Class of 2015 - 2014-15 Cuse Commits and Targets High School Season Schedule | Page 2 | Syracusefan.com

Class of 2015 2014-15 Cuse Commits and Targets High School Season Schedule

tee1222 said:
Thanks, bro! You're like my alarm. Listen, I'm setting you on snooze for Saturday morning. Please. Be there -- cause I might be sleeping and need to wake up.
:)

Edit: scratch that. No go for me, company party on Saturday and GSB and Battle would have been who I wanted to see. Nobody on our radar for Sunday games.
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Good thing you never went because Battle is still dealing with an ankle injury and has missed his team first couple of games. They've been listing him as day to day.
 
Francis03 said:
Good thing you never went because Battle is still dealing with an ankle injury and has missed his team first couple of games. They've been listing him as day to day.
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Phew! But still stinks to hear about Kid Mamba. Yeah, unreal company party yesterday at Carmine's in Manhattan. Food was phenomenal. Wish list for me, to see either Mali or Moustapha at least once this year. Seen both of them at least two years running. And would be great to catch a Duval game. Kid was born for this stuff.
 
tee1222 said:
Phew! But still stinks to hear about Kid Mamba. Yeah, unreal company party yesterday at Carmine's in Manhattan. Food was phenomenal. Wish list for me, to see either Mali or Moustapha at least once this year. Seen both of them at least two years running. And would be great to catch a Duval game. Kid was born for this stuff.
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Here goes a few events where you can see Diagne, Battle, and Duval all on the same day.
http://www.playazbasketball.org/page/show/1500081-2015-high-school-events Jan 4th
http://www.newarknationalinvitational.com/ Jan 25th
 
Its has taken a little longer than I would have hoped(thanks to illness) but without further ado here is my day two breakdown.

Game 17: Oak Ridge vs Trinity

Key Players: Antonio Blakeney(14th in the nation) Alex Owens(90th in the nation, signed with Providence) NyQwan Murray(Signed to play WR at FSU) Raymond Spalding(52nd in the nation, signed with Louisville) Christian Thienman(Signed with Marshall), D'Angelo West(Signed with Texas State.)

Game Breakdown: Right from the start this was an entertaining and competitive game with the teams trading baskets early and often. Trinity ended up taking it 62 to 57.
Blakeney is the definition of a high volume score. He is going to get his points and he is not be shy about taking as many shots as it takes. On the day he was 8-28 from the field and 4-13 from behind the arc. Wherever he goes he is going to drive his coach nuts with questionable shots and being a ball stopper. He rebounded well for a guard(11 boards), but his team was relatively small and he played mostly as a forward.

His running mate is big man Alex Owens who had a double double of his own going for 13 points and 15 rebounds. He has a soft touch in the post and uses his body well to get good position inside. He is a very emotive player who was talking at Spalding all game, and it worked pretty effectively. I'm glad we don't have to play Providence every year any more because he would be one of those guys that we couldn't wait to see graduate.

The other player that stood out to me was NyQwan Murray. Although he is not going to college for basketball, his athleticism was obvious with him flying up and down the court. He didn't shoot well from the field and he was out of control more times than not. He finished the day with 10 points.

Trinity is led by Louisville commit Raymond Spalding. He is a very long big man who was not shy about stepping out and taking jump shots. He had an off day shooting going 4-15 from the field and 0-3 from behind the arc for 12 points. Like I mentioned earlier Owens was chirping at him and it was getting to him. He played much better on the defensive side of the ball securing every rebound he went up for. He ended up with with 10 rebounds and showed great timing with 3 blocks.

The most impressive player in my eyes in this game was Marshall commit Christian Thieneman. Christian is listed at 6-5 200, but you would think he was much bigger watching him play. He worked his a$$ off on the glass on both sides of the court pulling down a total of 11 rebounds with 6 of them coming on the offensive side of the ball. He also got to the line a lot where he shot 6-9. He ended up leading his team in scoring with 20 points.

The final player I will talk about is D'Angelo West. He only had a couple assists, but he had a ton of hockey assists throughout the game. Texas State is his only offer that I could find, but if he continues to play how he played on Saturday that won't last. He didn't shoot well from behind the arc, going 2-7, but he has good for and on softer rims a few more of those will drop. He finished with 13 points.

