Five Takeaways: Sleepy Thompson
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Our coverage to start each season usually begins with a trip to St. Stephens & St. Agnes, and we were there again on Thursday for the 62 Annual Tournament. Below we run down five takeaways from our time in the gym.
NOAH CHARLES STANDS OUT FOR GCS
Glenelg Country School defeated cruised to an easy win over Atlantic Shores in the first game of the day, and 2020 point guard Noah Charles was the catalyst with steady play on both ends of the floor. Despite feeling ill, Charles recorded a game-high 15 points and 3 assists. With his team in command for most of the game, the budding sophomore floor general sat the fourth quarter.
MUCH IMPROVED EHS MAKES STATEMENT
We saw Head Coach Jim Fitzpatrick’s Episcopal Maroon take apart Friendship Collegiate and cruise to a comfortable win on Thursday. 2019 point guard Xavier Johnson was the primary standout, and ended up taking home MVP after his team won the tourney. EHS has some new pieces that we should mention:
6-foot-6 wing Tymu Chenery, a Philly native who transferred from Dunbar, led the team with 20 points. The broad shouldered class of 2020 standout knocked down threes from the catch, demonstrated a high IQ, and a versatile skill set.
2019 Asa Shannon, a 6-foot-6 wing who played JV last season, played very efficiently on Thursday. The smooth lefty is a high level athlete who works hard and makes shots.
Freshman point guard Darius Johnson added a different dynamic off the bench with his ability to get in the lane and finish from all types of angles. He defended the ball well, knocked down open jumpers, and did a great job pushing the ball up the court.
BAILEY, SSSAS TOO MUCH FOR BENEDICTINE
2018 point guard Domenick Bailey dominated play on both ends of the court in a high intensity win vs. Benedictine. The unsigned senior point guard showcased a prolific mid range jumper, and made smart plays defensively. The Saints also received steady play in the front court from 2019 Charles Thompson and 2020 Andre Screen.
DARIUS MCGHEE PUTS ON A SHOW
Blue Ridge defeated Trinity Episcopal in the night cap, and Darius McGhee‘s excellent performance was a big reason why. The Liberty commit got wherever he wanted to on the floor, and knocked down several three point jumpers. McGhee would go on to record 30 points and 10 rebounds on 7 of 15 from three with three steals and three assists.
BACOT DOMINATES
Trinity Episcopal 2019 big man Armando Bacot was unstoppable despite his team’s poor overall performance. The only noticeable flaw we saw in the big man’s armor was his free throw shooting. If it weren’t for that, he would have easily scored 45 points to go along with his 4 blocks and 11 rebounds. The reality is that 39, 11, and 4 is not so bad either. Quick shout out to Henry Coleman. The tireless 6’7 sophomore recorded two double doubles in the tournament.