Prep Hoops 10 Best: Legend vs. Cherry Creek
Jalen Meeks scored 13 of his 21 points in the third quarter to help blow a close game wide open, and Cherry Creek cruised in the second half to a 63-45 victory over Legend in the semifinals of Creek’s holiday…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingJalen Meeks scored 13 of his 21 points in the third quarter to help blow a close game wide open, and Cherry Creek cruised in the second half to a 63-45 victory over Legend in the semifinals of Creek’s holiday tournament.
It was another impressive victory for the Bruins under first-year coach Kent Dertinger, whose team improved to 7-1.
Creek overcame a 22-21 halftime deficit by intensifying their attack on both sides of the floor and closing off the 3-point line.
A closer look at the game:
MVP: Jalen Meeks, Cherry Creek
The 6-2 senior came out of the locker room like a man on a mission in the third quarter. He attacked the basket, hit a baseline jumper, nailed a couple 3-pointers and completed an old-fashioned 3-point play as part of an impressive 13-point quarter. Meeks was also strong on the defensive end.
Best offensive performance: Blake Fields, Legend
It is great to see the 6-2 senior making the most of his chance to be a major player for the Titans. As a backup to an all-senior team last season, Fields was mostly a 3-point shooter who could give a good spark off the bench. He showed Tuesday that he has greatly expanded his game since last season. He scored 16 points with a combination of outside shooting and impressive dribble-drive finishes.
Best defensive performance: Dimitri Stanley, Cherry Creek
The 6-0 junior point guard seems to never run out of energy on the defensive end. An all-state football player, Stanley’s athleticism transfers to the basketball court. He had about four steals Tuesday and was constantly making life difficult for Legend’s guards.
Play of the game: Stanley
To cap a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter that wrapped up the game early in the fourth quarter, Stanley sprinted down the court to receive a pass from teammate Andrew Walters, who had forced a turnover. Walters led Stanley with the pass, and Stanley got all the way up to flush a one-handed dunk, displaying his impressive athleticism.
Best under-the-radar performance: Nick Williams, Cherry Creek
Williams is another primary football player whose made big strides on the court. The 6-3 stretch four had seven points in the first quarter to help the Bruins build a 15-9 lead. He’s versatile with his ability to knock down 3-point shots and has good ball-handling for someone still learning the finer points of the game. And there’s no question about his athleticism.
Best intangibles: Andrew Walters, Cherry Creek
The 6-2 senior guard is a prototypical “glue guy” for the Bruins. He got to nearly every loose ball in his zip code Tuesday, got to the foul line, rebounded and generally just injected toughness. He’s a scrappy player that makes winning plays.
Best underclassmen: Cameron Le Van, Legend
We were impressed by Le Van while he played up a division with the Colorado Premier 15U squad this past spring and summer. His ability to run the show at the point guard position now that he’s reached the varsity level is perhaps even more impressive. Le Van is an on-target passer who assisted on three of Legend’s four 3-pointers in the second quarter, which helped the Titans take a 22-21 halftime lead. The 5-7 freshman never forces anything and is fundamentally sound.
Best kicks: Fields
The Nike Kobe 11 EM IDs in a perfect match of Legend’s navy blue and orange uniforms were on point.
The story going forward for Legend: Can Titans produce when the shots don’t fall?
Legend can knock down long-range shots with the best of them. Fields, Le Van, sophomore Caleb Tamminga and senior Bradley Caldwell can really stroke it. In an instant, Legend erased a nine-point deficit and then built a halftime lead by catching fire from beyond the arc. When the shots stopped falling, the offense slowed. Legend’s success going forward will hinge on finding ways to get buckets when the jumpers aren’t going down.
The story going forward for Cherry Creek: How good can the Bruins be?
At 7-1, Cherry Creek has been impressive out of the gates under Dertinger. The Bruins have a nice mix of athleticism in players like Meeks, Stanley, Williams and Rashon Johnson, and they have players who really mix it up in Walters, Joe Owsley and Chase Crocker. There are a lot of nice pieces on this team that seem to be gelling well. It will be interesting to see the ceiling for a team that is flirting with the top 10.
Play-by-play
1Q
L: McCord runner. 2-0.
C: Stanley layup. 2-2.
L: Fields 2/2 FT. 4-2.
C: Meeks putback own miss. 4-4.
C: Williams 3-pointer. 4-7.
L: Fields runner. 6-7.
C: Williams steal/layup. 6-9.
C: Meeks putback. 6-11.
C: Stanley steal/layup/foul; miss FT. 6-13.
C: Williams layup. 6-15.
L: Fields 3-pointer. 9-15.
2Q
L: Caldwell 3-pointer. 12-15.
L: Caldwell 3-pointer. 15-15.
L: Tamminga 3-pointer. 18-15.
C: Walters 2/2 FT. 18-17.
L: Tamminga 1/2 FT. 19-17.
C: Walters 2/2 FT. 19-19.
L: Fields 3-pointer. 22-19.
C: Williams 0/1 FT. 22-19.
L: Caldwell 0/1 FT. 22-19.
C: Meeks mid-range jumper. 22-21.
L: Fields 0/2 FT. 22-21.
3Q
C: Meeks layup. 22-23.
C: Meeks baseline jumper. 22-25.
L: Le Van layup. 24-25.
C: Meeks 3-pointer. 24-28.
C: Meeks layup/foul; made FT. 24-31.
C: Walker layup. 24-33.
C: Walters 1/2 FT. 24-34.
L: Fields 3-pointer. 27-34.
C: Stanley power layup. 27-36.
L: Fields layup/foul; made FT. 30-36.
C: Meeks 3-point jumper. 30-39.
L: Bruns putback. 32-39.
4Q
C: Stanley layup. 32-41.
C: Owsley layup/foul; made FT. 32-44.
C: Crocker 3-pointer. 32-47.
C: Walters layup. 32-49.
C: Stanley dunk in transition (Walters). 32-51.
L: Derosa 3-pointer. 35-51.
L: Muma 2/2 FT. 37-51.
C: Johnson 3-pointer. 37-54.
L: Brewer 2/2 FT. 39-54.
C: Walters 2/2 Ft. 39-56.
L: Le Van jumper. 41-56.
C: Meeks steal/layup. 41-58.
C: Williams layup. 41-60.
L: Le Van layup. 43-60.
C: Williams 3-pointer. 43-63.
L: Babb layup. 45-63.