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Huck's Corner
Ed "Huck" Palmer is one of our trusty statisticians/observers. He
is not to be confused with Tom "Puck" McKenna. (Huck is normal.
Puck is not even close. Huck owns Puck when it comes to making picks during FB season --
smile). He will make reports on games he sees. |
JAN. 28
CL SOUTH
Neumann-Goretti 77, West Catholic 55
The Saints (17-0, 8-0)
played a wonderful and focused first quarter that ended with them holding a commanding
22-4 lead. By the early stages of the third quarter, and with the Saints running on all
cylinders, the lead swelled to 27 points at 44-17. Leading the way was jr. 6-5 F Earl Pettis, who was simply magnificent from start
to finish. Demonstrating an array of moves, he seemingly scored in every possible way. For
the game he shot a blistering 10-for-12 (2-for-3, 3’s) and 2-for-2 FT’s for a
game-high 24 points. Whether it was a silky-smooth trey, put-back, mid-range jumper, or
just running the break for a lay-up one thing was always constant, and that was that the
ball always seemed to be falling through the net. He ended the game with seven straight
made field goals. Not to go unnoticed was that he garnered 14 rebounds (12 in first half),
dished 4 assists, and plucked 2 steals. Talented jr. 6-3 WG Derrick “D.J.” Rivera also had a
marvelous first half. He scored 15 points before the intermission. None was prettier than
his catch and slam off a pass from Pettis for a highlight reel alley-oop. He also drained
all three of his shots from distance in half number one. All three fell through the net
like a world class diver hitting a pool--- with a graceful splash. This kid really has a
smooth and lovely stroke. He seemed to drift somewhat in the second half, probably due to
the blowout proportions of the game and did not score. His intensity seemed to drop
considerably, especially on the defensive end. Did this hurt his team? No, but I think
this kid has a chance to be a star, and I would hate to see something like this present a
concern for big-time college scouts. My advice, no matter what the score, play your
hardest and your talent will take care of the rest. He also added 4 rebounds, 4 steals,
and 3 assists. Soph. 6-2 PG Antonio “Scoop”
Jardine had some dynamite moments, but still gets caught up in some gamesmanship at
times. He finished with 13 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds. This kid can really see the
floor, and has the ability to make wonderful, pinpoint passes on the break. Offensively,
he forced the issue some in the third quarter, but for being just a sophomore we’ll
chalk this up to the final stages of growing pains. This kid is long and has great vision,
so his future should be as bright as any sophomore PG in the city. Fellow soph. 6-8 F Rick Jackson scored 10 points on 5-for-7 from the
field. He also grabbed 5 rebounds, blocked 3 shots, and had a couple of assists. He gives
the Saints as nice fifth option right now as he continues to blossom. His main
responsibility is probably to play solid interior defense and pound the offensive glass.
Further offensive production should come over the next two years, but it was good to see
his team look for him early, as he scored their first two baskets on what appeared to be
designed plays. Sr. 6-5 F David Burton returned
from a week-long school suspension and came off the bench. He really never got in the flow
and was saddled with foul trouble for good part of the game. He scored just 3 points, all
on free throws, but he did contribute 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in limited time. He will
certainly play more of a prominent part as the season winds down and Saints continue to
pursue a CL championship. Starting in his place was sr. G Conor Kennedy. He added 6 points and 3 assists.
Surrounded by a host of D-1 prospects this kid gives head coach Carl Arrigale a calming influence on the floor.
Rarely will you see him try something he is not capable of, as he certainly understands
his role. The Saints played a flawless first half and were sharing the ball with each
other. At halftime they had 16 made field goals, 14 came off of assists. They shot
16-for-27 (59.3%) from the field and 5-for-7 (71.4%) from the arc before recess. If
Arrigale has something to be concerned about it may be the periodical sloppy play
exhibited by his team. They turned the ball over 20 times in the game. This is far too
many for such a talented team. The Burrs (9-9, 2-5) were like a deer in headlights at the
outset of the game. They shot a woeful 4-for-22 in the first half. If there is a silver
lining for them it is that they didn’t quit. This game could have easily been a
40+-point outcome. Sr. F Joe Askew shot
6-for-12 FG’s and 3-for-3 FT’s for 15 points. Jr. WG Chris Mayo also scored 15 points (5-for-10 FG’s).
