10 Best: Blue Ridge vs. Jamestown
One of the final benefit games before the regular season starts pitted two of the best teams in the state last year against each other, but things are much different this season. Defending VISAA Division Two state champion Blue Ridge from outside of Charlottesville headed down 64 East to meet up with defending VHSL 4A runner up Jamestown who graduated their top six players and sport a very young squad this season. Things started out slowly as neither team scored for the first two minutes, but once it got going it was a fast paced, and at times sloppy game. Jamestown held their own in the first half, heading into the break down just 35-25, but in the second half Blue Ridge flexed their muscles as a much more experienced and athletic team. The Barons ended up running away with it 93-51, but there were bright sides for both groups. Here’s some of the takeaways in our first “10 Best” of the high school season!
MVP: Sardarr Calhoun | Blue Ridge 2018
Talk about a do-it-all kind of night, Calhoun stuffed the stat sheet to help Blue Ridge in all facets. One of the best wings still available on the east coast, Calhoun finished with 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals on the night. He showed his versatility and athleticism on both ends of the floor, and he got better as the game went along. Expect more big time outings from him this season moving forward.
Play of the Game
Early in the fourth quarter with Blue Ridge pulling away, 2019 big man Jaden Frazier put an exclamation point on the game with a big two handed stuff in transition. It was picture perfect basketball, as the Barons forced the turnover and kicked it ahead, Frazier ran the floor and his teammate hit him trailing for a two handed throw down off of one leg!
Best Offensive Performer: Sardarr Calhoun | Blue Ridge 2018
Calhoun didn’t get off to the fastest start, as he opened the game 2-for-7 from the field, but his confidence never wavered and he kept looking for and taking his shot when it came around. He scored from all three levels throughout the game, stayed aggressive off the bounce as he didn’t just settle for the first open look and used his body well when finishing through traffic. Last year he was more of just a three-and-d kind of guy for the Barons, but this year they need much more for him. He finished with 25 points on the night, and he’ll have to be a go-to option this season if they’re going to make another run at a state championship.
Best Defensive Performer: Jaden Frazier | Blue Ridge 2019
Frazier did a little bit of everything in the middle for the Barons, and they will need that from him throughout the year as he’s their only true post player. He finished with a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds, with most of those rebounds coming on the defensive end. However, he did even more, coming up with three blocks, two steals and taking a charge for them as well. If he can hold the middle down like that all season he’ll see his stock soar moving forward.
Best Guy off the Bench: Collin Glavas | Jamestown 2020
Glavas came in off the bench and gave stellar minutes for the Eagles as he provided energy and showed some real potential on both ends of the floor. A young sophomore that’s still growing, the 6’2″ wing attacked the rim, finished some tough shots around the basket, got to the line and wasn’t afraid to stick his nose in defensively and make some plays. As he continues to fill out and grow he should see his game come along nicely.
Best Intangibles: Darius McGhee | Blue Ridge 2018
McGhee gets the nod in this category because he told me after the game “I played horribly Jack,” but he still managed to put up stellar numbers and make an impact on the game. Despite a rough shooting night (which is his forte), the Liberty commit finished with 16 points, three rebounds and two steals for the Barons. He didn’t shoot it all that well from deep (2-for-8), but he found ways to get buckets in transition or get to the line, and he stepped it up in the second half to help them pull away with nine of his 16 coming after the break.
Best Under the Radar Recruit: Juwan Brown | Jamestown 2018
Brown impressed as a big man with a mix of a high motor and solid skill set. He was all over the place on both ends of the floor, providing a physical presence for the Eagles as he hit the glass, got to the line and finished plays around the basket. While he didn’t hit any, he showed decent form and just missed a couple shots from deep as well, and if those fall he’ll be a real mismatch problem because of his physicality and ability to play on the perimeter as well.
Best Underclassman: Jarontez Smith | Jamestown 2020
Despite the blowout, the Eagles have a bright future led by this 5’10” guard who has a toughness about him that you can’t teach. Smith is a true point guard that can score it off the bounce and plays much bigger than he is. He showed good touch in the middle, got to the line with regularity and once he settled in he was able to handle the pressure and was the only one on Jamestown who could actually create off the bounce against a tough Blue Ridge defense. He finished with 14 points and five rebounds, and in conference and 4A play expect him to a handful for defenses to contain.
Best Passer: Chris Rogers | Blue Ridge 2019
Rogers is a floor general for this group that isn’t going to put up gaudy numbers but he’s going to execute their sets and get others involved, and that’s exactly what he did in their win last night. He dropped an insanely good left handed no-look pass early in the game that go Frazier an And-1, and he made the simple plays that led to others scoring as well.
Best Storyline Moving Forward
This was just a tune up game for both teams, but in much different ways. After coming off their second state title in three years, Blue Ridge lost two of their top three guys from last year, and only really brought in Rogers and a few role guys to help make up for the losses. Seeing Calhoun and Frazier play so well is a very welcome sight for the Barons’ coaching staff, and if they can continue to play at that high of a level they should be able to compete with anybody.
On the flip side, Jamestown is coming off the most successful season in their school’s history, making it to the state title game for the first time in school history. Their lineup looks completely different, as they lost their top six guys from last year. The final score was indicative of a young team that was outmatched, but they had some bright moments. They hung tough in the first half, and despite being blown out in the second half they got some leadership from Brown and Smith showed some toughness for a young fella. It was a learning experience for them, and one they should be better off with moving forward.