Game 18: Miami Beach vs Suwannee

Key Players: Zach Brown (4th ranked sophomore in the nation) Kevarious Hayes (76th ranked senior, committed to Florida)

Game Breakdown: This was another very competitive game with 14 ties and 6 lead changes. Scoring was at a premium with the score tied at 44 at the end of regulation. but in over time the two teams combined to score 25 points in just five minutes. Miami Beach ended up winning by three, but Suwannee had a chance to tie it at the end of OT.

Miami Beach was led by a very imposing young big man in Zach Brown (no not that Zach Brown ;)) He is only a sophomore, but he comes in at 7' 260lbs. He is obviously still learning the game and getting used to his body, but he showed flashes of potential greatness. He fouled out in regulation, but not before he was able to register a double double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. He is still stiff with his movements, and got stripped quite a bit because he brought the ball down to his waist way to often. Overall if he is willing to put in the work he will dominate by the time he gets to college.

On the other side of the ball was Florida commit Kevarius Hayes. He is your typical UF big and I can't wait to see him after a season in a college S&C program. He had one of the more impressive stat lines of the day going for 25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. On defense his hands are active and he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. On offense he has an array of moves for both near the basket and on the perimeter. He went around Brown whenever he wanted and even knocked down a few jumpers including the only three he took. What really impressed me was his acumen from the free throw line, he made 10 of 13 from the charity stripe for the game. Overall he was the best player on the court in this game and it wasn't even close.

Game 19: Paul VI vs Wheeler

Key Players: Franklin Howard (60th ranked senior, Cuse commit) VJ King (16th ranked junior, Cuse offer), Jalen Brown (2nd ranked senior)

Game Breakdown: This was another game that went down to the wire. It looked like Wheeler was going to run away with this one in the first half, but our boy Frank took over in the second half and very nearly sent this game into OT multiple times. In the last 40 seconds or so Paul VI got Howard three looks from behind the rim and and three were halfway down before they came back out. In the end Wheeler was able to hang on and won 55-52.

Anyone who doesn't think Howard will be able to play PG at Cuse will be pleasantly surprised when they see him play. His eyes are always up looking for the open man, and he has a certain smoothness that allows him to get in the paint and find him teammates. He also uses his length to pull down so boards that a normal point guard wouldn't have a chance at. In the first half he played primarily as a distributor and worked to get his teammates good looks. In the second half however it was a different story, down by about 10 at the break Franklin shifted gears and started "getting his." He attacked the basket and either made an athletic layup or he got fouled and went to the line. When it was all said and done he finished with 16 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. He was the engine that makes Paul VI go and without him this game had the making of a complete blowout.

Another guy with Cuse interest in this game was VJ King. He has a very slim frame, but is incredibly explosive. He had an ok game, but he tried to force things way to often. When he slowed down and just played basketball no one on the other team had the ability to stop him, unfortunately he was out of control more than he was in control. He got pushed around by Brown every time Paul VI played man on defense. He also got down on himself a couple of times and it looked like it affected his play a bit. He finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Right now his lofty ranking is more potential than production. He can be one of the best in his class if he puts in the time in the weight room and on the floor.

On the other side of the court was Jalen Brown who is coveted by almost all of college basketball. He has good height for the wing and is already built like a man. He was pretty quiet throughout the first three quarters of play, but in the fourth he took over. He got to the rim at will and finished with a thunderous slam more times than not. He seemed a little thrown off by Paul VI's zone, but once he started to find seams in it they couldn't stop him. He finished with a game high 19 points and 9 rebounds. Wherever he goes to school he won't be there long and will be all over ESPN's top ten.

Game 20: Montverde vs St. Francis

Key Players: Ben Simmons (#1 senior in the nation, committed to LSU), Howard Washington (4 * on ESPN) Kobi Simmons (19th ranked junior, Cuse interest) Malik Beasley (31st rank senior, FSU commit)

Game Breakdown: This was the game of the night by far and it basically turned into a 2v2 by the end of the night. Montverde came into this as the undisputed #1 seed and you could get the sense that the crowd was a little tired of them dominating the event (Boyle's sideline antics don't help). So when St. Francis didn't back down the crowd got behind them and really started to cheer for the upset. St. Francis was close, but they just didn't have the horses to pull it off and ended up losing 62-59.

Ben Simmons may have played the best game I have ever seen from a high school player, and there is now no doubt in my mind he won't be the number one pick when he comes out of college. He finished with 37 points and 18 rebounds. He did whatever he wanted on the court and he did it very well. He can shoot free throws and finishes through contact very well.

