A Scout’s Take: Mater Dei vs Sierra Canyon
A Scout’s Take: Mater Dei vs Sierra Canyon
LONG BEACH, CA— In a thrilling Open Division Championship game, Mater Dei held on by the over a ultra-talented Sierra Canyon squad 55-53. In the waning seconds the Trailblazers had three opportunities at the rim to clinch the victory, but fell short.
MVP
Spencer Freedman (Mater Dei)
2018, PG, 6-foot, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: Although Freedman missed 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory, he as the MVP of this game and the team—and this is the reason why. When Wang fouled out with about five minutes to go, Freedman stopped the bleeding as Sierra Canyon was making quite a 4th quarter push. He hit a deep 3-pointer, a tough pull-up jumper as the shot clock was winding down, and he exhibited his leadership with aplomb.
Game Changer
K.J. Martin (Sierra Canyon)
2019, PF, 6-foot-6, 195 pounds
Joel’s Take: Martin is an undersized 4-man for the next level, but at the high school level he is a force to be reckoned with in the paint area. He is as bouncy as it gets as he tallied 18-points, 11-rebounds, and 3 block shots—not counting the ones he altered. His relentless energy, athleticism, and motor are a sight to see.
Clutch time
Scotty Pippen Jr. (Sierra Canyon)
2019, CG, 6-foot-1, 150 pounds
Joel’s Take: Pippen Jr. didn’t have an efficient game from the field, but when it was clutch time, the Trailblazer staff put the ball in his hands and he delivered. He is quick with the dribble, can nail the pull-up, and his vision is impressive (4 nifty passes). He had a lay-up that would have put his team up, but it barely rimmed out. Overall though, he was fearless in the fourth quarter and he along with KJ Martin were the catalysts to getting their team within striking distance.
All-Around Performance
Michael Wang (Mater Dei)
2018, PF 6-foot-9, 220 pounds
Joel’s Take: Although he battled foul trouble, eventually fouling out with about 5 minutes to go. In the previous three seasons with the Monarchs, scouts were waiting to see the whole package come together for Wang. The Pennsylvania signee apparently has figured it out as he has been on target offensively in these playoffs, sans the Crespi game. He is a gifted offensive player who can knock in deep 3-pointers and is playing with more physicality.
Lock down defender
Harrison Butler (Mater Dei)
2018, PF, 6-foot-5, 215 pounds
Joel’s Take: The last time Mater Dei played against Sierra Canyon, Ohio State-bound Duane Washington put on an absolute show. Well, three months later, Washington would meet the defensive prowess of Butler. In the 1st round of the Open Division against Crespi, Butler’s length bothered Brandon Williams (Top 5 prospect in So-Cal). Like Williams, Washington (6-points on 3-of-7 shooting) struggled getting separation from Butler and as a result, he could never get any kind of rhythm going.
Diamond in the rough
Terren Frank (Sierra Canyon)
2020, PF, 6-foot-7, 200 pounds
Joel’s Take: He doesn’t get a whole lot of touches, but he has the length and touch to be a major Division 1 level player down the road. He snatches everything in his area (soft hands) and like his dad (Tellis), who played at Western Kentucky, he has the instincts to score inside-and-out.