Five Takeaways: John Carroll vs St. John’s Catholic Prep
This afternoon the John Carroll Patriots hosted St. John’s Catholic for their season opener of the 2019-20 season. Thanks to a hot shooting start out of the gates, the Patriots were able to seal the win at home with a…
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Continue ReadingThis afternoon the John Carroll Patriots hosted St. John’s Catholic for their season opener of the 2019-20 season. Thanks to a hot shooting start out of the gates, the Patriots were able to seal the win at home with a final score of 71-58.
Here are five takeaways from the contest.
Commander’s hot start sets the tone for the Patriots
Commander led John Carroll with a game-high 27 points thanks to a quick start connecting on four three-pointers in the first quarter. All his makes came from catch-and-shoot scenarios well beyond the line. His fourth came from the top of the key at the volleyball line. The following play on defense, Commander made a solid weakside rotation and drew a charge on a driving Vikings’ guard. The 6-foot-2 sniper made five triples in the first half and would finish with that number as his total. The second half was more designated towards attacking the rim for Commander. As expected, St. John’s Catholic was closing out aggressively and Commander used it to his advantage by attacking the driving lanes and either finishing lay ups or drawing fouls.
St. John’s Catholic’s backcourt is a fun watch
The Vikings have a senior duo backcourt in Ty Collins and Brandon Pilgrim. Both are smaller left-handed guards that can score and operate smoothly with the ball. Collins led the way with 19 points and did so by scoring at all three levels. He was a fearless driver even when the John Carroll bigs were waiting for him around the rim. If his man gave him a foot of space on the perimeter, Collins made him pay by pulling the trigger. Pilgrim is a shifty guard who can stop on a dime and pull up in the mid-range with efficiency. The 5-foot-9 guard finished with 18 points and provided energy on the defensive end in the backcourt.
John Carroll gets up three’s in bunches
The three-point shot has become the phenomena in today’s game and John Carroll has taken note. Of course, having the correct roster in place to play the up-tempo, long range shooting attack in which they play with is a must. They have four players on the floor who are all capable three-point shooters for the most part. Guys such as Commander, 2021 Jalen Bryant and 2021 Jaiden Jakubowski are ones who can torch an opponent out of a game quickly. Although they get up a high volume of three’s, they stay extremely discipline within their offensive sets and will absolutely attack the rim if given a sliver of the lane. Point being, it’s a fun brand of basketball to watch and if they are hitting their outside shots, they’ll be a tough team to keep up with.
Patriots’ 2nd half showed their balance
If John Carroll could make the amount of three’s they made in the first half, it would make their lives a whole lot easier. Realistically, that isn’t going to happen every game so it is imperative to have players who can impact in other ways. 2022 forward Cesar Tchilombo, 2021 forward Terry Long Jr.,2020 forward Bryce Meads and 2023 guard Jeannot Basima all picked up the slack in the second half after St. John’s Catholic switched to a half court zone trapping defense. Tchilombo was a beast on the glass feasting on missed lay ups in transition. He consistently runs the floor and displayed an impressive motor for a 6-foot-8 big. Basima showed his worth by catching the ball on the perimeter and attacking the basket. On a multiple occasions, the 6-foot-3 guard drew fouls and converted at the stripe. Long Jr. and Meads were effective at finding open spaces within the defense and finishing once a guard sought them out. These players are just a few that help balance out the Patriots’ attack. It’s necessary so you aren’t one of those teams that are labeled as “living by the three or dying by the three.”
Season outlook for both teams
St. John’s Catholic has a chance to be a really good team in the MIAA B Conference. With their backcourt of Collins and Pilgrim, it’ll be tough for teams to counter with equally skilled guards. 2022 forward Masai Troutman came on in the second half for the Vikings and showed some promise. At 6-foot-4, Troutman has the length, scoring around the rim and the competitiveness to be an intriguing prospect going forward.
For John Carroll, they’ll be tested immediately Saturday going up against an energetic Good Counsel team. The Patriots’ roster is still full of youth, but it’s experienced youth from last season. As a group they seem to be much more in sync and aware of what everyone’s role is. I’ve been rather high on this team and after today’s performance, I’ll stay there.