Five Takeaways: Eastpointe vs. Grosse Pointe South
In a district semifinal game, Grosse Pointe South was able to knock off Eastpointe 62-45 and advance to Friday night’s district final against Grosse Pointe North. South was led by Will Johnson and Luke Adams who combined to score 29…
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Continue ReadingIn a district semifinal game, Grosse Pointe South was able to knock off Eastpointe 62-45 and advance to Friday night’s district final against Grosse Pointe North. South was led by Will Johnson and Luke Adams who combined to score 29 points. Eastpointe got 15 points from Jesse Judkins and 13 from Davon Yelder.
Grosse Pointe South vs. Grosse Pointe North Part III should be exciting
With the Blue Devils’ win over Eastpointe and North’s win over Hamtramck, the district final is set for March 1 at 6:30 p.m. North and South have played twice this season, with each team winning one game. This matchup will take place at North. When these two teams played at North earlier this year, South walked away with an impressive victory. North has length and size, while South has quick guards and good shooters. Look for this to be an exciting game.
Will Johnson is special
He may only be a freshman, but South’s Will Johnson is a special player. He’s already receiving Division 1 offers for football, so you know he’s athletic, and it shows on the court. He is flying all over the place, grabbing rebounds, diving for loose balls and getting to the basket. Against Eastpointe, he had nine rebounds. He’s an incredible athlete that will only get better over the next few years.
Jesse Judkins should get more attention
It took him a while to get going, but once he found his rhythm, he was tough to stop. South played zone for most of the game, and Eastpointe struggled to find openings in that defense. Judkins finished the game with 15 points and three rebounds. What really impressed me most about him was his ability to score in traffic. He knocked down a couple of tough jumpers from the elbow and drove aggressively to the basket and got fouled. He’s a solid guard that can help college programs.
South’s bench is a difference maker
In the game, South’s bench outscored Eastpointe’s bench 22-8, and a lot of that damage was done by Luke Adams. Adams came off the bench and provided a huge spark for the Blue Devils, scoring 14 points, including two 3-pointers. Matthew Moran added 6 points off the bench as well. South has playmakers in the starting lineup, but when guys off the bench are hitting shots, this is a tough team to beat.
Does South have what it takes to beat North
South is an impressive team with playmakers on the outside that create a lot of open looks. However, North has a lot of length that can get into passing lanes and disrupt shooters. It will be interesting to see if both teams come out in zone to avoid mismatches. Whoever wins this game is going to be dangerous going forward.