The only help Ben got was from Howard who knocked down a couple key threes down the stretch to help secure the win. He finished with 12 points on the day. I wasn't all that impressed with him and I don't really think he is a Cuse level player. He could play at a lower BCS quality school like a BC or Wake in my eyes.

St. Francis played with a certain type of swagger which really helped get the crowd behind them. Right off the bat Kobi knocked down a three and started playing to the crowd. Francis is dead on about him taking a majority of his shots in the paint, and he finished a high majority of them with an acrobatic layup. He also knocked down all of his free throws (7-7). He finished with 25 points and will be a great Lead/CG in college. I would not be upset at all if this guy ends up in Orange, he reminds me a bit of Dion with how he attacks the rim and the amount of Swagger he plays with. He is listed at 6'5 so he has more than enough length to play at the top of the zone.

Along with Kobi there was Malik Beasley, and I can tell you he will help propel FSU back into the conversation for the ACC title. He also had 25 points and he got them in a variety of ways. He also crashed the glass really well and grabbed 7 rebounds. He took the ball into the teeth of the defense with a reckless abandon that was very refreshing to watch with the way everyone wants to play on the perimeter these days. He will be a contributor from day one in college and if he doesn't make the NBA I would be shocked.

Game 21: Wesleyan Christian vs Mater Dai

Key Players; Harry Giles (3rd ranked junior in the nation), Kwe Parker (50th ranked junior in the nation) Rex Pflueger (Committed to ND)

Game Breakdown: Confession time, due to the incoming sickness I only stayed for half this game even though Giles was playing.

Mater Dai brought an army to this game and had 24 players dressed for this game, only eight of which played. They were in control for most of the first half with Pfluger leading the way. He finished the game with 26 points and he will be the next annoying ND guard. He was constantly moving on offense and was making whoever was guarding him work their a$$ off. I was impressed with his offense, but his defense left me wanting more. I'm sure he will improve as he bulks up and is able to handle contact on both sides of the ball.

Giles is everything you'd want him to be. He scores with ease, finishing with a game high 29 points. He does tend to drift to the perimeter a bit to much for my liking but he doesn't do a lot wrong. He also pulled down 15 boards even though he seemed hesitant at times going for rebounds. I want to chalk that up to his knee injury and think he will be fine by the time he is in college.

His running mate was the uber athletic Kwe Parker. This kid can jump out of the gym and knows how to finish with style. He finished the night with 14 points.

Lastly I saw a ton of people wearing Cuse gear just proving that Cuse nation is everywhere. One final note that surprised me was that Roy Williams got on a plane after beating Ohio State and was at the tournament to see Jalen Brown and Giles. He was a great sport and took pictures and signed autographs for everyone who approached him.
 
SWFLCUSE said:
Its has taken a little longer than I would have hoped(thanks to illness) but without further ado here is my day two breakdown.

Game 17: Oak Ridge vs Trinity

Key Players: Antonio Blakeney(14th in the nation) Alex Owens(90th in the nation, signed with Providence) NyQwan Murray(Signed to play WR at FSU) Raymond Spalding(52nd in the nation, signed with Louisville) Christian Thienman(Signed with Marshall), D'Angelo West(Signed with Texas State.)

Game Breakdown: Right from the start this was an entertaining and competitive game with the teams trading baskets early and often. Trinity ended up taking it 62 to 57.
Blakeney is the definition of a high volume score. He is going to get his points and he is not be shy about taking as many shots as it takes. On the day he was 8-28 from the field and 4-13 from behind the arc. Wherever he goes he is going to drive his coach nuts with questionable shots and being a ball stopper. He rebounded well for a guard(11 boards), but his team was relatively small and he played mostly as a forward.

His running mate is big man Alex Owens who had a double double of his own going for 13 points and 15 rebounds. He has a soft touch in the post and uses his body well to get good position inside. He is a very emotive player who was talking at Spalding all game, and it worked pretty effectively. I'm glad we don't have to play Providence every year any more because he would be one of those guys that we couldn't wait to see graduate.

The other player that stood out to me was NyQwan Murray. Although he is not going to college for basketball, his athleticism was obvious with him flying up and down the court. He didn't shoot well from the field and he was out of control more times than not. He finished the day with 10 points.

Trinity is led by Louisville commit Raymond Spalding. He is a very long big man who was not shy about stepping out and taking jump shots. He had an off day shooting going 4-15 from the field and 0-3 from behind the arc for 12 points. Like I mentioned earlier Owens was chirping at him and it was getting to him. He played much better on the defensive side of the ball securing every rebound he went up for. He ended up with with 10 rebounds and showed great timing with 3 blocks.

