Five Takeaways From Homestead-Sussex Hamilton
HARTFORD — Looking to reach their second-straight trip to the state tournament, Sussex Hamilton took another step forward with Thursday’s 73-60 win over Homestead… Hamilton is Going to be a Tough Out This isn’t breaking news, but Sussex Hamilton reinstilled…
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Continue ReadingHARTFORD — Looking to reach their second-straight trip to the state tournament, Sussex Hamilton took another step forward with Thursday’s 73-60 win over Homestead…
Hamilton is Going to be a Tough Out
This isn’t breaking news, but Sussex Hamilton reinstilled that they’re still the favorite in Division 1.
It’s not all about Patrick Baldwin Jr. either. In fact, the nation’s No. 1 ranked player in 2021 was held in check and grinded his way to 15 points. The Chargers surround the future pro with a handful of shooters, making them incredibly difficult to guard and can play small with the way Lucas Finnessy will battle and play bigger than his size up front.
Two other factors — Hamilton is a much better defensive team than they get credit for. This team has stoppers like Finnessy, Carson Smith, and J.T. Hoytink, and are in-sync as a unit. They also know how to close games. The Chargers are extremely tough with the basketball late in games and will run their stuff, looking for layups without turning the ball over, while still churning clock.
A sign of a great team? Can you win when your star isn’t special? This is the second time we’ve seen Hamilton knock off a very club when Baldwin didn’t have his best stuff.
Ellingson Broke the Game Open
He just hasn’t been the same player since the injury he suffered a couple years ago, but Tyler Ellingson made his presence felt on Thursday.
Homestead was hanging around in the second half until Ellingson struck with back-to-back 3-pointers that pushed Hamilton’s lead to 10 points. The senior sharpshooter chipped in with 13 points, including three triples.
At 6-foot-4, Ellingson has very good size to shoot over the top of defenders. He’s often forgotten about with the array of scorers the Chargers have, but he’s just as dangerous as a perimeter threat as anybody on the roster, with the exception of Baldwin.
Waddell Went Out on a Good Note
It’s never easy to see your career come to an end. It’s even harder to swallow if you don’t play well and your teams gets eliminated as a result.
Ryan Waddell won’t have to worry about the latter.
The senior guard finished with a game-high 19 points in Thursday’s loss. It didn’t always come easy at times, but the Highlanders greatly relied on Waddell’s probing and creating with the basketball. A kid that doesn’t wow you physically or athletically, Waddell gets the most out of his talent and has a knack for finishing tough, off-balance shots in traffic.
There were a couple of WIAC programs in attendance on Thursday. Waddell also holds a NAIA offer from Minot State. A 6-foot-1 combo guard that’s a crafty scorer, Waddell has a chance to have a strong career at either of those levels.
Ciurlik Has His Hands Full Next Season
Expect Declan Ciurlik to be one of the most important players to his team in 2019-20. A two-way talent that has to control the offense and defend the other team’s best player, Ciurlik will become the face of the Homestead program next season.
Ciurlik did a terrific job defensively on Baldwin. While he got himself in foul trouble in the second half, Ciurlik didn’t give the blue chip prospect anything easy and forced him well out beyond the arc.
Ciurlik also finished with 12 points in Thursday’s loss. The 6-foot-3 forward is a skilled, versatile, mismatch problem that should put up strong numbers as a senior.
Hamilton-Central Round Three Awaits
One of many must-see sectional final matchups, Sussex Hamilton advances to face Brookfield Central in Saturday’s sectional final.
The Chargers won the Metro Classic Conference over the Lancers by three games and swept the regular season series. Hamitlon won 69-61 in the season opener and 67-56 at Central on Jan. 24.
The third matchup loses a little luster as the Lancers will be without Gage Malensek, but should still be qu