5 Standouts: Lutheran versus Resurrection Christian
After a long holiday break, both schools did their due diligence in bringing in the new year with a Top-2 matchup that came down until the final buzzer. It was the No. 1 team in 3A in Lutheran versus the…
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Continue ReadingAfter a long holiday break, both schools did their due diligence in bringing in the new year with a Top-2 matchup that came down until the final buzzer. It was the No. 1 team in 3A in Lutheran versus the No.2 team in 3A in Ressurection Christian and it was a back and forth affair that saw plenty of lead changes. In the end, it was Resurrection Christian that prevailed with a big shot by Jackson Romero, but not without fireworks leading up to the final shot. Here are my five takeaways from the game.
Stock Boosters
I know I titled it five standouts but I cannot just speak on five players when taking a look at this game in its entirety. First and foremost this was one of the gutsiest shots I have saw taken in person by Jackson Romero who had himself an incredible game as the lead guard. He is the playmaking guard that penetrates and gets the defense moving. He is a down-hill runner that gets inside of the paint and gets what he wants but he is also not afraid to shoot the ball as well. He gets players off-balance with his crossover and either finishes, shoots the ball or finds the open man. Loved what I saw from him in this game.
Lutheran’s junior big man Mamadou Sow is another player that saw his stock boost. Lutheran ran their offense through him early on as a player that is bigger than opposing teams big men and he can create down low. He is only going to get more comfortable on the block. He had some good finishes at the rim and took advantage of mismatches.
Two X-factors in the game was Aaron Morgan who played solid perimeter defense and attempted to make things difficult on the Ressurection Christain guards while also attacking the paint offensively as well as Resurrection Christian’s Drew Bobo. Bobo could not score the basketball at all but affected the game in different ways. He moves well for a player that size, has incredible vision from the big man spot and also competed well and grabbed some much-needed boards.
Tommy Apodaca is legit
Apodaca is a player that we were high on coming into the season but how he has been playing on one of the best teams in 3A has been on a different level than even I envisioned. He is a true floor general that competes on every possession. He is a two-way guard that makes it difficult on the opposing team with his speed and aggressiveness and he got to the rim and had some tough finishes. I would like to see him remain in attack mode as I do not feel there are many guards that can slow him down and he has entered the conversation as a top-3 point guard in his class. His 16 points were big although him being in foul trouble was a big reason that his team fell.
Isaac Jessup does it all
Jessup is a player that had the reputation as only being a shooter but taking a look at his game he is much, much more, Not only can he shoot the ball well but he is also a versatile playmaker that is dangerous with or without the ball. He is always moving and making the defender stay with him as he is capable of lighting a team up but is also a high IQ player that makes the right plays. He personally sought out the opportunity to put Apodaca in foul trouble as he understood that he would have an easier time against the other guards and did just that. He finished in traffic, knocked down shots and also made smart reads offensively. On defense, he kept his hands in the passing lanes and started breaks. He finished the game with 18 points and 14 came in the second half and is a player that colleges will be excited to bring on as he is a gamer with high-upside.
Reece Johnson is as good as advertised
Reece Johnson is a player that no matter the competition is willing to show that he belongs and is a big-time scorer that does not force too much but knows when to take over. He had a smooth team-high 19 points and it was by dissecting the defense in a patient yet assertive way. He went inside, he shot mid-range jumpers, got to the rim and also challenged players at the rim. He turned defense to offense and was the best offensive player on the floor without a doubt. Reece is an athletic guard with size that also possesses a smooth shooting stroke as well and is a player that everyone should see once or twice.
Baye Fall is a bit different
The headliner going into this game was Baye Fall as the 6’10 freshman is one of the best players in the state already and might already be the best perimeter defender. He blocks everything that comes to the rim and it was evident that he was going to have one of these types of days as he had a block that he swatted out of bounds on the opening possession. He has good timing, uses his size and is very confident on that end of the floor. If his offensive feel catches up to his defense –domination. He had multiple dunks in this game and grabbed rebounds that he went straight up with as he finished with a game-high 24 points. He is a player that has all of the tools and once they come together he truly will be a special player. I for one cannot wait to see what he grows into as you can already see the potential as he undoubtedly already has the highest ceiling that we have in the state.