The most impressive player in my eyes in this game was Marshall commit Christian Thieneman. Christian is listed at 6-5 200, but you would think he was much bigger watching him play. He worked his a$$ off on the glass on both sides of the court pulling down a total of 11 rebounds with 6 of them coming on the offensive side of the ball. He also got to the line a lot where he shot 6-9. He ended up leading his team in scoring with 20 points.

The final player I will talk about is D'Angelo West. He only had a couple assists, but he had a ton of hockey assists throughout the game. Texas State is his only offer that I could find, but if he continues to play how he played on Saturday that won't last. He didn't shoot well from behind the arc, going 2-7, but he has good for and on softer rims a few more of those will drop. He finished with 13 points.

Game 18: Miami Beach vs Suwannee

Key Players: Zach Brown (4th ranked sophomore in the nation) Kevarious Hayes (76th ranked senior, committed to Florida)

Game Breakdown: This was another very competitive game with 14 ties and 6 lead changes. Scoring was at a premium with the score tied at 44 at the end of regulation. but in over time the two teams combined to score 25 points in just five minutes. Miami Beach ended up winning by three, but Suwannee had a chance to tie it at the end of OT.

Miami Beach was led by a very imposing young big man in Zach Brown (no not that Zach Brown ;)) He is only a sophomore, but he comes in at 7' 260lbs. He is obviously still learning the game and getting used to his body, but he showed flashes of potential greatness. He fouled out in regulation, but not before he was able to register a double double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. He is still stiff with his movements, and got stripped quite a bit because he brought the ball down to his waist way to often. Overall if he is willing to put in the work he will dominate by the time he gets to college.

On the other side of the ball was Florida commit Kevarius Hayes. He is your typical UF big and I can't wait to see him after a season in a college S&C program. He had one of the more impressive stat lines of the day going for 25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. On defense his hands are active and he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. On offense he has an array of moves for both near the basket and on the perimeter. He went around Brown whenever he wanted and even knocked down a few jumpers including the only three he took. What really impressed me was his acumen from the free throw line, he made 10 of 13 from the charity stripe for the game. Overall he was the best player on the court in this game and it wasn't even close.

Game 19: Paul VI vs Wheeler

Key Players: Franklin Howard (60th ranked senior, Cuse commit) VJ King (16th ranked junior, Cuse offer), Jalen Brown (2nd ranked senior)

Game Breakdown: This was another game that went down to the wire. It looked like Wheeler was going to run away with this one in the first half, but our boy Frank took over in the second half and very nearly sent this game into OT multiple times. In the last 40 seconds or so Paul VI got Howard three looks from behind the rim and and three were halfway down before they came back out. In the end Wheeler was able to hang on and won 55-52.

Anyone who doesn't think Howard will be able to play PG at Cuse will be pleasantly surprised when they see him play. His eyes are always up looking for the open man, and he has a certain smoothness that allows him to get in the paint and find him teammates. He also uses his length to pull down so boards that a normal point guard wouldn't have a chance at. In the first half he played primarily as a distributor and worked to get his teammates good looks. In the second half however it was a different story, down by about 10 at the break Franklin shifted gears and started "getting his." He attacked the basket and either made an athletic layup or he got fouled and went to the line. When it was all said and done he finished with 16 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. He was the engine that makes Paul VI go and without him this game had the making of a complete blowout.

Another guy with Cuse interest in this game was VJ King. He has a very slim frame, but is incredibly explosive. He had an ok game, but he tried to force things way to often. When he slowed down and just played basketball no one on the other team had the ability to stop him, unfortunately he was out of control more than he was in control. He got pushed around by Brown every time Paul VI played man on defense. He also got down on himself a couple of times and it looked like it affected his play a bit. He finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Right now his lofty ranking is more potential than production. He can be one of the best in his class if he puts in the time in the weight room and on the floor.

On the other side of the court was Jalen Brown who is coveted by almost all of college basketball. He has good height for the wing and is already built like a man. He was pretty quiet throughout the first three quarters of play, but in the fourth he took over. He got to the rim at will and finished with a thunderous slam more times than not. He seemed a little thrown off by Paul VI's zone, but once he started to find seams in it they couldn't stop him. He finished with a game high 19 points and 9 rebounds. Wherever he goes to school he won't be there long and will be all over ESPN's top ten.

