Eight Intriguing Prospects: Valley 34 vs Hoover 31
Ankeny — Nobody scored for the first 3 minutes and 30 seconds, and then Valley senior Michael Bryan finally hit a free-throw to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. It was one of those games.
Then the Tigers got a little hot, and raced out to a 6-0 lead behind five straight points from senior forward Noah Samples.
That lead would remain intact for the entirety of the game.
At times, Hoover would get close. Junior Hosea Treadwell went on a 8-0 run of his own in the second quarter and trimmed a 17-5 Valley lead to just 17-13. Valley answered with a 5-0 run heading into the break.
The third quarter started with a Valley bucket to put the Tigers up 24-13, then a 10-0 all-Adam Jackson run by the Huskies saw them withing one, 24-23. Then, bang, Valley’s Carter Frey hit a monster 3 to squelch any opportunity Hoover had to take the lead on the ensuing possession.
With 1:10 left in the game, another Jackson bucket (he had 14 second half points) would cut the Valley lead to 33-31. that was followed by Frey splitting one of two at the line. Hoover would take that 3-point deficit into its final possession.
Adam Jackson’s very decent look at the buzzer would not drop. And Valley advances to its third straight state tourney, its fourth in five years.
Doesn’t go for Hoover, Valley wins. pic.twitter.com/U8HvDa7Fw3
— TJ Rushing (@TjRushing) February 28, 2018
Valley — 5 8 10 8 — 31
Hoover — 9 13 8 4 — 34
Valley: Carter Frey 11, Michael Bryan 7, Derek Emelifeonwu 6, Noah Samples 5, Blake Brinkmeyer 3, Trayvon Williams 2.
Hoover:” Adam Jackson 16, Hosea Treadwell 11, Manny Austin 2, Devonte Thedford 2.
Eight Prospects
Carter Frey, 5’10 G (Valley)
He brings the swagger to the team, and was not afraid to take two big 3s in the second half; each of them stopping dangerous Hoover runs. D3 and NAIA programs will have a chance to see him play next week at Wells Fargo Arena, and we think they’ll like what they see. D2s might want to take a peek, too.
Derek Emelifeonwu, 6’2 SF (Valley)
He’s the glue guy this team needed to turn their season around (he became eligible mid-season). Big and long with an ability to body up inside or play on the perimeter, this Australian transfer being in the lineup has equaled success for the Tigers.
Adam Jackson, 5’10 G (Hoover)
This kid is due to make a big rise in the forthcoming 2019 prospect rankings. We did not know much about him coming into the season, but he played a big role with the Huskies this season, and was essential to this game being tight late. Jackson scored 14 second half points (10 straight at one point), can create his own looks, and has a nice frame to build from.
Hosea Treadwell, 6′ G (Hoover)
He’s got a sweet stroke from deep, and is one of the more confident shooters we’ve ever seen. Treadwell was letting it fly early and often, and event though he missed his first couple out the gate, it was very clear his confidence was never wavered. He ended up with 11 points in this one, all in the first half. He hit three 3s, and scored eight straight early on when his team desperately needed points.
Michael Bryan, 6’3 SF (Valley)
The X-factor for Valley, well, one of many X-factors. Bryan is likely not the guy teams will try and key in on each night, and that’s precisely why he’ll burn you. There’s really not much he cant do. He can certainly hit a deep-ball. He canned two 3s, one at the halftime buzzer, then other at the third-quarter buzzer. And he has the size to score down low. He plays his role to perfection, never forces and has a high basketball IQ. Maybe teams should key in on him?
Trayvon Williams, 6’3 G (Valley)
Well if teams keyed in on Bryan, they’d have to deal more with Williams, and when left un-keyed in on, Williams would torch the opponent. The Tigers’ leading scorer (10.5), Williams only scored two points tonight. Hoover’s staunch D was overwhelming at times, that, and his shots just weren’t dropping. But he makes an impact with his defense and high-level athleticism. He’ll have his time to shine next week, and D1 coaches will be noticing,
Blake Brinkmeyer, 6’8 PF (Valley)
It’s been a rough couple of games for Brinkmeyer on the offensive end, he’s scored just three points in the wins. But his presence in the bottom-middle of a 2-3 zone is key to Valley’s success. Shots are tough to come by when you got a 6’8 guy with a 7-foot wing-span patrolling the paint. And the rebounds are his once they bounce off the rim. The Indiana State recruit certainly doesn’t need to score to make an impact. But we expect him to score more when he gets his chance at Wells Fargo Arena next week.