However, he was only 4-of-9 from the charity stripe. This kid could probably add two or
three points to his scoring average if he could consistently hit freebies because he does
get there often. He also added four each of rebounds and steals. Sr. 6-4 F Derrell Hand had a tough time maneuvering around
N-G’s big people and only managed 3 points (1-for-7 FG’s). He did manage 6
rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Freshman WG Eric
Brennan contributed 8 points off the bench. A bright spot for the Burrs was that they
accumulated 15 steals in the game. They have an ultra-important contest at home Monday
night with Archbishop Carroll. This game will have major playoff implications.
JAN. 15
CL SOUTH
West Catholic 49, O’Hara 48
Over the last three minutes the Burrs watched O’Hara (11-4, 2-2)
score eight consecutive points to take a 48-47 lead. The last three came off a three-point
play by jr. 6-5 F Pat Kirby via a feed from
jr. PG Chris Myers. The play occurred with
just :18 seconds left and it appeared that Burrs were going to let an important home game
slip from their grasp. The Burrs (9-6, 2-2) elected to call a timeout prior to
Kirby’s free throw, so after he made the shot they raced the ball up court. They
swung the ball around the perimeter trying to get it to sr. 6-4 F Derrell Hand on the block. The Lions did a good
job of denying this and West had to settle for a right-wing trey by jr. WG Chris Mayo. From my vantage point the ball
looked like it had a chance, but it caromed off the back part of the rim. Sr. 6-2 F Joe Askew soared up over an O’Hara player and
calmly grabbed the rebound. His momentum had him heading towards the basket, while the
O’Hara player fell behind, and with rather ease he laid the ball off the window for
the winning bucket. There was no controversy on the play, as the shot easily beat the
buzzer, which sounded as the ball fell through. It is quite obvious that the last playoff
spot in the ever-tough CL South is up for grabs, so winning at home against the teams that
you will be fighting with is critical. Tonight, the Burrs took care of business, and
although narrowly, any win in this league is a good win. Leading the way for West was Hand
who has played inspired basketball over the last couple weeks. Staying within himself he
has started to develop as the Burrs most viable offensive threat. Tonight, he scored a
career-high 19 points (7-for-13 FG’s, 5-for-6 FT’s) and swept 9 rebounds. What
was ironic about his performance was that earlier in the week there was a chance that he
would not be available for the game. The D-1 football prospect had a planned recruiting
visit to Notre Dame scheduled for this weekend. His flight to South Bend was supposed to
take place earlier in the day. However, some rearranging by head football coach Brian Fluck got his flight pushed back to after
the game. Luckily for the Burrs, Hand was able to play because there is no way they would
have won this game without him. As far as the gridiron is concerned Hand’s college
destination should be revealed within the next week or so. He is down to Wisconsin,
Michigan St., and Notre Dame. The only other Burr to reach double-digits was Askew, who
finished with 10 points, but shot just 5-for-14 from the field. Many of his misses did
come from in close, so providing the winning shot had to provide some much needed relief
for the frustration he was certainly feeling beforehand. He also added 3 steals, 3
rebounds, and 2 blocks. The Burrs had by far their most successful game from the line
going 17-for-22 (77.3%). Sr. WG Antonio Banks
(8 points) was 6-of-6 all by himself. Once again sr. PG Anthony Lee did a nice job on the other
teams’ point guard by supplying constant pressure. He forced Myers into six turnovers
and a 0-for-4 shooting night, while holding him to just two points. The Lions got a big
lift from sr. WG Mark Concannon in the second
half as he spearheaded their fourth quarter comeback. He connected for three treys in the
last quarter and made 4-of-5 for the game. All came in the second half. He finished with
team highs in points (14) and rebounds (5). Kirby added 13 points on 6-for-11 shooting. He
also swatted 6 and made 3 steals. Defensively, this kid exhibits a good sense of helping
defense. Most of his swats come against players someone else is guarding. Myers added four
each of rebounds and assists. Sr. 6-5 F Rich
Varrasse appeared to be active early, but was saddled with fouls for a large part of
the game. He did finish with 8 points (3-for-4 FG’s) and 3 rebounds. Jr. WG Gabe Diaz helped the Lion cause with 7 points, 3
rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He went 0-for-4 on threes, but all looked good and had
chance before somehow rimming out. The Lions had a 25-19 lead late in the second quarter,
but the Burrs got within one at 26-25 by the intermission. The 12 first half turnovers (17
in game) didn’t help their cause in maintaining/increasing that lead. Despite the
exciting ending play in the game was often sluggish as the teams combined for 36 fouls. In
the end both of these teams should be in the hunt for that fourth playoff spot.
