10 Best: CBG Showcase: Burlington School vs. Blue Magic
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The first CBG Winter Showcase day was Friday, and the primetime matchup was a very high level matchup between one of the best teams in North Carolina in The Burlington School and one of the top club teams in VA…
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Continue ReadingThe first CBG Winter Showcase day was Friday, and the primetime matchup was a very high level matchup between one of the best teams in North Carolina in The Burlington School and one of the top club teams in VA Blue Magic. Both teams have played a big time schedule to this day, and the game played out like we expected as it was a back-and-forth affair that went all the way down to the wire.
Blue Magic got out to a fast start and headed into the half with a ten point lead, but The Burlington School fought back behind the senior duo of UNCW commit Jamarii Thomas Jamarii Thomas 6'1" | PG The Burlington School | 2021 State NC and 6’10″ Kuluel Mading Kuluel Mading 6'10" | C The Burlington School | 2021 State NC and got back into it with a good third quarter before being able to hold off a comeback from Blue Magic to win 66-58.
If you want to watch what was a terrific game, check out the archive on the CBG Live Network here.
MVP: Jamarii Thomas Jamarii Thomas 6'1" | PG The Burlington School | 2021 State NC | 5’10” PG | Burlington School 2021
Thomas was fantastic in almost every aspect for Burlington School, and was particularly good down the stretch after he dealt with foul trouble in the first half. The UNCW commit seemed to make a play every time he touched the ball down the stretch, as he dealt with double teams and handled pressure, made shots from multiple levels and made the right play over and over again when they needed him to. He finished with 25 points, scoring 17 in the second half, and he pitched in 5 assists, 5 steals and 4 rebounds.
Best Available Prospect: Kuluel Mading Kuluel Mading 6'10" | C The Burlington School | 2021 State NC | 6’10” | Burlington School 2021
Mading is one of the top unsigned seniors in the country after decommitting from Howard, and he showed the upside and productivity on both ends that makes him a big time prospect. He’s long and very active on both ends, he protects the rim and rebounds on both ends of the floor and he showed great touch out to the three-point with a few triples and he finished a lot above the rim as well. He finished with an impressive line of 21 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks, and he hit some big free throws down the stretch to seal the game.
Best Defensive Performance: Dominique Bailey | 6’1” W | Blue Magic 2024
While Thomas and Mading could have easily been given superlative as well, Bailey is a great glue guy with big potential on the defensive end and he plays with a terrific motor and intensity on that end. He’s a guy who can pressure the ball and moves his feet well, and he’s great at getting to spots and sacrificing his body to take charges, of which he took three in the game. He was a big reason that Thomas was in foul trouble early, and he kept making things tough for him every time he was on the floor.
Best Shooter off Bounce: Kenyon Giles Kenyon Giles 5'11" | PG Oscar Smith | 2022 NV | 5’10” PG | Blue Magic 2022
Giles was coming off of a couple of big performances at the CBG Winter Series and he was the guy that Burlington School was dead set on stopping. While they did a decent job, Giles came out on fire and showed his ability to score it off the bounce with a couple of deep triples and a couple of strong takes, and it’s that type of scoring ability that makes him so much fun to watch. He can stop on a dime and pull-up from pretty much anywhere on the floor, he’s quick off the bounce and he has a lot of confidence in his ability to score it.
Best Freshman Performer: Zion Walker Zion Walker 6'2" | PG The Burlington School | 2024 State NC | 6’0” PG | Burlington School 2024
Walker is part of a young group of Burlington School that has the future looking very bright, as he has a blend of athleticism and skill that is very impressive at his young age. He got off to somewhat of a slow start, but once the freshman hit a three to open the second half he got it going and showed that he can get in the paint off the bounce, he rebounded the ball well and he showed good on the ball and team defense. He finished with 7 points and 8 rebounds in the win.
Best Athlete: Dana Woodley Dana Woodley 6'4" | SG John Marshall | 2021 State VA | 6’4” WG | Blue Magic 2021
Woodley is an impressive athlete who has quickly become one of the top available players in the 2021 class, and he used his athleticism in a number of ways to be impactful on the game in both ends. With good size on the wing he can defend the other team’s best player, and he made some very impressive plays coming help side to block shots and used his athleticism to get to the rim as well as make some shots. He finished tied with a team high 12 points and used his athleticism to bring energy to his group.
Best Glue Guy: Shane Peterson | 6’2” WG | Burlington School 2022
Peterson is what I call an “elite glue guy,” as he’s the guy who will accept his role and do a little bit of everything to help his team win games whether it’s taking charges, making shots or sticking his nose in for rebound or a loose ball. He brings great energy every time he’s on the floor, he’s always in the right place at the right time and he shoots the ball at a high clip. While he didn’t put up gaudy numbers in the stat book, he was still very important to his team’s success.
Best Long Range Sniper: Davin Cosby Jr Davin Cosby Jr 6'5" | CG Word of God | 2023 #111 Nation NC | 6’4” WG | Blue Magic 2022
There were quite a few talented shooters in the game, but Cosby may be the guy with the most range as he hit a couple from well beyond the line and creeping into NBA range. The 6’4” sniper is considered by many to be one of the top shooters in the Richmond area, he buried a couple of big time triples, including one from very deep with his team needing a big bucket late to keep them in the game. He finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in the loss.
Best Long Term Prospect: Jakel Powell Jakel Powell 6'5" | SF Raleigh Christian Academy | 2024 NC | 6’5” WF | Burlington School 2023
With Burlington having two division one seniors and two very impressive freshmen as well, it was Powell who showed some big time potential moving forward with his blend of size, athleticism and shot making ability. At 6’5”, he’s a guy who can play both on the ball and off the ball, he makes shots from multiple levels and he has great potential on the defensive end as he has the size, length and athleticism to guard multiple positions. He rebounded, made plays for others and looks like he’s just scratching the surface with how good he can be.
Best Two Way Tough Guard: Kenard Richardson Kenard Richardson 6'3" | SG Life Christian | 2021 State VA | 6’3” CG | Blue Magic 2021
Richardson was a new addition to the Blue Magic group, Richardson brought a tough two way approach to the game and was productive in a number of ways, especially in his ability to get in the lane and get to the free throw line where he was 9-for-12 on the day. He’s a strong and tough minded guy who brings it on both ends and comes at you time and time again, and he added a big spark to this group and was great down the stretch for them.