Scholar Roundball Classic - Friday Recap

Cody Hatt | Friday, December 10th, 2010

Game of the Day - Brooks 63  IMG High School 56

After a sluggish first half in which it struggled to find a fluid rhythm offensively against a disciplined, athletic Brooks team, IMG would storm out the locker room and quickly erase a 35-36 halftime deficit to pull within one, at 38-37, with just under 11 minutes remaining.  With Brooks converting on just one field goal attempt through the first 10 minutes of the second half, IMG would rely on the explosive scoring ability of point-guard Phillip Greene to battle back and make the game competitive down the stretch.  Capitalizing on a variety of second-chance opportunities, Brooks would extend the lead back to nine, at 46-37, on a top-of-the-key three-pointer from Dan Quigley with 8:17 remaining, before a three-pointer and transition dunk from Sondale Connor and Greene on the ensuing IMG possessions would cut to lead back to four with just over six minutes to play.

A pull-up jumper from David Berroa would push the Brooks lead to double figures, at 54-44, with just over four minutes remaining, but IMG would answer again and cut the lead back to four, at 54-50, with 2:36 remaining on a pair of free-throws by Boubarar Moungoro.  Shane Rangers would hit a big-time three for Brooks on the ensuring possession to push the spread back to seven, but yet again, IMG would refuse to go away, as 6’9” forward Jamari Traylor would get free for a series of buckets underneath to pull his team within three, at 59-56, with 55 seconds remaining.  Brooks would demonstrate outstanding poise in breaking a desperate IMG press on the game’s final possessions, converting on a transition lay-up and a series of free-throws that would eventually push the spread to seven, at 63-56, at the final buzzer.

Berroa finished with 18 points, including 11 in the second half, to lead Brooks, to go along with 17 from 6’3” forward Anthony Barry.  Greene led IMG with 19, with Traylor adding 12 as the team’s only other double-figure scorer.

Top Performers

Lucas Hausman (Hopkins)-  Pouring in a game-high 24 points with four three-pointers, the 6’2” combo-guard showcased the type of lethal perimeter shooting that has him garnering solid interest from a variety of NESCAC and Ivy League schools.  Hausman moved well off the ball to find open spots against Rivers’ zone defense in the half-court and used a sound shot-fake to get defenders in the air and create high-percentage offense off one or two escape dribbles. 

Laurent Firlotte (Hopkins)-  The 6’4” wing in the class of 2012 joined Hausman to form a solid perimeter attack against Rivers’ 2-3 zone, attacking gaps to create his own offense and using crafty penetration to draw defenders and locate open teammates for shots.  Finishing with 19 points, including 16 in the second half, Firlotte used an effective right-to-left crossover dribble to get into the lane and finish off the glass through traffic.

Taariq Allen (Rivers)- Committed to Bo Pelini and the Nebraska Cornhuskers to play football,  Allen (15 points) showed an elite brand of speed and explosiveness in the open floor that should translate well on the gridiron next year in the Big 12.  The 6’2” wing consistently ran out in transition for athletic finishes above the rim and demonstrated solid poise and feel in the half-court getting by defenders with a quick first step and superior burst to the basket.

Shaquor Sandiford- (Rivers)- Finishing with a team-high 20 points, Sandiford used superior athleticism and a polished offensive skill-set to score consistently in transition and attack gaps against the Hopkins zone in the half court.  A physical defender with a devastating combination of size and quickness, the 6’3” combo-guard created multiple turnovers at the top of Rivers’ run-and-jump press in the second half, forcing opposing ball-handlers to dribble into ideal trapping-areas and using his length to intercept several cross-court passes that led directly to scores.

Kyle Reardon (Rivers)- A strong, athletic player at 6’6”, Reardon showed off his versatility in hitting shots from the perimeter and finishing through traffic over smaller defenders at the rim.  With a variety of Ivy League, America East, and high-level Division III schools in the mix, Reardon possesses the physical maturity and confident feel for the game necessary to make an immediate impact at the next level.

Kaleb Tarczewski (St. Mark’s)-  The 7’0”, highly-mobile center was nothing short of a dominant physical presence in Friday’s win over Brimmer & May, showing off a spongy set of hands to catch off-target passes on the move and finish with two-hands well above the rim.  Not only does Tarczewski (game-high 19 points) impress with his elite mobility and steadily-developing back-to-the-basket skill set, but he demonstrates a distinct awareness and understanding of the game, purposefully running hard to the rim to create space on the arc for open shooters in transition and keeping his hands straight-up defensively to challenge opponents without fouling. 