Game 20: Montverde vs St. Francis

Key Players: Ben Simmons (#1 senior in the nation, committed to LSU), Howard Washington (4 * on ESPN) Kobi Simmons (19th ranked junior, Cuse interest) Malik Beasley (31st rank senior, FSU commit)

Game Breakdown: This was the game of the night by far and it basically turned into a 2v2 by the end of the night. Montverde came into this as the undisputed #1 seed and you could get the sense that the crowd was a little tired of them dominating the event (Boyle's sideline antics don't help). So when St. Francis didn't back down the crowd got behind them and really started to cheer for the upset. St. Francis was close, but they just didn't have the horses to pull it off and ended up losing 62-59.

Ben Simmons may have played the best game I have ever seen from a high school player, and there is now no doubt in my mind he won't be the number one pick when he comes out of college. He finished with 37 points and 18 rebounds. He did whatever he wanted on the court and he did it very well. He can shoot free throws and finishes through contact very well.

The only help Ben got was from Howard who knocked down a couple key threes down the stretch to help secure the win. He finished with 12 points on the day. I wasn't all that impressed with him and I don't really think he is a Cuse level player. He could play at a lower BCS quality school like a BC or Wake in my eyes.

St. Francis played with a certain type of swagger which really helped get the crowd behind them. Right off the bat Kobi knocked down a three and started playing to the crowd. Francis is dead on about him taking a majority of his shots in the paint, and he finished a high majority of them with an acrobatic layup. He also knocked down all of his free throws (7-7). He finished with 25 points and will be a great Lead/CG in college. I would not be upset at all if this guy ends up in Orange, he reminds me a bit of Dion with how he attacks the rim and the amount of Swagger he plays with. He is listed at 6'5 so he has more than enough length to play at the top of the zone.

Along with Kobi there was Malik Beasley, and I can tell you he will help propel FSU back into the conversation for the ACC title. He also had 25 points and he got them in a variety of ways. He also crashed the glass really well and grabbed 7 rebounds. He took the ball into the teeth of the defense with a reckless abandon that was very refreshing to watch with the way everyone wants to play on the perimeter these days. He will be a contributor from day one in college and if he doesn't make the NBA I would be shocked.

Game 21: Wesleyan Christian vs Mater Dai

Key Players; Harry Giles (3rd ranked junior in the nation), Kwe Parker (50th ranked junior in the nation) Rex Pflueger (Committed to ND)

Game Breakdown: Confession time, due to the incoming sickness I only stayed for half this game even though Giles was playing.

Mater Dai brought an army to this game and had 24 players dressed for this game, only eight of which played. They were in control for most of the first half with Pfluger leading the way. He finished the game with 26 points and he will be the next annoying ND guard. He was constantly moving on offense and was making whoever was guarding him work their a$$ off. I was impressed with his offense, but his defense left me wanting more. I'm sure he will improve as he bulks up and is able to handle contact on both sides of the ball.

Giles is everything you'd want him to be. He scores with ease, finishing with a game high 29 points. He does tend to drift to the perimeter a bit to much for my liking but he doesn't do a lot wrong. He also pulled down 15 boards even though he seemed hesitant at times going for rebounds. I want to chalk that up to his knee injury and think he will be fine by the time he is in college.

His running mate was the uber athletic Kwe Parker. This kid can jump out of the gym and knows how to finish with style. He finished the night with 14 points.

Lastly I saw a ton of people wearing Cuse gear just proving that Cuse nation is everywhere. One final note that surprised me was that Roy Williams got on a plane after beating Ohio State and was at the tournament to see Jalen Brown and Giles. He was a great sport and took pictures and signed autographs for everyone who approached him.
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Great recap my friend. Well worth the wait and hope you're feeling much better.
 
SWFLCUSE said:
Its has taken a little longer than I would have hoped(thanks to illness) but without further ado here is my day two breakdown.

Game 17: Oak Ridge vs Trinity

Key Players: Antonio Blakeney(14th in the nation) Alex Owens(90th in the nation, signed with Providence) NyQwan Murray(Signed to play WR at FSU) Raymond Spalding(52nd in the nation, signed with Louisville) Christian Thienman(Signed with Marshall), D'Angelo West(Signed with Texas State.)