JAN. 10
CL SOUTH
Roman 68, O’Hara 55
The Cahillites (9-4, 1-2) entered this pivotal Southern Division contest looking
for their first league after suffering consecutive losses to SJ Prep and Neumann-Goretti
to start the season. Dropping three consecutive league games to open the season is unheard
of at Broad & Vine. However, they were facing an improved, but not really tested
O’Hara (11-3, 2-1) club on the road and knew they had a challenge in front of them.
Six minutes into the game things looked ominous for the Cahillites as they fell behind
13-4. Then, out of nowhere a switch was turned on. The got within five at 16-11 after the
first quarter and then absolutely blitzed the Lions over the next two quarters. During the
two middle frames they had a 43-to-18 scoring advantage. Their lead grew to twenty-four
early in the fourth quarter and the frolicking was beyond evident. Roman’s top
headliner tonight was jr. 6-6 F Mike Ringgold
who looked like he was in a lay-up line all night. He finished with 23 points on a steamy
10-for-14 from the field. I can’t remember any of his baskets not being from in
close. Some were lay-ups and others came off entries into the post were he made a quick
move along the baseline for the score. This kid is thin and that allows for some
slithering to be done. Twice he dazzled on his way to the hoop and both times he had help
from jr. PG Raymond “Doodles” Sims.
First, after O’Hara missed what they thought would be the last shot of the half Sims
took a pass from soph. 6-3 WG Bradley Wanamaker.
He then sent a rocket of a pass down court that Ringgold accepted, and without dribbling
laid it off the glass at the buzzer. It was very nice! This gave the Cahillites a 32-26
lead at the intermission. Later on, the Sims-to-Ringgold combination was at it again when
Ringgold was hit beautifully by Sims off a well designed pick-and-roll play. It was an
absolute thing of beauty. I can’t remember the last time I seen a play like this at
the high school level. I thought I had witnessed a Sam Cassell-to-Kevin Garnett hook-up, smile! Ringgold also
contributed 8 rebounds and two steals. He’ll probably need to play on the wing some
at the next level, so his perimeter game will have to develop, but he just brutalized the
Lions along the baseline tonight. Sims who finished with 9 dimes made some lovely feeds.
He also pilfered four and hustled for 3 rebounds. He had a tremendous game and didn’t
even score a point, missing all three of his shots (One was a heave at the first qtr.
buzzer). If he has a fault in his floor game it is probably that he tries to make the
sensational play a little too often. Tonight, he was under control and very smooth. He has
a strong body and being a defensive whiz should certainly be part of his game. The player
that got Roman rolling in the second quarter was sr. WG Billy Lally (3 assists) who nicely bombed and hit
all three of his 3’s in the stanza. He added one in the third quarter (4-for-6 for
the game) and finished with 14 points. This kid is the Cahillites most consistent threat
from the arc and in the end he may supply his share of crucial buckets. Jumping-jack sr.
6-4 F Malik Perry shook off a foul-plagued 1st
half (just 1 point) and made each of his four shots from the field after the intermission.
He finished with 11 points. Wanamaker kept the Cahillites in it early and scored all of
his 8 points in the first half. This kid has slasher written all over him and was quite
active with 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. His twin brother soph. WG Brian Wanamaker is in the Cahillite 7-man rotation
and plays more of defensive role for his club. Sr. CG Bobby Jordan also was non-existent in the first
half, but he came alive after the intermission and finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds,
and 3 assists. He has been struggling as of late, so maybe this performance will get him
going. His team will be counting him to add leadership, as well as make plays throughout
Southern Division play. Roman was 24-for-46 (52.2%) from the field. They had 18 assists on
their 24 made shots. If there was a sore spot it was the 20 turnovers they committed. The
Lions really looked good early. They hit 5-of-6 shots (2-for-2, 3’s) in the first
quarter. They were patiently moving the ball around on the offensive end. However, Roman
really turned up the pressure with an assortment of full-court trapping/pressing defenses.
