Ten Best: Perry Meridian vs. Indianapolis Roncalli
On Saturday night, you got to see one of the more under-the-radar teams in the central Indiana area when Indianapolis Roncalli knocked off Perry Meridian, 66-41. Led by Christian Stewart and Bryson Meek with 15 points each, Roncalli struggled a…
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Continue ReadingOn Saturday night, you got to see one of the more under-the-radar teams in the central Indiana area when Indianapolis Roncalli knocked off Perry Meridian, 66-41. Led by Christian Stewart and Bryson Meek with 15 points each, Roncalli struggled a little bit early as Perry was able to make some shots and keep it a three-point game after the first quarter. However, that was the stretch of a couple big quarters. Roncalli scored only 12 in the first quarter but then had 21 in the second and 25 in the third. Perry struggled to keep up the pace but got some production out of seniors Nathan Mills (15 points) and David Jackson (9 points)
MVP: Christian Stewart (Roncalli)
Stewart was the best player on the floor tonight doing a little bit of everything. After watching him for as long as we have, you almost expect such a big part of his game to come from the three-point line but that was almost the opposite tonight. He only had three attempts and he went 1/3. He did a lot of work near the rim, getting in transition as well as a great job rebounding the ball. He was good in the role of point guard and setting up his teammates, something Roncalli executed perfectly tonight.
Play of the Game: Jack Hegwood (Roncalli)
The play of the game was with the whole Roncalli team on the floor but Hegwood, if we remember correctly, was the guy that hit the corner three. The play was setup by Stewart on the perimeter who drove into the middle and kicked out to his teammate on the wing who passed it to another on the wing and then he passed it to another on the wing as it hit four guys on the arc, moving the ball around, and ending with a pure three in the corner. This really exemplified the team chemistry Roncalli had all night.
Best Offensive Performance: Bryson Meek (Roncalli)
The best offensive performance belongs to Meek with his 15 points on 4/8 shooting. He shot 6/7 from the free throw line to help his efficiency. It is something we will talk about later but this wasn’t really expected. It adds to the depth of this team that you can get a performance like this out of a guy not named Christian Stewart. Meek was impressive doing a lot of his work driving to the rim and finishing at a high rate. Liked to work baseline if defenders allowed him.
Best Defensive Performance: Collin Sonderman (Roncalli)
The best defensive performance was Sonderman. The 6’9 post did what he needed to in the paint, disrupting shots and grabbing the loose rebounds. Collin went for 13 points and 8 rebounds, but even more so, he was a big reason why the guards of Perry Meridian struggled finishing at the rim. He didn’t have to be great, he just had to be effective and he was tonight.
Best Guy Off The Bench: Keegan Owen (Roncalli)
Owen was another name on Roncalli that added to the overall depth of this team. He came of the bench and wasn’t even the first guy off the bench, but he scored 9 points on 4/4 shooting. He picked his spots well and made the most of them. It was even better when you factor in that they all came of 2FG’s where he’s probably a little bit better of a shooter from distance.
Best Intangibles: T.J. Comer (Perry Meridian)
In terms of intangibles, T.J. Comer gave Perry a lot of energy, physicality, and toughness. Perry struggled to play efficiently most all night but when they were at their best, Comer seemed to be the guys making the play. He only had four points tonight but he tried to draw contact on Perry and did with some success. He tried to play tough and match the defense and found success. He did struggle to get clean looks but that could be said of the entire team.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Bryson Meek (Roncalli)
We talked about this earlier but we didn’t go in expecting Meek to lead Roncalli in scoring. Not to mention do it as efficiently as he did. Bryson has a ton of talent and will play college ball in two years but right now he’s one of quite a few guys that can score the ball for Roncalli and to do it in the manner he did, that was definitely one of the best things we saw tonight.
Best Underclassmen: Semaj Danley (Perry Meridian)
The best underclassmen by far was Semaj Danley. He definitely didn’t have his best game but you still see what makes him so special. He’s about as long of a guard as you are going to find and he showed spurts of his defensively capabilities. He has to read the player a little better but when he times it up he is really tough to get past. Offensively he is starting to come a long. He is still a bit passive at times but better that than to see him put up bad shot after bad shot. A ton of promise.
Best Potential Breakout Player: David Jackson (Perry Meridian)
The guy to watch moving forward is David Jackson. The 6’6 forward has a ton of potential and might need a prep or JUCO year to get there. However, when he does you are going to see a new age forward who can play all over the floor, faced-up, and able to attack. His versatility is key as you could make him a 4/5 for a small school or work with him and make him a 2/3/4. Has the capability now of putting up big numbers. Will want to see how he progresses throughout the season.
Best Storyline Moving Forward: The thing to watch moving forward is how Roncalli does against other big time 4A opponents. Their Sectional is quite a bit easier with Southport and Pike not nearly as strong as they were a year ago. If they can do well in the games against teams like Guerin Catholic and Cathedral as well as having success in the Marion County Tournament, if they can do that, they could be a big underdog in the Sectional.