Game Breakdown: Right from the start this was an entertaining and competitive game with the teams trading baskets early and often. Trinity ended up taking it 62 to 57.
Blakeney is the definition of a high volume score. He is going to get his points and he is not be shy about taking as many shots as it takes. On the day he was 8-28 from the field and 4-13 from behind the arc. Wherever he goes he is going to drive his coach nuts with questionable shots and being a ball stopper. He rebounded well for a guard(11 boards), but his team was relatively small and he played mostly as a forward.

His running mate is big man Alex Owens who had a double double of his own going for 13 points and 15 rebounds. He has a soft touch in the post and uses his body well to get good position inside. He is a very emotive player who was talking at Spalding all game, and it worked pretty effectively. I'm glad we don't have to play Providence every year any more because he would be one of those guys that we couldn't wait to see graduate.

The other player that stood out to me was NyQwan Murray. Although he is not going to college for basketball, his athleticism was obvious with him flying up and down the court. He didn't shoot well from the field and he was out of control more times than not. He finished the day with 10 points.

Trinity is led by Louisville commit Raymond Spalding. He is a very long big man who was not shy about stepping out and taking jump shots. He had an off day shooting going 4-15 from the field and 0-3 from behind the arc for 12 points. Like I mentioned earlier Owens was chirping at him and it was getting to him. He played much better on the defensive side of the ball securing every rebound he went up for. He ended up with with 10 rebounds and showed great timing with 3 blocks.

The most impressive player in my eyes in this game was Marshall commit Christian Thieneman. Christian is listed at 6-5 200, but you would think he was much bigger watching him play. He worked his a$$ off on the glass on both sides of the court pulling down a total of 11 rebounds with 6 of them coming on the offensive side of the ball. He also got to the line a lot where he shot 6-9. He ended up leading his team in scoring with 20 points.

The final player I will talk about is D'Angelo West. He only had a couple assists, but he had a ton of hockey assists throughout the game. Texas State is his only offer that I could find, but if he continues to play how he played on Saturday that won't last. He didn't shoot well from behind the arc, going 2-7, but he has good for and on softer rims a few more of those will drop. He finished with 13 points.

Game 18: Miami Beach vs Suwannee

Key Players: Zach Brown (4th ranked sophomore in the nation) Kevarious Hayes (76th ranked senior, committed to Florida)

Game Breakdown: This was another very competitive game with 14 ties and 6 lead changes. Scoring was at a premium with the score tied at 44 at the end of regulation. but in over time the two teams combined to score 25 points in just five minutes. Miami Beach ended up winning by three, but Suwannee had a chance to tie it at the end of OT.

Miami Beach was led by a very imposing young big man in Zach Brown (no not that Zach Brown ;)) He is only a sophomore, but he comes in at 7' 260lbs. He is obviously still learning the game and getting used to his body, but he showed flashes of potential greatness. He fouled out in regulation, but not before he was able to register a double double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. He is still stiff with his movements, and got stripped quite a bit because he brought the ball down to his waist way to often. Overall if he is willing to put in the work he will dominate by the time he gets to college.

On the other side of the ball was Florida commit Kevarius Hayes. He is your typical UF big and I can't wait to see him after a season in a college S&C program. He had one of the more impressive stat lines of the day going for 25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. On defense his hands are active and he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. On offense he has an array of moves for both near the basket and on the perimeter. He went around Brown whenever he wanted and even knocked down a few jumpers including the only three he took. What really impressed me was his acumen from the free throw line, he made 10 of 13 from the charity stripe for the game. Overall he was the best player on the court in this game and it wasn't even close.

Game 19: Paul VI vs Wheeler

Key Players: Franklin Howard (60th ranked senior, Cuse commit) VJ King (16th ranked junior, Cuse offer), Jalen Brown (2nd ranked senior)

Game Breakdown: This was another game that went down to the wire. It looked like Wheeler was going to run away with this one in the first half, but our boy Frank took over in the second half and very nearly sent this game into OT multiple times. In the last 40 seconds or so Paul VI got Howard three looks from behind the rim and and three were halfway down before they came back out. In the end Wheeler was able to hang on and won 55-52.

Anyone who doesn't think Howard will be able to play PG at Cuse will be pleasantly surprised when they see him play. His eyes are always up looking for the open man, and he has a certain smoothness that allows him to get in the paint and find him teammates. He also uses his length to pull down so boards that a normal point guard wouldn't have a chance at. In the first half he played primarily as a distributor and worked to get his teammates good looks. In the second half however it was a different story, down by about 10 at the break Franklin shifted gears and started "getting his." He attacked the basket and either made an athletic layup or he got fouled and went to the line. When it was all said and done he finished with 16 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. He was the engine that makes Paul VI go and without him this game had the making of a complete blowout.