This caused the Lions to play much faster than they would like and next thing you knew the
Cahillites were getting easy look after easy look. O’Hara turned the ball over 21
times in the game and it seemed like Roman scored off of all of them. I really like how a
few of the Lions let the game come to them. Jr. 6-3 F Pat Kirby shot 6-for-10 from the field and
finished with 15 points. He hit a couple of mid-range jumpers, but was mostly active
around the basket. He also added 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Gritty jr. PG Chris Myers goes all-out and chipped in with 12
points (3-for-4 FG’s) and 4 assists. Where he tends to get in trouble is when he
tries to play a little too fast. It is his job to keep the troops calm and pull the reins
in when needed. O’Hara is a well-coached team, which can shoot the ball when they are
patient. However, they tried to run with Roman some tonight and it killed them. They just
don’t have the athleticism for that type of game. Hey, give the Cahilltes some credit
for forcing O’Hara into an up-tempo game. Sr. WG Mark Concannon (3 steals) also reached double
figures and chipped in with 13 points. He hit his first and last trey, but missed five
in-between. Sr. F 6-4 Rich Varrasse adds muscle
to the Lion line up. He only managed 7 points and 2 rebounds tonight. Jr. WG Anthony Walters (5 rebounds, 4 assists) and jr. WG
Gabe Diaz (3 steals) add athleticism, but
tonight they were far too careless with the ball and combined for 9 turnovers. The Lions
actually shot well from the field going 19-for-38 (50.0%). Despite the loss the Lions are
a solid club and they should be right in the thick of things for that final playoff spot
all year. They have a huge game this Friday when they travel to West Catholic to take on
the Burrs.
JAN. 9
CL SOUTH
SJ Prep 54, West Catholic 42
The Hawks (13-1, 3-0) came out flying
and drained six of nine threes in the first half. This allowed them to take an 18-point
advantage into recess. The Hawks were 13-for-24 (54.2%) from the field in half number one
and they only committed a miniscule two turnovers. All indications were that another
lopsided victory was soon to be had. Leading the charge was not exactly one of their
headliners either, but instead jr. WG Dave
Stefanksi (12 points, 4-for-6 3’s) who drilled all four of his shots from the arc
during the first half. Three of these trifectas came in the first quarter as he showed
excellent form and a quick release. These babies didn’t exactly rattle in either and
if the rim was touched it wasn’t noticeable. Also supplying a lift was sr. PG Joe Fox, who scored 10 of his 11 points in the
first half. Included in this was a contested buzzer-beating trey at the end of the first
quarter. This kid has been playing well through the first half of the season and is easily
one of the more surprising and/or improved players in the area. In the second half the
Burrs came out with much more energy and fire. With the way things went in the first half
many had to be thinking it would only be a matter of time before the Hawks ran them out of
the gym. This would not be the case as West regrouped nicely and somehow made a game of
it. The 38 points the Burrs (8-6, 1-2) surrendered in the first half was easily their
highest yield of the season. Defensive intensity had to be a focal point for Head Coach Bill Ludlow and his staff. His team didn’t
disappoint. In a valiant effort they held the Hawks to just 16 second half points on just
4-for-15 shooting and a 0-for-8 showing from distance. With 2:17 left in the game they cut
the Hawk lead to six, at 48-42. However, they would draw no closer and the Prep would end
the game by connecting on 6-of-8 freebies. Still, there was much to be proud of for Coach
Ludlow and his team due to the fact that they didn’t quit. They played hard
throughout and gave the Hawks, a very good and well coached team fits for good portions of
the second half. Aside from Stefanski and Fox the Hawks placed two more players in
double-figures. Rising star jr. 6-4 F Reggie
Redding chipped in with 11 points. However, it was a very unlike-Reggie performance.
