10 Best: Menchville vs. Norview
It was win or go home at Maury High School on Wednesday night, as day two of the Class 5 Region A quarterfinals were underway. In the second game of the double-header, it was a highly anticipated 3-6 matchup between…
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Continue ReadingIt was win or go home at Maury High School on Wednesday night, as day two of the Class 5 Region A quarterfinals were underway. In the second game of the double-header, it was a highly anticipated 3-6 matchup between #3 Menchville of Newport News and #6 Norview of Norfolk. Yes, that means the 6 seed had a little bit of a home court advantage at the neutral court site.
Norview started the game off well, as junior Jahn Hines scored the first six points of the game, and he continued to play well throughout the first quarter helping lead them to a 17-11 lead at the end of the first. However, Menchville battled back and started the second with a 5-0 run of their own, and the teams battled it out throughout the rest of the quarter, but Norview took a slight 28-24 lead into halftime.
The third quarter was extremely sloppy, with the game being called tighter and both teams turning the pressure up. The scoring stalled, as Norview was up 38-32 at the end of the third, but that wouldn’t be the case for long. The Norview Pilots blew the game wide open in the fourth quarter, as it seemed like Menchville just flat out ran out of gas and simply couldn’t score down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Pilots came alive, and scored 23 points in the fourth after scoring only 38 the whole game. They came away victorious 61-44, but don’t be surprised to see both of these teams more moving forward as they are both young and talented.
Norview will play Maury on Saturday at the Norfolk Scope in the semifinals with a birth in the Class 5 state tournament on the line. Here’s a look at the game on Wednesday in our special “Top 10” format.
*Editor’s Note: All stats are unofficial and kept by myself.
MVP: Jamal Madison | Norview 2020
Throughout the game Madison was a rock on both ends of the floor, but it was the fourth quarter where he really took the game over and was key in sealing it down the stretch from the line. He handled pressure all game while also providing pressure on ball handlers, and he was key in their defensive effort that held Menchville to just 44 points in the game. More on Madison below.
Best Play
There were a number of high level and highlight plays on the day, but I think the best one came in the first quarter. About midway through the first with Norview up 4-0, 2020 Jahn Hines had scored all four points for Norview, and he wasn’t done. In the press he got a steal in the middle of the floor, and he took a couple of dribbles and took off for an impressive two handed dunk. The crowd went nuts and Menchville needed a timeout.
Best Offensive Performer: Jamal Madison | Norview 2020
I talked about how good he was in the second half, I mean let’s really talk about it. Madison, like I said, was solid in the first half. He didn’t shoot it great but he controlled tempo, took care of the ball and defended well. In the second half he was as good as can be. After five points on 1-for-3 from the field in the first half, Madison was perfect from the field and the line in the second half, going for 14 points, 12 of them in the fourth quarter and he was 6-for-6 from the line to help seal the game down the stretch. He finished with 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting form the field, with 3 assists and only one turnover.
Best Defensive Performer: Chaunce Jenkins | Menchville 2020
I have become quite the fan of Jenkins over the past season and think he’s going to be a really good player next year. He was their most aggressive and productive offensive player, but it was what he did defensively that I liked. He’s long and athletic, he moves his feet well, he has good explosion and quickness and made a number of plays including 2 blocks and 2 steals. He also had a team high 13 points and chipped in 6 rebounds as well.
Best Guy off the Bench: Gilbert Brown | Menchville
I believe Brown is a midseason transfer because I didn’t remember him from the first time they played, and the kid showed a lot of ability off the bench. As a combo guard he he got in the lane and finished through traffic, he competed on both ends and he showed some potential as a lead guard. He finished with five points on the game.
Best Intangibles: Jahn Hines | Norview 2020
I gave Hines the nod here because I feel like he’s the x-factor on the team. A super long 6’2” wing, Hines is typically their best shooter, but he showed a lot more with 14 points while only hitting two triples. He competed on the offensive glass and got some second chance opportunities, and defensively he showed good instincts and a willingness to sacrifice his body. He finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds.
Best Under-the-Radar Performer: Terry Gray Jr. | Norview
Gray did all of the dirty work for Norview with their sophomore big man LaSean Lee battling foul trouble. The 6’4” Gray stepped up in a big way and provided both a physical presence in the paint while also showing he can score in the post and on jumpers out to the three-point line. He finished with an impressive double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Best Underclassman: Jaylani Darden | Norview 2021
Darden didn’t have his best showing, but my favorite thing about this kid is that he doesn’t force things and typically makes the right play. A lanky 6’3” combo, he does a great job getting downhill and being a drive-and-kick guy who moves the defense and gets shooters shots. He has a great floater in the midrange to avoid the charge and his length allows him to finish at the rim too. He’s a guy who thrives in transition and will hit the glass and lock up as well. He finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds.
Best Underclassman 2: Allen Strothers | Menchville 2021
It was a little bit of a tough night for Strothers, who was hounded from the tip by multiple Menchville players throughout the game. To add injury to insult, Strothers also had an awkward fall late in the game that he ended up limping away and wouldn’t return with the game not in question. It was tough for him to get shots because of the pressure, but he had a few takes that showed his athletic and ferocious finishing ability as well as his ability to finish below the rim as well. He has all the physical and athletic tools and as he continues to improve he should be a very good player moving forward.
Best Story Moving Forward: Upset Alert?
I’m not predicting an upset by any means, but here’s what I will say. At the beginning of the year I was talking about how good Region A in Class 6 and 5 were, and when talking about 5 I said “I think Norview is a team you won’t want to see come March.” Now I know it isn’t March, but whoever wins on Saturday gets the chance to play in March, and here’s what I see. Maury is by far the more experienced team and have been the more consistent team throughout the season, but Norview brings much of the same without the experience. Both have decent size, multiple lead guards and a talented lineup across the board. Like I said, I’m not picking Norview to beat Maury, but it is an interesting scenario to look at from the 6 seed.