Five Takeaways from SJNMA-West Allis Central
WEST ALLIS — In a battle of two ranked teams, No. 3 in Division 3, Saint John’s Northwestern Military Academy (17-1), upended No. 6 in Division 1, West Allis Central (14-3), 79-75 in overtime on Wednesday… Both Teams Could Be…
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Continue ReadingWEST ALLIS — In a battle of two ranked teams, No. 3 in Division 3, Saint John’s Northwestern Military Academy (17-1), upended No. 6 in Division 1, West Allis Central (14-3), 79-75 in overtime on Wednesday…
Both Teams Could Be Sleepers in March
On paper, nobody will probably take either of these teams in their respective divisions or the conventional favorites, but both have the potential to make a run in March.
SJNMA, who played from behind most of the game, showed some outstanding moxy, erasing a late nine-point deficit to get the game into overtime. The Lancers then threw the first big punch of the extra session and made critical free throws down the stretch to ice the game.
Central probably feels like they let this one get away, committing a whopping 21 turnovers. Despite all the miscues, the Bulldogs still managed to put up 75 points against a 1-3-1 zone and didn’t get great shooting efforts from their top two scorers.
Podziemski Is One to Watch
The most intriguing prospect on the floor Wednesday night was SJNMA 2021 small forward Brandin Podziemski.
The 6-foot-4 sophomore didn’t shoot the ball as well as he’s capable of, but has the potential to be a deadly sniper. Podziemski moves well off the ball for his size and the lefty can create some space off the bounce. He’s got a quick, smooth stroke that forces defenders to stick to him like glue. Once he puts on some muscle and develops that in-between game and slashing ability, Podziemski could be a very difficult matchup.
Podziemski finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists. He also hit some big free throws during the Lancers’ comeback and down the stretch to seal the victory.
Martin Was Big Down the Stretch
Despite the loss, West Allis Central got great point guard play from senior Glenn Martin.
The Bulldogs were stumbling in the waning minutes of regulation. Martin remained poised and made some huge shots to get the game into overtime and keep Central close in the extra sessions. Against the 1-3-1 zone, Martin was able to penetrate from the perimeter and get all the way to the bucket, keeping defenders off-balance by looking them off and changing his pace. Martin also hit a 3-pointer with just a few seconds left to give WAC a small sliver of hope.
Martin scored a team-high 18 points and also had 11 rebounds and three assists in the loss.
Fierst is an Intriguing College Prospect
You don’t see many prospects like Jacob Fierst.
The Morningside College commit is 6-foot-6 and has a big frame, but moves well for his size. With SJNMA sitting in a zone, we didn’t get to see Fierst much on the block, but he was still effective, particularly as a passer. Fierst was a little erratic and committed some unnecessary turnovers, but also shredded the zone beautifully at times.
A strong 3-point shooter, Fierst can stretch the floor and be effective in the pick n’ pop game. Underneath the rim, Fierst has a good motor and gets off the ground quickly, able to regain his composure and put the ball in the hoop after his own misses.
Fierst registered a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. He also added three assists on Wednesday.
Kelley, Gittens Ignited the Comeback
Shaking off rough first halves, both Gerald Gittens and James Kelley bounced back for SJNMA.
The final stat lines don’t look great for either player. Gittens was 5-of-17 shooting with seven turnovers. Kelley was 8-of-20 shooting with three turnovers. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Gittens calmed down late in the second half and hit some huge 3-pointers to help spark the Lancer comeback. Once Central began to pressure, it was Kelley who beat the Bulldogs down the floor in transition and generated some easy buckets.
Neither player was defined by whether or not their shot was going in, however. The lackluster shooting didn’t affect the other parts of their games as Gittens grabbed nine rebounds from the point guard spot as did Kelley. Gittens also had four assists and three steals, while Kelly came up with three steals, two assists, and two blocks.
Keep an Eye on Tolefree in 2020
One of the better freshmen we’ve seen this season, Najashi Tolefree did a lot of good things on Wednesday.
The West Allis Central product got the start on Wednesday and made plays on both ends of the floor. Tolefree scored 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting and also dished out two assists. The 6-foot-4 wing/forward has some intriguing length and can do some things in the open floor or impact the game defensively.
Right now, Tolefree isn’t necessarily a guy the Bulldogs run any plays for, but they definitely don’t mind when the ball is in his possession with space to operate.