He only shot 3-for-11 (0-for-4 3’s) from the field and didn’t look all too
comfortable doing so. He did hustle for 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Better days
will be had, but if there is a silver lining for Head Coach Speedy Morris it is that his team found a way to
win even without his star playing at a high level. Someone who did play at a high level,
at least in the hustling and little things department was sr. WG Corey O’Rourke. In the first half it seemed
like this kid was everywhere, even if he wasn’t filling up the stat sheet. Diving for
loose balls, saving balls from going out-of-bounds, and playing sticky defense was
commonplace. In the end he finished with 11 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals. If there was
a stat sheet for intangibles he would have filled it. It is hard to imaging Speedy getting
any more out of this kid than he already is. A defensive pest last year this kid could
also vie for most-improved player honors. Freshman 6-5 F Larry Loughery is now being featured in the Hawk
starting line-up and he is beginning to progress nicely. Though he found himself in foul
trouble he did manage six each of points and rebounds. Already with a strong body this
kid’s future appears to be bright. Hawks were a little more careless with the ball in
the second half, but still finished the game with only seven turnovers. Taking care of the
ball over the last few seasons has been one of the characteristics of Speedy’s team
and has won them a lot of games in the process. The Burrs got an excellent performance out
of sr. 6-4 F Derrell Hand. He bullied his way
to a game-high 16 points (7-for-13 FG’s, one trey) and four rebounds. Hand has played
extremely well of late and he finally seems to understand his strengths. No other Burr
reached double-digits, but more than a few did a good job on the defensive end in the
second half. Sr. 6-2 F Joe Askew (8 points)
snatched 11 rebounds (5 off.) and blocked 2 shots. Jr. WG Chris Mayo did a nice job defensively in helping
neutralize Redding, and also added 4 rebounds and 4 blocks. The Burrs could have made much
more headway during the third if they could have capitalized on some foul shots. This has
been a sore spot of the Burrs this year and they were just 1-for-7 during that third
stanza. For the game they went just 8-for-16 (50.0%), while the Hawks went 14-for-19
(73.7%). It’s a long way off and things could change, but when these teams meet again
later this year at West things could get interesting. The Hawks backcourt will certainly
face a stiff challenge in the snuggly confines of the Burrdome. Stay tuned.
JAN. 7
CL SOUTH
West Catholic 49, Carroll 42
This Catholic
League season is only in its infancy, but what an important and solid road win for the
Burrs. The consensus is that Neumann-Goretti, SJ Prep, and Roman will occupy three of the
four playoff spots in the ever-tough Southern Division, so some quick math tells us that
just one spot will be up for grabs for the rest of the league. The Burrs (8-5, 1-1) used a total team effort to
knock off a Carroll (8-5, 1-1) squad that has been playing well as of late. West trailed
just once, early at 6-2, but they managed to grab the lead by the end of the first quarter
and would never relinquish it the rest of the way. Jr. WG Chris Mayo (5 rebs.) came off the bench to score
15 points (5-for-9 FG’s, 2-of-2 3’s) to pace the Burrs. He gave the Burrs a
23-16 lead going into the intermission after calmly depositing a left-corner trey just
before the buzzer. Later he expanded the Burr lead to 43-33 with 1:37 left when scoring
off a lovely feed from sr. 6-4 F Derrell Hand
while being fouled. He converted the freebie and for all intents and purposes the Patriots
were done. The Burrs received contributions in some form from every member. Ultimately it
was the play of the Burrs on the defensive end that allowed them to leave Radnor with the
W. Sr. PG Anthony Lee might have only scored
three points, but in my opinion he played his best game of the season. He committed just
one late turnover, but more importantly was bulldoggish in his defensive effort in
limiting Pats sr. PG Anthony Watson to just two
points on 1-for-5 shooting. This is just the kind of effort Head Coach Bill Ludlow needs from this kid on a nightly
basis. Take care of the ball and be a pest on defense. Once again sr. F Maurice Denton (5 points) put forth another
warrior-type outing. He snagged 11 rebounds, swatted 3, and made 2 steals along the way.
