Prep Hoops 10 Best: Belleville West 72, Bolingbrook 60
Belleville West solved some early bugaboos and turned into a dominant beast to avenge three straight Morris Shootout championship losses, though this game against Bolingbrook had so much more on the line. The Maroons (33-4) earned a 72-60 win over…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingBelleville West solved some early bugaboos and turned into a dominant beast to avenge three straight Morris Shootout championship losses, though this game against Bolingbrook had so much more on the line.
The Maroons (33-4) earned a 72-60 win over Bolingbrook to continue its IHSA Class 4A title defense.
The Raiders (24-8) led 10-4 in the first quarter, in which it forced seven Maroons turnovers, but West closed on a 13-4 run over the last 2:27 to claim a 17-14 lead. They’d never look back, either.
Here are the 10 best things from Tuesday’s contest.
Game Thread
I’m live at Redbird Arena for a Class 4A Supersectional between Bolingbrook @brookhoops and Belleville West @MaroonsHoops. Winner goes to @IHSAState pic.twitter.com/0AY1DkC00D
— Aaron Ferguson (@Sports_Aaron) March 12, 2019
1. MVP
EJ Liddell (Belleville West 2019, F, 6-7) – 19 points (6-8/1-2/6-7); 9 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 assists, 1 steal
Liddell changed the game. He had some early turnovers but once he cleaned those up, he took over. His rebounds were strong and his shot blocking/altering forced Bolingbrook into tough shots that it usually makes.
“Man, they were really aggressive,” Liddell said of Bolingbrook’s defense. “In the post, they were doubling and helping and when they didn’t double, I brought the ball down, put it on the ground and they were just reaching in and getting steals. I think we got a little more aggressive down low, I started holding onto the ball and we just started playing together.”
2. Best Play
As the game was turning late in the first quarter, Liddell got a breakaway dunk, showcasing his vertical and strength throwing it down hard.
3. Best Offensive Player
Lawrence Brazil III (Belleville West 2019, G, 5-11) – 14 points (6-10/1-2/1-2); 7 assists
Brazil did a great job of setting up his teammates in rhythm for easy baskets, including longer passes to beat the defense back in transition. He was efficient driving towards the basket and moved well without the ball.
4. Best Defensive Player
Tyler Cochran (Bolingbrook 2019, G, 6-3) – 2 steals
Cochran is one of the stronger guards in the state, sacrificing some quickness to an athlete like Liddell, and he did a quality job early on Liddell, keeping him front and using quick hands to poke the ball away.
5. Best player off the bench
Tommie Williams (Belleville West 2021, G, 6-3) – 5 points (1-2/0-0/3-4); 4 rebounds, 1 assist
Williams is heralded as one Joe Muniz’s two best on-ball defenders, and he showed it by helping shutdown Drake recruit Joseph Yesufu (2019). When switching on to different Raiders, he made a seamless transition to keep his man in front.
6. Best intangibles
Darius Burford (Bolingbrook 2020, G, 6-1)
Burford made plays all over the floor for Bolingbrook, anticipating passes to jump passing lanes, deflecting balls away from the ball-handler and getting into the paint on offense. His presence was missed after suffering an injury late in the third quarter when colliding for a long pass in the are.
7. Best X-Factor
Jaylin Mosby (Belleville West 2019, G, 6-2)
Mosby scored 17 points on eight shots, knocking down two big triples after Bolingbrook switched into a funky zone. He held his own on defense but, most importantly, was the robin to Liddell’s batman.
8. Best rebounder
Kameron Leonard (Bolingbrook 2019, C, 6-8) – 7 offensive rebounds
Leonard created so many second-chance opportunities for himself and his teammates. It was Bolingbrook’s greatest source of offense all night. It wasn’t that Leonard was reaching over West’s back, but that he used great footwork to get good positioning.
9. Best post moves
Keith Randolph Jr. (Belleville West 2019, F, 6-5)
Randolph is a big body and will be a lineman at the University of Illinois next fall, but he has unfinished business first. He’s listed at 6-5, 250 pounds but you wouldn’t guess it by how he plays. He has great footwork and good agility. He was solid on the low block, showing an assortment of moves to create clean looks for himself.
10. Best quotes
Bolingbrook coach Rob Brost on losing to a better team: “You’ve got to give credit to Joe and his guys. They did a great job, and they’re the defending state champs for a reason. And EJ is Mr. Basketball for a reason. They’re really good.”
Belleville West’s EJ Liddell on facing the Associated Press’ top-ranked Curie in the state semifinals despite being defending state champions:
EJ Liddell @EasyE2432 and Belleville West @MaroonsHoops is ready to prove who is No. 1 when they take on Curie Friday. pic.twitter.com/WmBJVa1utz
— Aaron Ferguson (@Sports_Aaron) March 13, 2019
Lines of the night
Belleville West
EJ Liddell – 19 points (6-8/1-2/6-7); 9 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 assists, 1 steal
Jaylin Mosby – 17 points (5-8/3-5/4-6); 4 rebounds, 1 steal
Lawrence Brazil III – 14 points (6-10/1-2/1-2); 7 assists, 4 rebounds
Bolingbrook
Kameron Leonard – 13 points (6-11/0-0/1-2); 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Darius Burford – 9 points (4-8/0-0/1-2); 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Tyler Cochran – 9 points (4-11/1-4/0-0); 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals