10 Best: Ladue vs. Whitfield (MICDS Tournament Quarterfinals)
The most exciting game of the MICDS Tournament’s first two days was the quarterfinal matchup between No. 3 seed Whitfield and No. 6 seed Ladue. It looked like it was going to be a blowout at first as the hot…
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Continue ReadingThe most exciting game of the MICDS Tournament’s first two days was the quarterfinal matchup between No. 3 seed Whitfield and No. 6 seed Ladue. It looked like it was going to be a blowout at first as the hot shooting Ladue Rams jumped out to a 22-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and 40-30 lead at halftime. Slowly, but surely, Whitfield battled back in the second half and actually took a 57-54 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The last four minutes featured both teams trading the lead with big shot-making and clutch plays. In the end, it was Ladue that made the final play as the took a 66-64 victory to advance to the semifinals.
Now, on to the best of the evening:
MVP: Zach Bush (Ladue): The 6’1″ 2017 point guard scored a team-high 15 points to lead the Rams, but he came through with a pair of critical buckets late in the game when his team was reeling. With Ladue trailing for the first time at 57-54 with four minutes left, Bush came through with back to back takes to the basket to give the Rams a 58-57 lead to help them regain their confidence for the stretch run. He is an athletic point guard with excellent court vision and the physical strength to make plays.
Best Offensive Player: Torrence Watson (Whitfield): The 6’4″ 2018 guard finished with a game-high 26 points. A high-level Division I recruit with several offers, Watson displayed the ability to get to the basket and finish in traffic and get himself to the free throw line with regularity. His size, length, endurance and scorer’s mentality kept him in attack mode throughout the evening. In two games, Watson is averaging 30 points a game in the tournament.
Biggest Play of the Game: River Rhoads (Ladue): The 6’6″ 2017 forward had struggled with his 3-point shot all evening as he missed all four attempts, but he made the fifth one count as he knocked down the corner triple with 46 seconds left to give Ladue the 66-64 lead in what turned out to be the winning shot of the game.
Best Shooter: Amechie Ramsey (Whitfield): The 5’9″ 2018 guard enjoyed an excellent offensive game with 24 points, which included a game-high four 3-pointers. His transition 3-pointer with just over four minutes to play gave the Warriors a 57-54 lead and sent the Whitfield crowd into a frenzy as the Warriors had come all the way back from a double-digit deficit. 2017 guard Tate Hotz of Ladue is also a capable marksman with excellent range.
Best Player of the Bench: Toiyon Drummer (Ladue): The 6’4″ 2017 forward contributed 12 big points off the bench for the Rams. He scored eight on those points in the first half to help sustain Ladue’s lead. He came through with an offensive put back and a 12 foot jumper from the baseline in the second half.
Best Young Prospect (2019, 2020): Moses Okpala (Ladue): A bruising 6’7″ 250-pound 2019 power forward who has a grown man body despite being a youngster. He is not required to do much offensively, but he is strong defensive presence in the paint and an excellent rebounder. He has a nice future.
Best Spark Plug: Aurelio Stucco (Whitfield): When Whitfield was struggling early to find some buckets, the 6’2″ 2019 guard came off the bench and provided some instant relief with a couple of 3-pointers and a nice one-dribble pull-up jumper from the baseline.
Best Rebounder: Moses Okpala (Ladue): I liked how Big Moses could get up around the rim and grab the rebound strong with two hands and keep the ball high. He did that on a number of occasions during the game.
Tiny Glimpse of Future: Jalen Boyd (Ladue): A 5’9″ 2020 point guard, Boyd saw limited minutes as Bush’s backup, but he displayed some speed and quickness and the ability to get to the basket with confidence. We’ll be watching him down the road.
Wildest Sequence: With 12 seconds left in the game, Whitfield’s Watson scored the apparent game-tying bucket, he was called for charging to nullify the basket. In the ensuing possession, Whitfield forced Ladue to turn it over in the backcourt, which produced a wide-open 3-pointer and subsequent offensive rebounder, which both missed to allow Ladue to escape with the victory.