LSI “The Eight”: Top Performers (Part 1)
The first-ever Les Schwab Invitational “The Eight” kicked off on Friday and fans and college coaches in attendance were treated to some competitive action. Here’s look at the first two games of the evening. Silverton 71, Liberty 53 Silverton used…
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Continue ReadingThe first-ever Les Schwab Invitational “The Eight” kicked off on Friday and fans and college coaches in attendance were treated to some competitive action.
Here’s look at the first two games of the evening.
Silverton 71, Liberty 53
Silverton used a big push in the fourth quarter to get past the tournament hosts, Liberty, in the opening game of The Eight. In the end, the Silver Foxes had too much size and production from junior guard David Gonzales (30 points) to win going away. Senior forward Levi Nielsen posted a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds and junior wing Grant Dunn scored 13 points. Marquis Brown led Liberty with 11 points and seven rebounds.
“We’re still trying to find our roles and our way and figure out how to share the ball,” said Silverton head coach Jamie McCarty. “But down the road I think we’ll be pretty tough.”
Pacifica Christian 72, Sandy 59
Sandy fought hard and hung with Pacifica Christian for much of the game, but Pacifica Christian made a run in the third quarter that ended up making the difference in the 13-point victory. Pacifica Christian had a distinct size and athleticism advantage as star forward Judah Brown scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while big man Solomon Davis tallied ten points and a game-high 16 boards. Pierce Roder led Sandy with 16 points while senior guard Colton Gorski tallied 13 points and five assists.
“Our kids really liked the opportunity of being here and we really battled,” said Sandy head coach Jason Maki. “We wanted to show ourselves as somebody that wants to work hard and I thought we had some fun too. We have some tough guys in our league and I think it’s a little preview for us on how we will have to do to beat those guys.”
Here are the top performers from those games:
David Gonzales (2020 Silverton) – If we had to name a player of the day, it would have to be the junior 5-foot-11 point guard. Gonzales was on his game all night, especially on tough drives to the hoop where he converted the bucket, absorbed contact (he shot 11-for-13 from the line), or did both. When Liberty threatened in the fourth, it was Gonzales who came up big with a couple of and-ones that broke the game open. He hit three from deep to keep the defense honest as well. Gonzales didn’t distribute the ball as much this evening but there will be games where he is more of a distributor. We caught up with Gonzales after the game and will have an update posted soon.
Grant Dunn (2020 Silverton) – AS one of the taller guys on the team at 6-foot-6, you would expect Dunn to be playing down low but instead the lanky junior is out on the wing. The reason why is because he has a very sweet shot from long range. Dunn knocked down 3-for-7 from three-point range and finished second on the team with 13 points. While it’s clear that Dunn would rather stay outside of the paint, he did help out by grabbing five boards as well. Dunn is an intriguing prospect with his height and shooting ability for sure.
Levi Nielson (2019 Silverton) – One of the leaders of the team, Nielson is as tough as nails as they come. While undersized at about 6-foot-4, he was a warrior down low and really fought hard on the glass on both ends. On the night he racked up an 11-point, 15-rebound double-double and showed some grittiness defensively as well. Some NWAC coaches who have been monitoring his progress were in attendance.
Marquis Brown (2020 Liberty) – Liberty had a fairly balanced effort offensively but the one Falcon that did stand out was Brown, who incidentally led them in scoring with 11 points while grabbing seven rebounds. At 6-foot-4, he has good size for a wing and he has good strength to finish plays, probably because he’s a standout on the football team. There were times when his decision making were kind of shaky but things should improve as the season progresses.
Judah Brown (2020 Pacifica Christian) – Brown’s reputation is as a high-flyer and he certainly played on the court as advertised. The junior threw down a couple of spectacular dunks and there’s no question his game is played above the rim. Brown played very aggressively on the offensive end, taking the ball strong to the cup but he also showed off a nice-looking mid-range pull-up, which interestingly came with a bit of a scissor kick with his legs. On the night he tallied 26 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots and he was clearly the best player on the floor against Sandy.
Houston Mallette (2021 Pacifica Christian) – Mallette is a nice looking sophomore guard who is oozing with potential. What stood out was the fact he let the game come to him. He took good care of the ball, had a very nice looking shot, and overall was smooth as silk. There’s no doubt the college coaches in attendance were impressed by his play and he’s certainly a prospect to watch for the next few years at Pacifica Christian.
Colton Gorski (2019 Sandy) – Gorski didn’t shoot the ball terribly well (5-for-15 overall, 1-for-5 from three-point range) but he showed off a fairly balanced game between looking for his own shot and trying to set up others. There were a couple of buckets down low where the 6-foot-2 senior was able to utilize his upper body strength to make the finish. A number of schools currently looking at him were in attendance watching him play.
Pierce Roeder (2020 Sandy) – There’s no question he wasn’t shy about shooting it – 3-for-15 from three-point range and 7-for-22 overall – but Roeder did have a fairly nice looking shot from long range on his way to the team-high 17 points on Friday night. The 6-foot guard didn’t just launch bombs, he also contributed with six rebounds and defensively, he was good at playing the passing lanes and coming away with five steals.