Fab 5: Whitney Young vs Evanston
Super Tuesday in Chicago was a matchup of arguably the two best teams in the area. The city power Whitney Young and the northern suburb power Evanston batted it out at Chicago State University for a trip downstate and a super sectional championship. The game was action packed with several lead changes and a couple unforgettable plays that would make national highlights. Whitney Young would overcome the huge individual performance from Nojel Eastern to take a 67-59 victory and a trip to Peoria. Here is a recap of the Fab:5 Whitney Young v Evanston.
MVP
PG Nojel Eastern (Evanston – 2017 – Purdue)
Nojel dominated most of the game Tuesday night by attacking the lane putting pressure on the defense early. Eastern made it very clear he wasn’t going out without a fight. He scored 22 points in the first half along with a handful of steals and rebounds. Nojel’s signature play was right out of the half when he split three defenders and took off with a nasty one handed slam dunk. He kept his team in the game for as long as he could until Whitney Young just pulled away. Eastern finished with 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals.
Offensive Performer
SG Javon Freeman (Whitney Young – 2018)
Freeman has been a huge scoring addition to the Dolphins during this state playoff run. Tuesday night was another demonstration of how dangerous he is as a player. Javon was again most effective pushing the ball in transition slipping past defenders elevating over guys for finishes at the rim. He’s didn’t take one jump shot the whole game as his plan was to get to the bucket if not for a layups then the get fouled and shoot free throws. His signature play of the game was off a turnover when the ball was outleted to Xavier Castaneda who lobbed it to Freeman for a two handed slam. Javon finished with 23 points and 7 rebounds.
Playmaker
PG Xavier Castaneda (Whitney Young – 2018)
Xavier had a great mixed up his play as he always does. In the open court he found teammates often making the hockey assist that led to easy buckets for his squad. When the game became a half-court game Castaneda was able to drive to the basket at times as well as knockdown open shots. Xavier’s control of the game was the difference in the end. He finished with 20 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals.
Defensive performer
PF Elyjah Williams (Evanston – 2017)
The man in the middle for Evanston did as much as he could to keep the pesky Dolphins players from trying to score. Williams battled on the boards for most of the game often coming up with the ball. Elyjah did a really good job at changing shots and making it a little tough on Whitney Young. He was able to get his hands on a few of the shots. He would foul out in the fourth quarter. He had 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 8 points. A pretty solid effort in defeat.
Intangibles
SG Lucas Williamson (Whitney Young – 2017)
The uncommitted senior seems to always be the steady hard working player the Dolphins can count on. There wasn’t one time the senior leader for Whitney Young stepped off the court in this game. Lucas shined when he needed too when Xavier and Javon got rest. He kept to ongoing pressure of getting to the rim and mixing it up inside. If his teammates missed shots he was sure to be around the rim to clean it up. Williamson made his true mark on the game by getting to the free-throw line eight times and only missing one. Defensively he would switch to Eastern to slow him down at times doing a great job of tiring him out by the fourth quarter. Lucas finished with 17 points and 6 rebounds. He will be a major factor in leading his team downstate this Friday.