He also did a very nice job in stifling Carroll’s other main cog sr. 6-5 F Eugene Adams. Adams finished with just 9 points (2
in second half) on 4-for-12 shooting. Sr. F Joe
Askew (5 rebs.) and sr. WG Antonio Banks
each had solid games and evenly split 12 points. The last Burr I need to mention is Hand.
For those of you who remember the D-1 football prospect experienced a 30-day suspension
toward the end of the gridiron season. He was suspended for leaving school grounds to go
to Kentucky Fried Chicken during his lunch break. Well, in a lighter and most certainly
one of the more clever moments of the season the Carroll faithful were waiting for him.
Not known for their large turnouts, the Carroll student body came out with a solid
representation for the game. About a dozen or so students wore KFC buckets on their heads.
It was hilarious! A few members held up signs with one reading, Hand me some chicken. Throughout the game Hand
was often jeered when touching the ball. However, it was the Hand who got the last laugh
as he supplied some buckets of his own. He ended the game with a 12-piece performance
(points) as he shot 5-for-7 from the field and 2-for-2 from the line. After Carroll scored
two quick baskets to cut the West lead to 43-37 it was Hand who was responsible for one of
the game’s most crucial plays. Mayo missed the front-end of a one-and-one, but
somehow Hand finagled is way into the lane and tipped home the miss. One could say that
this play was…finger-licking good! After the game the good-natured Hand donned one
the KFC buckets as he left the gymnasium. Fun was had by all! The Patriots did receive one
solid performance and that was by jr. 6-8 C Dutch
Gaitley who scored 15 points (7-for-9 FG’s). Amazingly, he did so in only 14
minutes of action due to foul trouble. He missed an 11-minute stretch during the first
half and then he picked up his fourth with 3-plus minutes left in the third quarter. While
in the game he showed a nice touch from in close and some good hands. It would have done
the Pats wonders if he'd been able to stay on the court a little longer. Sr. G John Durante (3 assists) hit 3-of-4 treys for his
nine points. Watson contributed 4 assists and Adams added 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2
assists. Carroll shot just 17-for-44 (38.6%) from the field. Even though West didn’t
shoot a high percentage from the line they got they much more frequently than the Pats.
For the game West went 15-for-26, while Carroll was just 4-of-8. Despite the defensive
intensity in the game turnovers were not that prevalent as the teams combined for just 18
(West-8 & Carroll-10). On a disappointing note the Burrs lost arguably their most
talented player in sr. G Seward Joway once
again to conduct miseries. Joway just returned from a 30-day suspension this past Monday
in a game versus Neumann-Goretti. However, just two days later he was dismissed from the
team. Some kids just don’t get it and they have to be held accountable for their
actions. Hopefully, this youngster learns something from what he has experienced. Again I
ask, and this goes to all of the student-athletes in our high schools…..Do you want
to be part of a varsity team? Do you want to graduate from high school? Do you want to
have a chance to play at the next level and work towards a degree? Do you want to succeed
in life? If so, just be responsible and do your part in the classroom. The rest of your
life could be depending on it.
JAN. 3
CL SOUTH
Neumann-Goretti 65, West Catholic 55
The
Saints (10-0, 1-0) led from start to finish and kept the Burrs at arm’s length
throughout. I kept looking up at the scoreboard expecting to see the Saints with a
considerable advantage, but the pesky Burrs were always within striking distance and
managed to keep the game competitive for much of the night. The Burrs (7-5, 0-1) found
themselves down by just five after a breakaway slam by sr. F Joe Askew with 2:50 left. However, the Saints
would score nine of the game’s last thirteen points to ice the win. You be
hard-pressed to find another team in the area with a more athletic and talented starting
five than the Saints. It is very conceivable that all of the members of this unit will get
some kind of D-1 look/offer before their time at N-G is over. Making major headway in the
early part of the season is jr. 6-3 WG Derrick
“D.J.” Rivera. Just this past weekend he garnered MVP honors in the Dell
Curry Shootout, as N-G bested national power Mount Zion (Durham) to win the tourney.
