Wabash Valley Classic: Recap
The Wabash Valley Classic is one of the better annual events bringing together the Terre Haute area teams from Indiana and Illinois for a few days of action. 16 teams and a ton of players to watch. Here is our recap from Day 1 of the event.
Game 1: Shakamak vs. Marshall (IL)
Very quickly Marshall (IL) showed their size and strength as they kept Shakamak at distance with a lot of interior play and drives to the rim. Led by Jadon Wallace, Kyle Sanders, and Ben Ross, Marshall got the lead up to more than 30 in the second half as they blew past Shakamak in an opening round win of the Wabash Valley Classic, 67-35.
Game MVP:
#15 Jadon Wallace – 6’1 SG 2020 – Marshall (IL)
**13 points against Shakamak (IN)**
Jadon is a big guard with some size, strength that can play well on the perimeter and physical inside. Hit a pair of catch-and-shoot threes, looking good on the release and sustainable. But also he was looking to drive a bit, finishing well with his left hand. Not fast but quick enough with his dribble to get to the rim in the open floor. Also has the body to be physical at the rim and finish through some contact. More about picking his spots that using athleticism to score.
Game 2: Casey-Westfield (IL) vs. Linton-Stockton
In one of the better games we have seen this season, Linton and Casey went back and fourth all game. Linton commanded things well in the second half but at the end of the third quarter Casey-Westfield really pushed their game into the paint and Luke Richards helped to get things tied up. Heading into the fourth quarter, it was anyone’s game but Linton took the game back and just barely squeaked out a win, 57-51.
#15 Lincoln Hale – 6’4 SG 2021 – Linton-Stockton (IN)
**22 points, 4 rebounds against Casey-Westfield (IL)**
Lincoln is an emerging guard who looked great all game long. Really talented shooter who can hit off the catch or the pull-up. Feels more comfortable for him handling the ball and creating off the bounce. Had most of his shots off the pull-up. He looks more physical and strong, able to contend with any player he comes up against because at 6’4, he’s going to get mismatches. Likes to rebound and push the ball out in transition and go coast-to-coast.
Game 3: Cloverdale vs. South Vermillion
Cloverdale came out swinging behind Jake Wilkes and Kyle Thomas but it wasn’t long before South Vermillion came back. They got it close early in the second quarter and then it was a barrage of three-pointers by Brice Gilman and Conner VanLannen to get in front. From there it was over as only Kyle Thomas was able to create any sort of offense and Cloverdale went down, 56-47.
Game MVP:
#2 Brice Gilman – 5’9 PG 2020 – South Vermillion (IN)
**21 points, 8 rebounds against Cloverdale (IN)**
Brice is a small guard who can really shoot the ball. Does a pretty good job of rebounding the ball as well as he can track it off the rim and run it down. However, he’s a pretty lights out shooter based on this game, hitting five threes off the catch and doing it with a some elevation and a quick release. Needs weight and strength pretty badly but does have some toughness in him. Didn’t do a lot on the ball that wasn’t shooting but did makes some solid passes to set guys up.
Game 4: Riverton Parke vs. Sullivan
From the jumper, junior forward Kevin Figg set the tone of the game as he landed six points in the first minute or so of the game and put Sullivan up and for good. Riverton Parke was able to hit some threes but they never were really able to get it close as the 17 points from Figg helped to secure a 64-41 win for Sullivan.
Game MVP:
#35 Kevin Figg – 6’3 PF 2020 – Sullivan (IN)
**17 points, 3 rebounds against Riverton Parke (IN)**
Kevin is an undersized forward but played very, very well. Was really aggressive all game and made play after play inside of 10′. Can handle the ball really well for his position and was not only able to drive from 10′ but was also pretty good from the arc. Needs height but if he can at least get to 6’5, he’s so skilled with a 10′ fadeaway, and a 12′ turnaround jumper. Plays physical and outmuscled everyone on this day. Even showed he could play with his back-to-the-basket. A little more time to grow would do him wonders.
Game 5: West Vigo vs. Terre Haute South
Pretty quickly into this game, you knew this was going to be a rough one for West Vigo who saw senior forward Kenyon Sholty for South get a double-double in the first half. He was dominant and there wasn’t much for him to do other than just dominate. West Vigo was far more successful in the second half and had a little run but was only to make it a reasonable point spread after being down by as many as 30. In the end it was Terre Haute South 64-43 on the back of a 29 and 18 performance from Sholty.
Game MVP:
#22 Kenyon Sholty – 6’6 PF 2019 – Terre Haute South (IN)
**29 points, 18 rebounds against West Vigo (IN)**
Although he’s going to play football in college, most likely, Sholty put not he likely performance of the day as he went for a 29 point, 18 rebound. He was really aggressive and tough on the boards, doing so much of his offense from rebounds. He’s a little more mobile and skilled as a post scorer, carving out space well. If he went to play basketball at the next level, I think he has solidified his level as an NAIA prospect that has plenty of room to grow if he can find a little more quickness up and down the floor to impact the transition game.
Game 6: Robinson (IL) vs. Owen Valley
It was a pretty tight game for most of it, with Robinson leading most of the way but never by much. However, it got down to as many as 8 in the last quarter before Robinson took off and ran away from Owen Valley late. Tons of free throws in the final minutes spread it out more to make it look not nearly as close as it was for the entire game as Robinson won, 66-55.
Game MVP:
#23 Brayden Childress – 6’3 SF 2020 – Robinson (IL)
**19 points, 6 rebounds against Owen Valley (IN)**
Childress is an undersized forward that does most of his work in the post than on the perimeter, although, he can play well in transition. Was solid in the later parts of the game, posting up and finishing strong through contact and drawing fouls. Also, seemed to pick up his rebounding too and was able to kind of reel in some big ones. He’s a inside-out guy that will need to develop that perimeter game more. If he can, that would help balance out the predominantly interior game he has now.
Game 7: Edgewood vs. Parke Heritage
For the first half of the game, Parke Heritage really made it close and Connor Davis was cleaning up on the boards on his way to a double-double. But then Edgewood turned it up and looked like one of the best teams in the state, a team that has yet to lose a game and push it out to more than 30 points as they locked in an won, 74-41.
Game MVP:
#1 Trevor Taylor – 6’3 SG 2021 – Edgewood (IN)
**14 points, 6 rebounds against Parke Heritage (IN)**
Taylor is a big guard who has grown a bit and looks more improved as a mid-range shooter. Was really good in this one with a pair of mid-range pull-ups and a couple threes off the catch. He’s shooting the ball pretty well and with some efficiency. His rebounding also looks like it took a jump forward as he’s using his size and athleticism much more. Plenty active on the defensive end of the floor now. Ball handling is still developing and while good, should probably take another jump forward sooner rather than later.
Game 8: Terre Haute North vs. Northview
In the final game of the day, Northview came out and took control early but in one of the more competitive games of the day, it stayed close all the way into the fourth quarter. But right before the fourth, Terre Haute North finally took the lead after Braden Edington scored five straight points ending in a steal and layup to go up five. Then, it got blown up in a matter of minutes as North just ran it out of the gym with a 65-49 win.
#20 Braden Edington – 5’11 PG 2019 – Terre Haute North (IN)
**33 points, 9 steals against Northview (IN)**
Edington is a small guard with some strength and a really good defensive mindset. Made his hay getting out in transition after landing some steals. He’s a solid shooter but didn’t take a ton of jumpers in this one. He has the toughness you want from a point guard and seemed to make the really big plays in the game. He took over late in the game and really pushed the game wide open, scoring the majority of his points in the second half.