10 Best: Roseville vs. St. Paul Central
Roseville won, 50-44. Halftime score was a pedestrian 23-9, advantage Raiders. Things sped up and got a bit more competitive in the second, although Central could never recover. MVP: Jovan Hunter, Roseville Hunter got going when Roseville needed a spark…
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Continue ReadingRoseville won, 50-44. Halftime score was a pedestrian 23-9, advantage Raiders. Things sped up and got a bit more competitive in the second, although Central could never recover.
MVP: Jovan Hunter, Roseville
Hunter got going when Roseville needed a spark in the worst way. He had 13 of Roseville’s 23 points in the first half and was huge in the Raiders’ 21-2 run during the half. Without him, I’m not sure what Roseville does to get points on the board, as he facilitated several scores as well. Totaled 18.
Best Offensive Performance: Jovan Hunter, Roseville
Yep, it’s got to be Hunter. I like what I see from the sophomore. Nice around the hoop and pushes the tempo well.
Best Defensive Performance: ??
Honestly, nobody stood out here at all. It was an up-and-down track meet with lots of fouls and self-inflicted turnovers.
Best Prospect: Re’Twan Balenger, Central
Balenger is worth taking a look at if you’re a D3 juco. He’s a 6-2 wing and a very bouncy athlete who could use some major work on his shooting rhythm, but the potential is certainly there.
Best Player off the Bench: Tenzing Nelson, Roseville
In a game where neither bench played especially prominent roles, Nelson came in and handled the dirty work down low for Roseville as an undersized post.
Best Play: Hunter getting the and-one to end the first half
Jovan raced to the hoop with about 45 seconds left, drew contact, hung in the air and finished with his left. He jumped up with his teammates congratulating him, and it was deserved.
Best Shooter: Daveonte Davis, Central
If we’re talking strictly shooting percentages, Davis converted at a very high rate around the rim, almost all on fast break opportunities. He finished with 14 points and only a few misses.
Best Passer: Re’Twan Balenger, Central
Re’Twan had some nice looks over the top to Daveonte Davis for some transition scores. Roseville also reliably skip-passed to each other around the perimeter with few mistakes. Devin Adams made a few nifty assists for Roseville.
Best Coaching/Strategy: Kevin McKenzie stressing rebounding
The lack of rebounding destroyed Roseville early. Coach McKenzie was consistently frustrated throughout the first half at the Raider’s inability to box out and secure the rock. He must have loved to see Drew Adams crash on a missed free throw and get the put-back.
Best Storyline Going Forward: Can Roseville rebuild?
There are some quality youngsters on this team, including sophomores Jovan Hunter and Mario Dukes. Can McKenzie help this group approach levels of prior success, including a state tournament appearance just a few years ago?