Prep Hoops 10 Best: Varina vs. St. Chris
In the opening night of the Richmond Times Dispatch Invitational, I headed to Saint Christopher’s to see the defending TDIT champs host a tough Varina squad. The game got off to a lackluster start, but start guard and Lafayette commit…
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Continue ReadingIn the opening night of the Richmond Times Dispatch Invitational, I headed to Saint Christopher’s to see the defending TDIT champs host a tough Varina squad. The game got off to a lackluster start, but start guard and Lafayette commit Alex Petrie got it going in the first half as the Saints took a 25-16 lead into halftime. Things changed late in the third however, as Varina trimmed the lead to just two by applying pressure and making Petrie work for every shot. Varina continued to apply pressure and turn defense into offense, and after taking the lead midway through the fourth quarter they never looked back, winning a tight one 59-56. Here’s some of the takeaways from a great opening game for the tournament.
MVP : Kenneth Southerland | Varina ’17
Southerland came into the season with a lot of hype after being named First Team All Conference 12 last year, and he lived up to it in this one. The 6’6” big scored it on the block and from the midrange, and he showed off his crazy athleticism in a number of ways. He finished with 21 points and 9 rebounds, including a number of free throws down the stretch to seal the game.
Play of the Game
Southerland gets the nod here, as his alley-oop in the fourth quarter not only was a highlight reel worthy play, but the Blue Devils never looked back as well. With under four minutes left, Varina made a run by turning over St. Christopher’s, and Southerland caught a two handed oop off of two feet, igniting the Blue Devil crowd.
Best Offensive Performer: Alex Petrie | St. Chris ’17
Petrie may have took a lot of shots (23 in total), but the Saints needed everyone of them, especially down the stretch where he made play-after-play to keep them in the game. Petrie finished with 31 points and 8 rebounds, including four three-pointers and going 9-for-10 from the free throw line.
Best Defensive Performer: Andre Watkins | Varina ’17
Watkins was key to the comeback for Varina, despite an off shooting night going 3-for-11 from the field. When Varina switched to their full court press in the fourth quarter, Watkins used his length at the top of the zone to give ball handlers problems. He finished with three steals, all of which he converted into a layup or assist on the other end, and he deflected even more passes as well.
Best Guy off the Bench | Kenard Richardson | Varina ’20
Talk about defense, Richardson may only be a freshman but he takes pride in guarding the best. In the first half, he came off the bench and face guarded Petrie on many occasions, which worked well for Varina because he’s strong enough to stick with a big and experienced guard like Petrie. He was effective on both ends for Varina.
Best Intangibles | Donovan Murphy | St. Chris ’18
Murphy could also get the “All Hustle” award, as he came off the bench and gave everything he had for the Saints on both ends. He finished with three points and three rebounds, but he was diving all over the floor and keeping plays alive. There was one sequence where Murphy lost his shoe on defense, forced a turnover, then offensively got an offensive rebound and was fouled. Effort like that is something Murphy gave all the time.
Best Under-the-Radar Performance | Ameer Bennett | St. Chris ‘17
Bennett had a great start to his game, scoring eight points in the first half and finishing with seven rebounds on the game. What was intriguing is the way that he’s improved in all aspects of the game. He’s stronger, more aggressive and has improved his midrange game to where he’s a consistent threat from there. Bennett should be a much bigger part of the offense this season.
Best Underclassman | Kenard Richardson | Varina ’20
We mentioned how good he was on the defensive end earlier, but Richardson showed a lot of promise in the way he finished around the basket and ran in transition as well. He needs to work on his jump shot and sure up his handle offensively, but he’s a good finisher in traffic and is always attacking the teeth of the defense to make plays. He finished with 10 points.
Best Flash of Promise | Tyrese Jenkins | Varina ‘19
Jenkins has been on the radar recently, but last night he showed the promise offensively that makes him so intriguing. At a legitimate 6’5”, Jenkins is built like a four man but plays like a wing. He showed good touch to open the game from 18-20 feet, and handled the basketball when they needed help relieving pressure. If he continues to get more confident, he can grow into a solid college prospect.
Best Aspect of the Environment | TDIT Opening Night
The beginning of the TDIT is much more than just a basketball tournament, it’s the beginning of the Christmas season. With a little over a week until the holiday, a lot of tournaments are coming up and this has consistently been one of the best tournaments by one of the oldest published newspapers in the south. It was a fitting start, and an event we look forward to covering every year.