Five Takeaways: Team WHBH 17u-Team GA Magic 17u
Team WHBH continued to advance their program reputation over the middle May weekend at Hoopseen’s Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions. The Team WHBH 17u team clattered with Team GA Magic 17u late Sunday afternoon. Early in the second half, Team…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingTeam WHBH continued to advance their program reputation over the middle May weekend at Hoopseen’s Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions. The Team WHBH 17u team clattered with Team GA Magic 17u late Sunday afternoon. Early in the second half, Team WHBH began to pull away to an insurmountable lead. Final score: 75-49 as Team WHBH finished the weekend 6-1.
Five key factors emerged in the battle.
Zone Influence
Team WHBH 17u implemented their traditional 2-3 zone with tall, denying guards up high. This zone is pretty active above the free throw line and tends to deter drivers from driving.
In the opening half, the desired effect materialized. Team GA Magic hoisted more outside shots, and lower percentage outside shots, than they should have. Team WHBH hopped out to an early lead with this
Wilcox Expanding
Ryan Wilcox continues to improve his game at a rapid rate. A year ago Ryan’s game was a mirage. It looked tantalizing from far away, but when you got up close you quickly realized he was neither fully explosive or impacting the game in a dramatic way. Wilcox’s body was still recovering from major surgery.
Now, the man who primarily resided in the the paint and helped with rebounding in spurts is a completely new player. His bounce is back, and maybe better. Wilcox hit a three point shot in rhythm Sunday. And his expansion expanded the first half lead for Team WHBH even further.
Wilcox gave Team WHBH 16 points earlier in the day facing Upward Stars. His new play is an epiphany.
Size Matters
Generally, Team WHBH 17u lacks the frontcourt size to overwhelm opponents. The frontline is not tall or foreboding. Facing Team Georgia Magic, Team WHBH actually provided the more fearsome frontline. Formerly lonely forward Daniel Loos now has friends.
The pickup of Allen Udemadu and Chuks Isitua has paid dividends for Team WHBH. Two 6'9 forwards that have added another element to their unit. Udemadu has shown off a nice shooting touch from the outside.
— HoopSeen (@hoopseen) May 19, 2019
In the previous events, Team WHBH lacked the frontcourt defenders and, more importantly, the defensive rebounding to compete at the elite level the program’s guards were capable of. Chuks instantly provided interior defense. Earlier Sunday Chuks blocked five shots in a single game. His presence kept shooters from even attempting layups against GA Magic.
A Little Touchy
For all the defensive impact Chuks gave, and it was substantial, his touch around the rim still lags behind his peers. Perhaps he will get better there, but in the GA Magic game he consistently pulled down rebounds in traffic. Unfortunately, too often he was unable to get the put-backs up into the cylinder.
Considering the power and height of Chuks his ceiling is very, very high. It just gets frustrating witnessing his incredible rebounding prowess end in missed layups.
Steady Guards
Team WHBH is a program founded on guard dominance. JaCobi Wood, Jeff Norment, Ray Tyler, and now Ryan Wilcox make them a difficult out. With the added bigs in the stable, Team WHBH Head Coach J.P. Primm is now able to play Harry Lackey at his natural wing position more frequently. Lackey and Wilcox are strong rebounders and slashers. Lackey is a fantastic passer with size too.
Norment, Wood, and Tyler limited turnovers this weekend. That was a problem earlier this spring for the ordinarily dependable guards. Sunday they defended better as a unit and pushed the tempo during important stretches.
Team WHBH 17u is playing better in May than they were in April. It is a program on the rise for sure.
For the best statewide coverage follow @PrepHoopsTN.