5 Takeaways: Alton vs Chaminade
The championship game of the Chik-Fil-A Classic was played on Saturday night at Belleville East High School. This annual mid-winter tournament features mostly Illinois teams from the metro east and Missouri squads from the St. Louis area. The title was…
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Continue ReadingThe championship game of the Chik-Fil-A Classic was played on Saturday night at Belleville East High School. This annual mid-winter tournament features mostly Illinois teams from the metro east and Missouri squads from the St. Louis area. The title was a matchup of the top Illinois squad and Missouri squad in the event as Alton took on Chaminade. Alton led for the majority of the game and while it was close throughout they finished strong in the fourth quarter to win 67-59. Here are our 5 Takeaways: Alton vs Chaminade!
Malik Smith Plays Huge in Title Game
Big time players elevate in big time games. That is exactly what happened for Alton 6’3” shooting guard Malik Smith. The athletic two guard is a coveted JUCO prospect who recently landed an offer from Rend Lake CC was fantastic for the Redbirds. He is a wing with a versatile scoring game. Plus shooter that drilled a pair of threes in this contest along with an in-rhythm mid-range jumper. Guard has a burst on his first step before he explodes to the rim on slashes. He went for 19 points on the night.
Alton Depth Shows Through
Smith was by far and away the go to player for Alton, but it was their depth that shined through. Their other star Donovan Clay didn’t have his best game, but still contributed on the boards. He also drilled a pair of threes to open the fourth quarter which widened their lead. The 6’6″ three and D wing is one of the top junior college prospects in the Midwest. Their four guard quartet had a balanced effort. Moory Woods made plays in transition. Ky’Lun Rivers hit momentum swinging threes. Andrew Jones was all over the floor. Josh Rivers made his imprint on the game with a poster dunk at the end along with some key shots throughout the game.
Redbird’s Chances in March
They won this tournament and finished second at the Centralia Holiday Tournament in December. In March they might just get the rematch they want from that Centralia title game. The state’s top team Belleville West will be waiting for them in their sub-sectional. Alton gave them everything they could handle and if they play like they did against Chaminade we could be in for another epic game!
Tarris Reed Could Be Big Time 2022 Prospect
Despite the loss the prospect who left the biggest impression on us was Chaminade 6’7” freshman center Tarris Reed. The 2022 post has legit size, strength, and athleticism early in the process. Tremendous mobility in the paint on both ends. Opened up with a high/low seal for a bucket. Finished a pick and roll with an and-1. Reed was quick to the offensive glass getting three put backs in this game. Shot blocking presence on the defensive end. Tremendous upside here! He had 12 points.
Luke Kasubke’s Night
Chaminade’s star junior Luke Kasubke didn’t have quite the night he had a year ago in this same game. He could never fully get going as Alton focused their defensive effort on not letting him beat them. Didn’t get a single three to go down and really didn’t even shoot that many jumpers which is his biggest asset. He was best being slippery through traffic getting in the lane for runners or and-1s. Most impressive play was when he grabbed a defensive rebound, went coast to coast, then finished at the other end. The 2020 wing showed some growth as a passer making a couple excellent dishes inside. Finished with 13 points.