Another guy with Cuse interest in this game was VJ King. He has a very slim frame, but is incredibly explosive. He had an ok game, but he tried to force things way to often. When he slowed down and just played basketball no one on the other team had the ability to stop him, unfortunately he was out of control more than he was in control. He got pushed around by Brown every time Paul VI played man on defense. He also got down on himself a couple of times and it looked like it affected his play a bit. He finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Right now his lofty ranking is more potential than production. He can be one of the best in his class if he puts in the time in the weight room and on the floor.

On the other side of the court was Jalen Brown who is coveted by almost all of college basketball. He has good height for the wing and is already built like a man. He was pretty quiet throughout the first three quarters of play, but in the fourth he took over. He got to the rim at will and finished with a thunderous slam more times than not. He seemed a little thrown off by Paul VI's zone, but once he started to find seams in it they couldn't stop him. He finished with a game high 19 points and 9 rebounds. Wherever he goes to school he won't be there long and will be all over ESPN's top ten.

Game 20: Montverde vs St. Francis

Key Players: Ben Simmons (#1 senior in the nation, committed to LSU), Howard Washington (4 * on ESPN) Kobi Simmons (19th ranked junior, Cuse interest) Malik Beasley (31st rank senior, FSU commit)

Game Breakdown: This was the game of the night by far and it basically turned into a 2v2 by the end of the night. Montverde came into this as the undisputed #1 seed and you could get the sense that the crowd was a little tired of them dominating the event (Boyle's sideline antics don't help). So when St. Francis didn't back down the crowd got behind them and really started to cheer for the upset. St. Francis was close, but they just didn't have the horses to pull it off and ended up losing 62-59.

Ben Simmons may have played the best game I have ever seen from a high school player, and there is now no doubt in my mind he won't be the number one pick when he comes out of college. He finished with 37 points and 18 rebounds. He did whatever he wanted on the court and he did it very well. He can shoot free throws and finishes through contact very well.

The only help Ben got was from Howard who knocked down a couple key threes down the stretch to help secure the win. He finished with 12 points on the day. I wasn't all that impressed with him and I don't really think he is a Cuse level player. He could play at a lower BCS quality school like a BC or Wake in my eyes.

St. Francis played with a certain type of swagger which really helped get the crowd behind them. Right off the bat Kobi knocked down a three and started playing to the crowd. Francis is dead on about him taking a majority of his shots in the paint, and he finished a high majority of them with an acrobatic layup. He also knocked down all of his free throws (7-7). He finished with 25 points and will be a great Lead/CG in college. I would not be upset at all if this guy ends up in Orange, he reminds me a bit of Dion with how he attacks the rim and the amount of Swagger he plays with. He is listed at 6'5 so he has more than enough length to play at the top of the zone.

Along with Kobi there was Malik Beasley, and I can tell you he will help propel FSU back into the conversation for the ACC title. He also had 25 points and he got them in a variety of ways. He also crashed the glass really well and grabbed 7 rebounds. He took the ball into the teeth of the defense with a reckless abandon that was very refreshing to watch with the way everyone wants to play on the perimeter these days. He will be a contributor from day one in college and if he doesn't make the NBA I would be shocked.

Game 21: Wesleyan Christian vs Mater Dai

Key Players; Harry Giles (3rd ranked junior in the nation), Kwe Parker (50th ranked junior in the nation) Rex Pflueger (Committed to ND)

Game Breakdown: Confession time, due to the incoming sickness I only stayed for half this game even though Giles was playing.

Mater Dai brought an army to this game and had 24 players dressed for this game, only eight of which played. They were in control for most of the first half with Pfluger leading the way. He finished the game with 26 points and he will be the next annoying ND guard. He was constantly moving on offense and was making whoever was guarding him work their a$$ off. I was impressed with his offense, but his defense left me wanting more. I'm sure he will improve as he bulks up and is able to handle contact on both sides of the ball.

Giles is everything you'd want him to be. He scores with ease, finishing with a game high 29 points. He does tend to drift to the perimeter a bit to much for my liking but he doesn't do a lot wrong. He also pulled down 15 boards even though he seemed hesitant at times going for rebounds. I want to chalk that up to his knee injury and think he will be fine by the time he is in college.

His running mate was the uber athletic Kwe Parker. This kid can jump out of the gym and knows how to finish with style. He finished the night with 14 points.

