing so with an array of offensive skill-sets. He’s a deft ball-handler and gets to the rim with blow-by ability. What we like best was his jumper, both from beyond the arc and his pull-up mid-range off the bounce. He’s averaging 10.2 points per game this season, that’s third-best on the team behind fellow junior Seth Anderson and senior Will Pattison. The Knox/Anderson duo could be one of the better backcourts in the CIML next season.
Centennial Momentum
The Jags have been struggling a bit in the early part of the season, losers of five out of their first seven games, which makes this blowout win even more of a confidence boost. When they do win, they win big; Southeast Polk was defeated by 17, Des Moines Roosevelt by 30 and Urbandale by 27. Centennial has the size and skill to compete each night out, it’s just a matter of piecing it all together each night. This win will certainly give them a boost heading into the break. Now, consistency will be the key for the Jags.
Kamron Ceases Opportunity
Coming into Friday night’s game, Centennial guard Kamron Francis hadn’t taken a shot all season. In the first half against Urbandale, he was suddenly thrust into the game, maybe unexpectedly, but he didn’t waste any time making an impact. He confidently played his role, and when he got a chance at a corner 3 look that was too good to pass up, he took it, and buried it. He got in again at the end of the game, and the 3-ball must have given him some added confidence; he looked like a guy that certainly belonged. He took it to the cup and was sent to the line for two free-throws, which he buried with ease. So, the seldom-used junior guard is now 100 percent from the floor and from the free-throw line this season. He could be an ace up the sleeve down the stretch for the Jags.