Though a highly contributing member on last year’s Neumann team he was more known for
his defensive staunchness. Well, guess what folks? He now has a more than capable
offensive game to go along with it. A lefty, with tremendous, and I mean tremendous
elevation on his jumper scorched the Burrs early by scoring 15 first half points on
6-for-8 shooting (2 treys). He finished with a game-high 22 points and also added 4
rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Never have I seen a kid get this high off the floor on
a jump shot. He also exhibits a lovely arc to his shot. He reminds of a highly-athletic
SEC-type player. The types of kids you see on the Alabama’s, Auburn’s, and
Mississippi State’s of the world. Alert to all D-1 coaches who like to play up tempo
basketball--- this kid would more than likely thrive in that type of system. Also playing
a pivotal role for the Saints was their lone senior in the starting line-up 6-4 F David Burton. Just when his younger teammates
started to drift he stepped up and made a few leadership-type plays in the third quarter.
After a relatively quiet first half (1-for-4 FG’s, 4 points), he scored his
teams’ first seven points after the intermission and finished with 16 points for the
game. A few times he broke down his defender and then finished nicely on drives. He also
was active on the glass and plucked 13 rebounds, while adding 5 assists and 3 steals for a
nice all-around performance. Highly touted soph. 6-1 PG Antonio “Scoop” Jardine had a solid
performance and finished with 11 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. He also didn’t
commit a turnover which is a very impressive feat for any visiting PG when playing in the
Burrdome. Early on I thought he forced the issue some with shot selection, but he was much
more selective in the second half. He only attempted three shots after the break; all were
made and taken in the fourth quarter. This kid sees the court extremely well. Jr. 6-4 F Earl
Pettis had a somewhat uncomfortable look for much of the night and never really got on
track. He finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds. I’ll chalk it up to that it was his
turn to take a backseat. We should expect many more quality outings from this youngster as
the year progresses. The fifth starter and probably the kid with still a touch of rawness
to him is soph. 6-7 C Rick Jackson. He
reminds me a little of former Carroll standout Jordan
Ingram in the fact that he is already an adept shot-blocker. Tonight he swatted away
six and altered countless others. Offensively, he connected on three of his four shots for
6 points, all came from in close. He also added four rebounds. If Head Coach Carl Arrigale has a concern it is probably in the
depth department. Only two other Saints saw action and that was for a combined 13 minutes.
They were sr. G Conor Kennedy who adds grit and
frosh. 6-4 F Jamel Wilson. Wilson should be a
star in time. He did some very impressive things during the JV game, including accepting
and then slamming home an alley-oop. Very nice! What the Burrs lack in offensive prowess
they more than make up for in the playing hard department. This team isn’t going to
wow anyone in the ability to consistently put the ball in the basket. They’ll have to
rely on playing hard on the defensive end and letting that create easy-basket
opportunities. Tonight, they were able to do a little of this, therefore were able to keep
it close for a good portion. Still, you couldn’t pause to wonder what if? --- They
made a few more foul shots (11-for-23, 47.8%) or converted on a few more shots around the
basket (20-for-58 FG’s, 35.5%). In the good news department the Burrs got back sr. PG
Seward Joway who has been away from the team to
due to conduct-related issues in school. He only shot 4-for-14, but a few were near misses
and considering it was his first game back his performance was encouraging. He did connect
and looked good in doing so on his only two shots from distance. He scored 11 of his
team-high 13 points in the second half. He also hustled for 7 rebounds. Askew, who has
been a pleasant surprise for the Burrs this year slept-walk through the first 29 minutes.
All three of his baskets came during the latter part of the fourth quarter. If the Burrs
are going to have any kind of success this year they’ll need for him to be consistent
game-in and game-out. Jr. WG Chris Mayo played
hard and plays hard on a nightly basis. He has a strong body and when concentrating gives
an honest defensive effort. I would just like to see him finish a play more often. Tonight
he contributed 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. In the first half he
accepted a pass while on a break and authoritatively went to the basket and scored. There
is no reason why this shouldn’t happen more regularly. Sr. F Maurice Denton battled for 7 points, 6 rebounds,
and 3 steals. He continues to supply energy. Sr. PG Anthony
Lee nailed back-to-back treys in the third quarter to keep the game close. There was a
good crowd on hand and the Burrdome was rather lively for decent stretches of the game.