10 Best: John Marshall vs. George Wythe
In a rematch of one of the most bitter rivalries in the city of Richmond, #6 John Marshall travelled south of the river to the “Pride of the Southside” George Wythe High School for a highly anticipated rematch. In the…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIn a rematch of one of the most bitter rivalries in the city of Richmond, #6 John Marshall travelled south of the river to the “Pride of the Southside” George Wythe High School for a highly anticipated rematch. In the first game, a very inexperienced Bulldogs team was clobbered on the road by the Justices, and while on paper John Marshall would seem to be able to sweep the series, all of that is thrown out of the window in a rivalry like this one. It was a tightly contested game that was physical, emotional and had a great atmosphere. John Marshall was without sophomore starting point guard Levar Allen, and their inability to make plays was obvious when they had just 12 assists to 13 turnovers as a team. The young George Wythe group played with passion, and fed off the increasing presence of the home crowd as the game went on. A group effort on both ends allowed the Bulldogs to come away with a huge upset, beating John Marshall 59-57. Here’s some takeaways from the game.
MVP: Jarec Brown | George Wythe ’19
Brown stepped up big for GW in a number of ways. In the first half he had the hot hand, attacking the rim aggressively, finishing through contact and making shots from all three levels. The 6’2” finished with 10 points in the first half, but after some adjustments he didn’t even take another shot until midway through the fourth quarter. That didn’t stop Brown from being productive however, as he made plays and found his shooters that got hot down the stretch, and to top it all off Brown hit three free throws in the waning seconds to help seal the deal. He finished with a stellar 13 points, six assists and six rebounds on the game.
Play of the Game
With UNC Head Coach Roy Williams sitting front row for him, 2020 Isaiah Todd threw down a huge And-1 slam on the break in the second quarter that sent the place into a frenzy. The 6’10” wing caught the outlet, exploded up the sideline and as a Wythe defender tried to wrap him up he took off early and used his length to finish the play above the rim. Safe to say it was highlight reel worthy.
Best Offensive Performer | Greg Jones | John Marshall ’17
Jones took over the game from the beginning and was hands down the best player on the floor. Without Allen in, Jones took on an even bigger leadership role, and did so both vocally and through his play. In the first half, Jones scored 17 of John Marshall’s 29 points and was the most physically imposing player on the court. His passion and relentless motor makes him an alpha dog, and he showed it throughout the game finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds. There was one slight hiccup, as he missed a free throw with .9 seconds left to tie it up, but you can’t blame Jones because JM wouldn’t have had that opportunity if it wasn’t for his dominant play the entire game.
Best Defensive Performer | Greg Jones | John Marshall ‘17
That’s right, not only did he dominate the game offensively but he protected the paint as well. Even though he battled foul trouble down the stretch, Jones was the games leading rebounds, and he also finished with five blocks and two steals on the night. Citing the motor we mentioned before, he’s also got impeccable timing and ridiculously long arms that allow him to contest and block shots like a 7 footer despite being a 6’6” tweener.
Best Guy off the Bench | Ikechi Chantilou | George Wythe ’20
Although he showed some signs of his youth down the stretch, Chantilou was key for the Bulldogs as he provided a much needed spark off the bench and another ball handler alongside Bridy. He finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds, but his presence could be felt defensively where he read passing lanes, won 50-50 balls and just provided energy throughout the game. He’ll be on our freshman watch radar moving forward for sure.
Best Intangibles | Antonio Bridy | George Wythe ‘19
Bridy struggled taking care of the ball early as he turned it over three times in the first quarter, but when he got grooving it was fun to watch. His stat line of 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals doesn’t tell the whole story of what he did. As Wythe’s only true ball handler, “Spider” as he’s called controlled the tempo for the Bulldogs, and when they needed a play he was the guy they turned to. With all eyes on Brown and Bridy, it made it much easier for Wythe’s role players to get easy looks down the stretch. If he can stay focused and take care of the ball, he has a chance to be a pretty special player moving forward.
Best Under the Radar Performer | Darrell Purdie | George Wythe ’18
He was the big performer in their loss to John Marshall earlier in the year, and while he only finished with 11 instead of 18 points this game, Purdie’s buckets couldn’t have come at a better time. He scored 8 of his 11 points in the second half, and he had five big points in crucial possessions late in the fourth quarter. A floor spacer, Purdie’s high IQ allows him to get easy baskets off cuts and screens, and being one of the more experienced players on the Bulldogs he’s looked at for leadership down the stretch as well.
Best Underclassman | Isaiah Todd | John Marshall ’20
He’s likely going to win this in every write up because I don’t think you can name another freshman that Roy Williams is watching on the eve of a big ACC matchup. Todd struggled with foul trouble, picking up two early ones in the first quarter and getting his third not much into the second quarter. However, he stepped up in the second half for the Justices, scoring 10 of his 12 points after halftime. His length makes him an impactful defender, and his size allows him to set up at the high post and get his smooth shot off over other defenders. Looking for him to consistently put up numbers, but he does some things that no other players can do on the court.
Best Catch-and-Shoot Guy | Eugene Williams | George Wythe ’18
Purdie made some big shots for George Wythe, but you could say the same about Williams as well. The junior guard is the only returning starter for the Bulldogs, and his experience showed in the second half when they made a more concerted effort to find him on the perimeter after not getting one three-point attempt in the first half. Williams finished with 10 points on 3-for-6 shooting from deep, and two of the three triples came at the perfect time, connecting on consecutive ones late in the fourth quarter.
Best Storyline to Watch Moving Forward
As said before, on paper John Marshall matches up with anyone in the state. They have one guy in Greg Jones already committed to a division one school, and at least four others who currently hold offers. Their front line stands 6’6”, 6’7”, 6’10”, and their team matches up or surpasses almost everyone in the state athletically. However, this JM group is inexperienced, especially at the guard position, and molding five stars to play as one is never that easy. Other 3A teams like Norcom, George Wythe, Hopewell, Northside, Spotswood and others may not look like they have in the past, but they’re always a gritty group that plays their best basketball late in the season. This was John Marshall’s first lost in seven games, and that was to Collin Sexton’s Pebblebrook team, and while none of their losses can be considered “bad” they still look like they have some gelling to do. Will be interesting to see how they react to this loss moving forward, and if they can build chemistry in order to make a state championship run.