Scouting Report: George Washington vs. FNE Warriors
George Washington showed on Saturday at the Thunderdome what kind of team it can be when all the parts are moving together. The result was a 73-65 victory over the Far Northeast Warriors, a game that sent a message: Despite…
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Continue ReadingGeorge Washington showed on Saturday at the Thunderdome what kind of team it can be when all the parts are moving together. The result was a 73-65 victory over the Far Northeast Warriors, a game that sent a message: Despite an 8-8 record, the Patriots have ironed out a lot of kinks and are a team to be reckoned with.
The Patriots played tenacious defense from the opening quarter, tightening the screws on the perimeter and forcing FNE into a mountain of mistakes. Guards Jervay Green (6-5, 2017), Calvin Fugett Jr. (6-2, 2017) and Jon’il Fugett (2018) set the tone by trapping the Warriors near the sideline and forcing a lot of cross-court passes that were picked off and turned into GW offense.
That was the formula for the Patriots’ victory, one in which they led by double digits for much of the game. Below is a closer look at the standouts on both sides. I’ve excluded Green, because I wrote a Prospect Spotlight on him earlier you can read here.
George Washington
Jon’il Fugett, 5-11 sophomore guard
In a game that saw the Patriots play extremely well as a unit, Fugett was the player of the game with 28 points. He nailed a number of big 3-point shots right at the moments it seemed the Warriors would make a run. Fugett has an interesting hitch in his shot, but his consistency with his perimeter game has grown. Fugett is also a superb ball-handler who rarely gets sped up and knows how to get into the right spots. Has great toughness that is vital in a reliable point guard. He’s got a full package of leadership qualities and talents that make him fun to watch. More importantly, they are skills that will make him a quality teammate at the next level.
Calvin Fugett Jr., 6-2 junior guard
Jon’il’s older brother might be the best perimeter defender in the state. He has a relentless motor, good lateral quickness and hands that are constantly in passing lanes. His countless deflections make it difficult for opposing teams to initiate offense because he keeps them out of rhythm. Fugett, who has already received a slew of mid-major Division-I interest, is also a solid attacker at the rim and has a smooth jump shot.
Daylen Kountz, 6-5 sophomore wing
Our top-rated 2018 player has the tools to be a dynamic college player. He’s long, quick, athletic and skilled, a crafty lefty who can score in multiple ways, and has to the tune of 22 points per game this season, more than double his contributions as a freshman. With a prospect as talented as Kountz, observations for improvement qualify as nit-picking, but if he can find just a little more consistency with his perimeter shot, he’ll be an even more dangerous player than he already is — and he’s already an all-state candidate. Kountz is another player who is impressive to watch in the open floor, because he gets where he wants to go with seeming ease, even amid pressure.
Tre Pierce, 6-8 sophomore forward
Pierce is intriguing because he is long and relatively athletic and quick. He very thin and has a very long wingspan that could turn him into a solid rim protector. He’s averaging about two per game now. Pierce has plenty of work to do to expand an offensive game that is pretty limited at this point, but he made several nice plays in the first half Saturday on the defensive end. He’ll have to put a lot of work in, but Pierce shows potential.
Far Northeast Warriors
JoVon Nelson, 5-8 freshman guard
Nelson has the toughness of a player who has already been through the fire. He shows no fear while running the up-and-down Warriors offense. He is a quick and effective ball-handler and demonstrated an ability at times to get into the lane. As any freshman does, Nelson has improvements to make, namely on bolstering his outside shot and playing on-ball defense, but he shows great potential.
Aaris Bonds, 6-4 junior wing
Bonds had one of his best games of the season, leading the Warriors with 20 points. Bonds has a college-ready frame. He’s strong, quick and agile, and he has a decent skill-set. Bonds used his strength to get into the lane on Saturday and finish strong at the basket. Several of his buckets came on tough offensive rebound putbacks. He still needs polishing with his skill, but there is a lot of upside there.
Sekou Cisse, 6-4 senior guard/forward
One of the top available players in the 2016 class, Cisse’s blend of hard-nosed play on defense, and aggressive attacking on offense make him a pest for opponents, the proverbial player you probably love to play with and hate to play against. Cisse entered Saturday’s game leading FNE in scoring (15.2 points per game) and rebounding (6.6). Cisse also displays a pretty solid perimeter shooting touch. Cisse profiles a great JUCO player to start his college career.
Melek Bar, 6-4 wing
The wiry Bar is thin as a rail but plays much bigger. He is a pretty strong defender, using his long arms to his advantage on that side of the ball. Pretty creative offensively, averaging 12.5 points per game, Bar is best when he’s attacking the basket, and he’s pretty relentless on the glass. With a weight program behind him, Bar could an intriguing player.
Manel Ayol, 6-7 senior forward
Ayol fits the FNE mold has another tough player, who actually has some fairly decent size, though he, too, is on the thinner size. Ayol is a solid rebounder, willing to bang, and has some good athleticism and runs the floor well. Could be another good JUCO candidate.