Alex Murphy (St. Mark’s)-  Murphy was his usual smooth, productive self on Friday against Brimmer & May, passing the ball with high precision in transition to find open teammates running hard for scores and attacking the rim in the half-court with a polished jab-series and efficient north-south action.  An underrated defender committed to locking down opponents’ best perimeter scorers, the 6’9” quick-forward displayed his impressive bounce with two high-rising finishes in the second-half, capitalizing on late-arriving help to flush the ball with muster high above the rim.

Nikolas Stauskas (St. Mark’s)- Sometimes overshadowed by the dominating inside-outside tandem of Tarczewski and Murphy, Stauskas showed off the versatile offensive skill-set that makes him a potential high-major prospect in his own right.  The 6’6” wing in the class of 2012 single-handedly broke the game open midway through the first half on Friday, culminating his own nine-point scoring spree with an emphatic two-hand dunk in transition.  Finishing with a game-high 19 points, Stauskas shot the ball smoothly from behind the arc, attacked  the rim aggressively from the wing, and got into passing lanes on the defensive-end to create steals that led directly to scores.

John Powell (Brimmer & May)- The long, wiry forward in the class of 2013 possesses the handle and burst necessary to break defenders down off the dribble and finish athletically with both hands at the rim.  At his best attacking close-outs and running down hill in the open floor, Powell’s rate of production on offense would benefit greatly from an improved perimeter jumper that would allow him to stretch opposing defenders to the arc and make them more susceptible to his creativity off the bounce.

Youssef Ouahrig (Champlain Saint Lambert)- A stabilizing, aggressive presence for his team all evening long at the lead guard position, Ouahrig led a furious Champlain comeback midway through the second half against IMG Prep with four big-time shots from behind the arc.  Finishing with a game-high 20 points, the 6’0” junior’s ability to hit from the perimeter and get into the lane and draw contact was a major reason why his team was able to overcome a double-digit deficit after halftime and escape with a hard-fought, three-point victory.

Shayok Shayok (IMG Prep)- The 6’7” forward showed an impressive perimeter skill-set in consistently breaking his defender down off the dribble and attacking the basket with superior length and athleticism.  Shayok demonstrated a terrific motor on the offensive glass and tracking down lose balls in the paint and, although he didn’t always finish as well as he should have, his work ethic was a positive presence for IMG all evening long.

Larry Haley (IMG Prep)- A strong, physical guard with natural instincts as a scorer, Haley (16 points) read defenders effectively off down-screen action to get free for perimeter jumpers and spaced himself well off dribble penetration to convert on multiple catch-and-shoot opportunities.   At 6’2”, he’s slightly undersized attacking the basket from the wing, but showed no fear in getting into the lane and elevating against bigger defenders to draw contact and get to the line.

Anthony Barry (Brooks)- At just 6’3”, Barry uses his strong frame and quick-bounce to simply out-perform less-athletic defenders around the basket.  In the play of the day, the explosive forward flooded the paint from the weak side, rose up over two IMG defenders, and caught a perfectly-thrown lob pass for a thunderous reverse-dunk with two hands.  Finishing with 17 points, Barry’s versatility on the offensive end would dramatically improve if he could incorporate a face-up game out to 10-12 feet to complement his effectiveness in the paint.

Aaron Davis (Brooks)- An athletic, crafty lead guard with a creative handle and natural playmaking instincts, Davis features a variety of change-of-direction, change-of-pace moves off the bounce that leave defenders reaching and struggling to keep him in front.  With an unorthodox, but effective, stroke from the perimeter, the 5’11” junior consistently threaded the needle to teammates for scores and kept defenders guessing in the paint as to whether they should play him for the pass or honor his own ability to score the ball.

Phillip Greene (IMG High School)- Greene’s pedigree as an explosive scorer was on fully display against Brooks on Friday, as he consistently pushed the pace for athletic finishes in transition and scored in the half court with a smooth-looking mid-range pull-up.  A long, wiry athlete, the 6’2” lead guard consistently harasses opposing ball-handlers and creates havoc out front on the defensive, igniting his team’s transition offense off deflections and steals.

Jamari Traylor (IMG High School)- An imposing physical presence in the paint at 6’9”, Traylor came alive down the stretch against Brooks to score on a series of aggressive moves near the basket.  A strong athlete with quick bounce, the powerful forward fails to catch the ball cleanly in traffic on some occasions, but impressed throughout the evening on Friday by rebounding the ball consistently in-and-out of his area and blocking shots in high-volume.

Scoreboard

Hopkins (CT) 67  Rivers  (MA) 73

St. Mark’s (MA) 77  Brimmer & May 45 (MA) 

Champlain St. Lambert 54 (QC)  IMG (FL) 51

Brooks (MA) 63 IMG High School (FL) 56