Five Takeaways: Bulldog Bash
CHANTILLY, VA — The Bulldog Bash returned to Westfield, and this year’s field is particularly strong all across the board. We had the opportunity to catch four games featuring Stone Bridge, Herndon, South County, Green Run, Marshall, Robinson, and Liberty along with the home team. Here are five takeaways from our time in the gym.
BUCKLEY, KLING CARRY THE LOAD FOR STONE BRIDGE
2018 Ben Kling was on fire from downtown on Wednesday. The southpaw scored 15 of his 23 points in the first half. He did a nice job not settling for jumpers and attacking the basket once the defense caught on. 2019 Evan Buckley got off to somewhat of a slow start offensively, but that’s because he was looking to get others involved while his team got off to a big lead. The talented lead guard found a rhythm in the second half, and finished up with a game-high 25 points. George Mason was in to see Buckley.
MILLORA-BROWN DOMINANT IN SOCO WIN
With the exception of his free throw shooting (3/8) Quentin Millora-Brown played a perfect game for South County in their win vs. Green Run. The 6’10 Rice commit recorded 13 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks, 1 steal, and 1 turnover. He didn’t bite on any pump fakes or pick up any cheap fouls, and did a great job facilitating the offense from inside and out.
MARSHALL’S BIG 3 IMPRESS IN VICTORY
Joseph Lampman‘s perimeter defense (7 steals) was key for Marshall, who only allowed 28 points in their win against Robinson. The Statesmen often went inside to 2019 Daniel Deaver (14 points, 8 rebounds), who also showed a soft touch from the perimeter at 6’7. 2018 Ryan Robinson (13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks) is a nice sleeper if you need a point guard who can shoot or finish in traffic.
JORDAN HAIRSTON IS TOUGH AS NAILS
After suffering a sprained ankle which forced him to briefly exit the game late in the first quarter, Jordan Hairston returned as if he didn’t get injured. The skilled and crafty 2019 floor general exhibited tremendous toughness and leadership skills on Wednesday night. He crashed the defensive boards actively (4 rebounds), and did a great job pushing the ball in transition, where he consistently got easy look for himself as well as his teammates.
QUICK HITS
George Mason assistant coach Aaron Kelly was in the gym checking out Evan Buckley and Jordan Hairston among other prospects.
Marymount Head Coach Chris Rogers was in the gym checking out Ryan Robinson from Marshall among other prospects.
2018 Shawn Sanders was the standout for Green Run in their loss to South County. The energetic 6’6 forward scored 23 points, and looked very comfortable with his long range jumper. We’d like to see him cut down on the turnovers a bit though.
2018 Greg Rowson did a great job on the defensive boards even though his team was outclassed by Marshall. The 6’6 forward, who pulled down 9 rebounds, also chipped in with 5 points, 2 steals, 1 assists, and 1 block.
2018 Josh Foote had a nice outing for Liberty despite their loss to Westfield. He scored a team-high 18 points, showcasing a soft touch from the perimeter and craftiness around the basket.
South County has a very good back court to compliment QMB. 2020 Xa’Vian Myles scored 8 quick points, including two threes to start the game. Cody Kellem is another intriguing sophomore for Head Coach Mike Robinson at South County. 2019 forward Jake Latta had some nice moments in the front court as well .