10 Best: Geneva vs Wheaton North
Geneva carried a 24-1 record into Wheaton North on Tuesday as they went on the road against 16-10 Wheaton North. These two teams had a classic earlier in the season that Geneva won by one on a Mitch Mascari three. …
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Continue ReadingGeneva carried a 24-1 record into Wheaton North on Tuesday as they went on the road against 16-10 Wheaton North. These two teams had a classic earlier in the season that Geneva won by one on a Mitch Mascari three. The rematch was a fun one! Both teams had their runs. It was a frantic pace at times with some turnovers, but it came down to the final minutes where Geneva pushed ahead to win 60-51 although it was much tighter than the final score indicates. Here are our 10 Best: Geneva vs Wheaton North.
MVP
SF Josh Preston (Geneva – 2020)
Preston gets the most out of his ability. The 6’5” combo forward is a junk yard dog in the paint. He is a physical and active player getting rebounds and being efficient when the ball touches his hands. He converted a sweet pick/roll to open things. Got on the glass throughout. Showed some athletic pop on a baseline dunk along with another where he stole the ball at mid-court and went the other way for a slam. Gets to the free throw line quite a bit where he is effective. Crafty defender. Preston had 16 points.
Play of the Game
The play that had the crowd go crazy was a half court lob to Deng Reng for an acrobatic alley-oop!
Best Offensive Performance
F Deng Reng (Wheaton North – 2019)
Reng is one of the best forwards unsigned in the state. The 6’6” combo forward brings length, athleticism, defense, and skill potential to the next level. Early on he opened with a three from the wing. Then nailed a smooth turnaround jumper creating space from his defender on the block. As the game went on he made more plays inside and above the rim getting on the glass at a nice rate where he got to the foul line. Also had an alley-oop that he caught from half court. Was a solid passer making good decisions it the half court. Very thin right now and will need to add strength in college. Effective multi-positional defender that can switch in a ball screen. Reng had 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 dimes. Still looking for a low-major D1 offer.
Best Passer
PG Jack McDonald (Geneva – 2019)
The Augustana commit is one of the premier passers in the state’s senior class. He is your classic old school point guard. High IQ guard that does an excellent job at getting others involved. He makes sound decisions in the pick and roll as well as finding open shooters. Did most of his scoring getting in the lane where he was fouled. Also did hit a key three late on his way to 11 points.
Best Catch and Shoot Threat
SG Mitch Mascari (Geneva – 2019)
The top 40 senior is one of the hottest commodities at the D2 level. He struggled for most of the game, but down the stretch the star stepped up. Mascari is a rangy wing with size on the perimeter. He can flat out shoot the ball and that is what he did connecting on three triples and sealed the deal at the foul line with four free throws. Also showed a slick passing game in the half court. Finished with 15 points.
Best Bench Player
F Kross Garth (Geneva – 2019)
Garth is a rangy senior combo forward that has long strides. Used them to get to the basket on a couple drives. Finished dump off passes and had a couple quick moves inside. Very active from 15 feet and in. Went for 9 points.
Best Intangibles
SF Garrett Horner (Wheaton North – 2020)
Horner stood out with his gritty play. The 6’3” junior knocked down four triples in this game. Plus shooter especially off the catch. Thick bodied kid that is tough and crafty in the lane as well. Brought a lot of toughness to his team. Horner had 14 points.
Best Under-the-Radar Performance
G Matthew Brend (Wheaton North – 2019)
This 6’0” senior combo guard is a scrappy kid that is a decent athlete. Showed some burst in transition and had a slick drive through traffic. Hit a three early. At times can be a bit wild with the ball. Finished with 8 points.
Best Role Player for Each Team
PG Ben Johlie (Geneva – 2019)
This top 250 senior flies under the radar, but is an effective role player. Drive and kick passer. Got on the glass for a put back. Key drive off the bounce late to tie it in the fourth. Went for 4 points.
SG Jacob Schauer (Wheaton North – 2019)
Schauer is a 6’1” lefty shooting specialist. Moves well without the rock to get open. Hit a pair of threes, but literally shot it every time it touched his hands all night. Finished with 6 points.