Lastly I saw a ton of people wearing Cuse gear just proving that Cuse nation is everywhere. One final note that surprised me was that Roy Williams got on a plane after beating Ohio State and was at the tournament to see Jalen Brown and Giles. He was a great sport and took pictures and signed autographs for everyone who approached him.
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The matchup everybody wanted between #1 Ben Simmons and #2 Jaylen Brown will be going down tonight in the finals.
 
I honestly think Wheeler takes them. They play a very up in your face type of D that would mess with a more finesse type team like Montverde
 
SWFLCUSE said:
I honestly think Wheeler takes them. They play a very up in your face type of D that would mess with a more finesse type team like Montverde
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Do you pick lottery numbers? Wheeler actually pulled off the upset tonight. Brown and Simmons did their numbers but from the reports Brown had more help stepping up for his team than Simmons did.
 
Francis03 said:
Do you pick lottery numbers? Wheeler actually pulled off the upset tonight. Brown and Simmons did their numbers but from the reports Brown had more help stepping up for his team than Simmons did.
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I just had a feeling with Wheeler's tough defense lol.
 
That would be a great finale, I would love to see it happen!! This time hopefully Noah Dickerson plays for Montverde.
 
SWFLCUSE said:
That would be a great finale, I would love to see it happen!! This time hopefully Noah Dickerson plays for Montverde.
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Unfortunately the rematch is a no go. It almost happened in the consolation bracket because Wheeler lost their semifinal game and Montverde was trailing in their game by 3 with 1 minute to go, but they eventually pulled through.

Tonight is loaded with great matchups anyhow. Giles and Kwe Parker vs Maker and Murray. Diagne vs top 25 2016 big man Juwan Durham. My boy Malik Zachery in his toughest challenge this season against Bishop Kearney and talented 2016 G Quinton Rose. SU has shown interest in Rose and he has offers currently from Memphis, Providence, Temple, and GW.
 
Rose put up some impressive numbers last night but the competition was pretty weak. Not sure how long he was on the floor but he did a little of everything; points, assists, rebounds.
 
BK won 54-40 over Nottingham. Rose had a double double with 18pts and 10rbs. Zachery struggled with his shot unfortunately and had only 4pts.
 
Giles and his team ended up winning the battle over Maker/Murray 78-75 coming back from an early double digit deficit. Giles had 26pts and 14rbs. Maker had 24pts and 11rbs but fouled out within the last few minutes. Murray chipped in with 19.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hsot-com-holiday-invitational-tournament
Fast forward to 54 minutes and you can catch a replay of the stream in the link above.
 
Francis03 said:
Giles and his team ended up winning the battle over Maker/Murray 78-75 coming back from an early double digit deficit. Giles had 26pts and 14rbs. Maker had 24pts and 11rbs but fouled out within the last few minutes. Murray chipped in with 19.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hsot-com-holiday-invitational-tournament
Fast forward to 54 minutes and you can catch a replay of the stream in the link above.
Expand...

Nice I'm thinking this will be a nice New Years day watch for me in the morning while I'm drinking coffee and everyone else is still asleep. Its weird the older I get the more I drink and the less I sleep.
 
Francis03 said:
Giles and his team ended up winning the battle over Maker/Murray 78-75 coming back from an early double digit deficit. Giles had 26pts and 14rbs. Maker had 24pts and 11rbs but fouled out within the last few minutes. Murray chipped in with 19.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hsot-com-holiday-invitational-tournament
Fast forward to 54 minutes and you can catch a replay of the stream in the link above.
Expand...
Not that I needed any further confirmation... But Giles is a beast.
 
Libero2 said:
Not that I needed any further confirmation... But Giles is a beast.
Expand...

Agreed and he would absolutely be a huge have a shot at a NC type of get for us. In some ways he reminds me of Noel in the fact that for our system at their positions they are perfect for what JB wants to do. Noel was a shot blocking beast in the middle who ran the floor well and hit the offensive glass. JB will use centers as post players but he'd prefer to run the offense through his forwards and especially guys like Giles who can do it all.
 
At least Hop is there in attendance. ...unfortunately, so is scumbag Cal. Bryant had a nice 2nd half, 1st half the huntingtonprep guards were on fire feom 3. Bryant I believe finished w 11 and 10. The feeling and chances he ends up here is looking less and less, but we shall see. Lydon up next, and of course Frank and VJ tomorrow night on espnu.
 
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