12 Bests from Omaha South at Bellevue West
Just days before the holiday break and winter moratorium, the defending state champs from Omaha South traveled to play the short-handed Thunderbirds at Bellevue West high school. The game got off to an ugly start, with both teams struggling to…
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Continue ReadingJust days before the holiday break and winter moratorium, the defending state champs from Omaha South traveled to play the short-handed Thunderbirds at Bellevue West high school. The game got off to an ugly start, with both teams struggling to put the ball in the basket. Some of Bellevue West’s struggles can be attributed to missing their point guard and one of the states top prospects, Chucky Hepburn, due to concussion. Both teams fought hard, but ultimately Omaha South’s defensive pressure and intensity got them the 71-49 win. Here are the awards and players to watch going forward from Omaha South at Bellevue West.
MVP
Jay Saunders didn’t lead his team in points, rebounds, or assists against Bellevue West, but there was not doubt he was the most impactful player in the game. Defensively, Saunders communicated with teammates, forced turnovers, and made effort plays all night. It was clear that Jay was the fastest player on the floor; twice sprinting back and slapping the ball away on what should be an easy fast break layups for Bellevue West. Offensively, Saunders scored from every level and got out in transition for easy buckets for himself and teammates. You will hear more about Jay’s impact on the game throughout this article.
Play of the game
The play of the game goes to Omaha South seniors Jay Saunders and Ty Griggs. In the seconds half while Saunders was guarding the ball near the top of the key, he poked the ball loose, sending it back toward half court. When the player from Bellevue West bent over to pick the ball up, Saunders dove over the top of him and got to the ball first. From the ground, Saunders was able to get the ball to a running Ty Griggs who floated in the air to finish a double clutch layup over the outstretched arms of a defender.
Best Offensive Performance
The best offensive performance comes from Skyler Wilson, who poured in 21 points on 58% shooting. Skyler didn’t get a lot of easy looks. Many of his points came from shots he created for himself off the dribble or contested finishes at the rim. Wilson is also a good shooter from deep. His impressive night would have looked even better if he could have gotten one or two of his three-point attempts to fall.
Best Defensive Performance
The MVP of this game, Jay Saunders, also had the best night on the defensive end. He finished the game with 6 steals and forced even more turnovers with his suffocating on ball defense. Saunders defensive effort gave Omaha South transition opportunities that ended up being the difference in this game.
Honorable Mention: Trey Hepburn didn’t fill up the steal column like Saunders, but he picked up ball handlers near half-court all night and made the Omaha South guards work hard to get into their offense.
Best Intangibles
This one also has to go Omaha South senior, Jay Saunders. He was able to turn hard work into points or turnovers in favor of his team all night long: hustling back on defense to stop transition lay-ups, diving on the floor for loose balls, and directing teammates on defensive actions.
Best Underclassmen
Josiah Dotzler is a freshman seeing a bump in his minutes with the Wisconsin commit, Chucky Hepburn, sidelined with an injury. Dotzler plays with great pace; always catching the inbound while headed up the court. He has good vision in the open floor, a tight handle on the ball, and a pretty looking jump shot. Dotzler is a confident player that can get himself into trouble at times by over dribbling. As he continues to get more comfortable playing at the high school level, you will see his skill become evident and his mistakes shrink.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance
On a team filled with next level talent, Bellevue West’s Nate Glantz doesn’t get a lot of recognition. However, you know exactly what to expect from Glantz night in and night out. He is going to pressure the ball defensively and take and make good shots. Nate is a really good glue guy that is averaging just over 7 points on 50% shooting this season.
Honorable mention: Rashawn McNeal-Lee might be a name that you have heard, but you should expect to start hearing it more. McNeal-Lee started the season with a foot injury, but is really coming back into his own now. He finished with a double-double and dominated the paint all night versus Bellevue West. John Shanklin will be one of the toughest matchups he will see all season, so you should expect even more to come from the senior big man.
Best Shooter
Omaha South finished the game shooting 18% from the 3-point line as a team, while Bellevue West shot a slightly better 29% from 3. Both teams have some really talented shooters that just could not get shots to fall. Senior Nate Glantz had the best shooting performance of the night, going 2/3 from deep.
Honorable Mention: Ty Griggs, a senior that has been known for his athleticism and finishing, is showing an improved 3-point shot to start the year. Griggs buried his only 3-point attempt of the night and is shooting an impressive 61% to start the season. This is a massive improvement from the 26% he shot last season. You should expect him to cool off a little, but if he doesn’t start forcing it from deep, I wouldn’t expect too much of a drop off.
Best Passer
In a game dominated by transition baskets and 1 on 1 scoring, Skyler Wilson showed off his passing ability by keeping his head up and finding teammates running the floor. He lead his team with 3 assists.
Best Rebounder
Rashawn McNeal-Lee ripped down 10 rebounds against Bellevue West to give him his first double-double of the season. He spent much of the night matched up with taller players, but he was able to out muscle and hustle them for boards.
Honorable Mention: John Shanklin used his long arms and athleticism to pull down 8 rebounds, 2 of which were offensive. Omaha South pulled Shanklin to the perimeter with ball screens much of the night, not letting him get great position to rebound. However, John was still the leading rebounder on his team by a wide margin.
Best Guy Off The Bench
Early in the 3rd quarter, Doug Woodard quickly pulled all of the Bellevue West starters after they allowed an Omaha South run to start the half. Senior Nate Sullivan Jr. was able to step in and help put a stop to the run while also getting some offensive rhythm going. In his limited minutes, Nate knocked down a couple 3s, got 2 rebounds, played solid defense, and got to the line once. Sullivan Jr. led all bench scorers with 7 points.
Best Shoes
Not only was Nate Sullivan Jr. the best player off the bench, but he also wins the best shoes of the night with his Kobe A.D. 2018 ‘Lakers Away’
Story To Watch Going Forward
The story to watch in the early parts of this season is when Chucky Hepburn will return from injury and if Bellevue West can keep the ship steady in his absence. Chucky averaged 18.3 points per game as a sophomore and put constant pressure on the defense. In his absence, Louis Fidler has bumped his scoring average from 8.9 points per game last season to 18.5 to start this season. The emergence of freshman Josiah Dotzler as another ball handler has also helped. For this team to truly be special and meet expectations, they are going to need Chucky Hepburn.