Five Takeaways: Racine Park 81 Racine Case 75 (2OT)
The city rivalry between Racine Park and Case is known to produce highly competitive matchups regardless of prior records or “on paper” roster talent. This year was no exception has the senior laden Park Panthers went back and forth with…
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Continue ReadingThe city rivalry between Racine Park and Case is known to produce highly competitive matchups regardless of prior records or “on paper” roster talent. This year was no exception has the senior laden Park Panthers went back and forth with a youthful Case squad. The highly contested matchup went down to the wire, and took two overtime periods to decide a winner. Park senior Larry Canady was able to ice the game with free throws to give Racine Park an 81-75 victory. Here are five takeaways that we took from this intense rivalry game.
Larry Canady is a Division One caliber player
It still amazes me that Larry Canady does not have a college scholarship offer. He seems to be one of those players that Division Two schools know is a D1 kid, but the schools just haven’t started offering. Currently receiving interest from some schools like Valparaiso and Chicago State, Larry is a weapon on the offensive end. He looked calm in multiple situations last night with the game on the line, and was tough taking the ball to the hoop to hit a game tying shot that forced double overtime. Throughout the game he hit tough jumper after tough jumper from mid-range and from beyond the arc, scoring 30 points in the win. Also known as one of the toughest on-ball defenders in the state, Larry came up with a few huge stops on the defensive side throughout the game. With continued performances like this, it could be only a matter of time before an offer roles in for Larry.
JaKobe Thompson has the “Mamba Mentality”
It’s what Kobe Bryant was known for, and JaKobe Thompson appears to have as well. The mindset that you are the best player on the floor, and that you are able to step up with the game on the line. Just a sophomore, JaKobe Thompson displayed that ability in the second half and beyond, putting Case on his back for a stretch with his offensive dominance. JaKobe was knocking down three pointers with his smooth lefty stroke, but most impressive was his finishing around the rim. He was taking the ball inside against Park’s trees, and was finishing in a variety of ways by contorting his body and displaying great ball control to finesse the ball through the hoop and finish through contact. Though his team ultimately lost, JaKobe’s 27 points kept Case alive for the whole game, and he proved himself as one of the top offensive weapons in Wisconsin’s 2021 class.
Park’s role players can step up when called upon
Racine Park may only play seven players on a nightly basis, but the lesser known starters and those coming off the bench are always ready to contribute. Two names that stood out last night were seniors Zyiere Carey and Richie Warren. Zyiere came up huge on the offensive end, getting some big buckets once Case started to focus on Larry Canady defensively. He is a confident shooter with range that extends well beyond the arc, and had the speed to break away on transition resulting in a few open layups. He finished with 19 points. Richie Warren on the other hand is a player who won’t do anything standout, but does the dirty work for Park and is a very sound contributor. He plays good defense, pulls in rebounds, and finishes his looks inside as well as open jumpers. He knocked down a key jumpshot late in the game that ultimately helped Park bring home the win.
Case’s freshman duo has the future looking bright
We’ve already mentioned how talented sophomore JaKobe Thompson is, but the future at Case is looking even stronger with freshmen Terryon Brumby and Amari Jedkins both contributing at the varsity level. Terryon is a 6′ guard who displayed great confidence on the offensive end last night. He is a proven shooter from beyond the arc, and was also able to knock down pull-up shots from mid-range. Terryon is the second leading scorer for Case this season, and he put up 20 points last night. Though he won’t be a big time scorer at this point, Amari Jedkins’ ceiling looks extremely high. At 6’7, Amari looked athletic and bouncy around the rim, a combination that could be very scary for opposing teams in future years. Defensively Amari is willing to compete, and he made a couple of key hustle plays for Case with his willingness to dive on the floor for loose balls. He also showed confidence in his shot, knocking down his lone three point attempt. With all of this young talent, Racine Case could be a really good team for the next few seasons.
The dangers of Park’s 1-3-1 zone press
They didn’t run it the whole game, but when Park threw their 1-3-1 full court press on, it created a lot of turnovers and fast break scoring opportunities. Park came at Case with 6’9 senior Nobal Days up front in the zone, using his lengths to force a lot of issues in trying to throw cross court passes. In the first half Nobal wasn’t connecting on his shots, but he was still making his presence felt by tipping and altering a lot of passes in this press. Case made a lot of turnovers from trying to get the ball over or around his long arms, and Park’s quick guards were able to capitalize by sprinting up the floor and getting to the rim to finish. Case was eventually able to adjust and start exploiting the press, forcing Park to switch back into man defense, but the 1-3-1 looked like something that Park could switch to for a few minutes during games that could allow them to go on a run to close a lead or extend their own lead when needed.