National Prep Showcase - Day 3 Recap

NewEnglandRecruitingReport.com | Sunday, November 18th, 2007

Worcester Academy 66 Lee Academy 64 – Double Overtime

The first game of the day was a double overtime thriller that captivated the morning crowd.  The first half was a battle for tempo as Worcester Academy looked to slow down the pace while Lee looked to force the action with their full court pressure. 

Genesis Maciel played strong during the first twenty minutes of action showing his high skill level and soft touch around the basket.  Austin Carroll quickly recovered after two early turnovers to play a tremendous game.  He was lights out when left open as he converted 8 of his 13 shots including 4 of 6 from behind the three-point to finish with a team high 27 points.  Carroll also showed a much improved ability to play either guard spot as he spent a significant amount of time at the point.  Ben Crenca was also solid finishing with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds along with 3 blocked shots. 

Chris Baskerville was the story of the game for Lee as he played all 46 minutes of the game and scored 36 points while grabbing 12 rebounds.  Simply put Baskerville outworked the competition as he was always the first big man down the floor and was all over the offensive glass.  With his terrific play as of late Central Connecticut has to feel good about the Connecticut native who appears poised to make an immediate contribution upon arriving in New Britain. 

Late in the second overtime it was Worcester’s Sam Martin who made a crucial baseline drive to earn a trip to the foul line with the shot clock running out.  WA would never again lose control of the lead following Martin’s conversion at the free-throw line. 

Patterson School 87 Brewster Academy 76

The Patterson School defeated Brewster Academy to finish with a 3-0 record on the weekend.  The three-day performance is particularly impressive since Patterson played all three games without their leading trio of Nate Miles, Matt Simpkins, and Courtney Fortson.  But after another quality performance from Mathiang Muo, in which he scored 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, the nation’s second ranked team was able to hold off an extremely talented Brewster squad.   

Givon Crump was the biggest bright spot for Brewster Academy as he showed just how much his long range stroke has improved since last year by knocking down 6 of his 8 attempts from downtown.  Crump finished with 24 points and also rebounded well from the perimeter pulling down 8.  Mark Lyons had a more efficient performance than a day earlier as he did his best to get his teammates involved while simultaneously taking care of the ball (8 assists, 2 turnovers).  Lyons also shot the ball well from behind the arc (3 of 6) despite forcing some shots near the paint (6 of 18 overall). 

Champlain St. Lambert 74 Tilton 70

It was a game of runs as Tilton opened up an early 18 point game behind the strong play of Alex Oriakhi (19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocked shots) out of the gate.  Champlain fought back and eventually opened up a double digit lead of their own mid-way through the second half.  But Tilton wouldn’t give in and with one minute and 50 seconds left to play in the game they had trimmed the lead to 72-70.  Then with 40 seconds left and the game score unchanged, Tilton Head Coach Marcus O’Neal called a time-out to isolate Jamal Coombs on the wing against a smaller defender.  The play was executed well, but Coombs was unable to convert on his turn-around jumper.  Tilton would not get another good scoring opportunity as they ultimately fell 74-70. 

Unfortunately for Coombs it was a disappointing end to what had been a solid game up to that point as he finished with 23 points and 8 rebounds, despite 7 turnovers to only 4 assists.  Dave Aquilino was also impressive as he bombed away from downtown, converting 4 of his 6 attempts to finish with 16 points. 

American Christian 99 Northfield Mount Hermon 67

American Christian began the game without Tyreke Evans, their star player who suffered a shin contusion at the hands of big John Hegarty yesterday.  In order to compensate for the 30 points that they were forced to play without, Eagles Head Coach Tony Bergeron employed a frenetic pace on the game with his 2-2-1 full court pressure that he utilized for all forty minutes of play.  NMH handled the pressure well to start by spacing the floor and moving the ball to perfection, but ultimately the pace of the game wore them down and American Christian was able to pull away.  

Andrew Yanulis was impressive in the loss for NMH as he proved he could more then contend with more physically strong and athletic post players as he scored 17 points on a variety of buckets around the rim.  Mike Marra didn’t play his best in either game this weekend, but he showed flashes of the brilliance that has captivated college coaches as he knocked down some long three-pointers against pressure and made some extremely athletic plays at both ends of the floor. 

Summit Prep 86 South Kent 83

South Kent was forced to go into today’s game without star guard Isaiah Thomas who already had already returned home for Thanksgiving break.  After falling behind by double digits midway through the second half they did their best to make up the difference in the game’s final minutes, but ultimately came up short. 

Virginia bound big man Assane Sene provided a spark in the middle after a fairly quiet game a day earlier.  He scored 16 points including two thunderous dunks late in the second half to keep his team in it.  He was also a monster on the glass where he pulled down 16, including 9 in the second half, many of which he converted for put-backs.  Defensively, he patrolled the paint throughout the game blocking 4 shots and altering many others. 

Jin Soo Kim showed his complete offensive skill set as he made 2 of his 5 attempts from behind the three-point line and also showed his improved mid-range game when attacking close-outs.  If he can add some muscle to his lean frame in the next two years then he should have every opportunity to contribute immediately upon arriving on Maryland’s campus. 

Nigel Ajere led the way for Summit with 20 points, many of them coming at key moments in the game, as he showed a terrific scoring touch from 12-18 feet. 

Findlay College Prep 67 New Hampton 60

New Hampton came out with a lot of energy, obviously eager to avenge their defeat to Patterson a day earlier.  Running their motion offense to perfection and guarding hard at the opposite end of the floor, New Hampton had opened up a 25-15 lead at the 8 minute mark of the first half. 

The game went back and forth throughout the second half, but ultimately the talent of Findlay overcame.  Nevertheless, the result has to be considered a moral victory for New Hampton who showed a great deal of growth over the weekend. 

Twany Beckham was again the leader for New Hampton as he scored 21 points in a variety of ways: posting up; slashing to the basket; and shooting the three.  Kentucky bound point guard DeAndre Liggins led the way for Findlay with 21 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds. 

Overall it was an outstanding weekend of basketball in Lowell as the National Prep Showcase once again welcomed the top talent the nation has to offer, over 120 division I coaches, and 30+ national media outlets.