5 Takeaways from Norman North versus Putnam City West
Norman North advances to the championship game of the Joe Lawson Memorial Invitational as they defeat Putnam CIty West 65-60. Here are five takeaways from the Semi-Final matchup: Jaylon White’s game has matured White was the best player on the…
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Continue ReadingNorman North advances to the championship game of the Joe Lawson Memorial Invitational as they defeat Putnam CIty West 65-60.
Here are five takeaways from the Semi-Final matchup:
Jaylon White’s game has matured
White was the best player on the floor tonight as he couldn’t be stopped getting to the rim. PCW brought an endless amount of pressure but due to White’s maturation he was able to embrace the defensive intensity and used it to his favor.
No one could keep him in front and when they were finally able to gain ground White would use crafty movements to create contact which put him on the free throw line.
Playing a team that presses early in the season can be tough especially on the young guys but you could tell White’s performance eased the minds of his fellow T-Wolves and allowed them to settle into their roles.
It was fun to watch White use his crafty tricks to score in the lane and create opportunities for his team. It was a brilliant performance from beginning to end.
Duncan Parham was money around the basket and showed why he is the X-factor this season for NN
Anytime Parham got the ball in the painted area you could bet on it that it was going in. Rather it was multiple defenders trying to prevent him from scoring, he found a way to finish.
He showed off some great touch around the rim as he showcased a nice floater which PCW couldn’t contest.
Parham is going to be the biggest X-Factor for the T-Wolves this season as he will be able to provide an inside presence that will pair well with White’s perimeter game.
Rondel Walker has leadership qualities that will provide stability for PCW this year
PCW was met with their fair share of adversity against NN as Walker got in foul trouble early in the second quarter. They had to go deep into their bench for some relief as NN were beginning to pull away.
Sometimes you can look at the best player on a team that is losing and you can see them in their feelings and shutting down on the sidelines.
Walker did exactly the opposite as he stayed positive with his teammates and made sure they played with confidence.
Leadership is a beautiful thing because it provides a sense of direction which can help young players understand their role and that they feel included.
Walker has a great ability of making his teammates around him feel included. There isn’t many high level D1 prospects who do that when playing for their high school.
The Oklahoma State commit came back into the game midway through the fourth quarter and led a near comeback due to his obvious skill level but most importantly his less than obvious guidance of the team.
The execution of the Box and 1 on Rondel Walker was impressive
There are a lot of teams who say they can run a Box and 1 defense however most of them don’t really understand how to execute it correctly.
This particular defense is built to stop a specific opposing offensive player and to make the other 4 guys on the team beat you. In this case that opposing offensive player they were trying to stop was Rondel Walker who is a 6’5 shooting guard with deep range.
This is obviously not an easy task however NN found a way to make the defense look like an everyday move for them. They had constant communication which allowed for their to be no miscommunication errors.
It was one of the better Box and 1’s I have seen at the high school level.
Elijah James plays much bigger than 6’1
One of the few offensive bright spots for PCW Friday night was Elijah James as he scored consistently in the painted area. When Walker got in foul trouble, the Patriots struggled to find an offensive rhythm until they began to feed James down low.
Its funny to think of getting the ball to a 6’1 forward would be the purpose of the offense however it was exactly what PCW was trying to do and it worked for the most part.
James spent a majority of his minutes on the free throw line as he continued to find a way to create contact.
He has an extremely high motor which is a key factor in being an undersized post player. It seemed as if every scrum for a rebound had #15 involved.
During PCW near comeback, James was a force on the block as he would seal and then power up through contact which is very impressive for a rather lean frame like he has. James is going to be a fun role player to keep an eye on this season.