Ten Best: ESPN Showcase – #18 New Albany (IN) vs. #1 La Lumiere (IN)

In the first game of the ESPN High School Showcase two Indiana teams faced off as #1 ranked La Lumiere was up against #18 ranked New Albany. La Lumiere started out quickly and ramped it up in the second quarter en route to 47 first half points behind 14 from Arizona commit Brian Bowen. New Albany controlled the third quarter outscoring La Lumiere 21-16 but that was not enough in the end as New Albany fell to the #1 ranked team in the nation, 85-63. Leading scorers: <strong>New Albany: </strong>Romeo Langford 40, Isaac Hibbard 9, Sean East 8. <strong>La Lumiere: </strong>Brian Bowen 27, Tyger Campbell 18, Jordan Poole 17. Leading rebounders: <strong>New Albany:</strong> Julian Hunter 6, Isaac Hibbard 5.<strong> La Lumiere: </strong>Jaren Jackson 18, Tyger Campbell 7. <strong>MVP: </strong>Romeo Langford (New Albany) New Albany would not be here if it weren't for Langford, and in this one he showed why he is a consensus top 3 junior in the nation. Langford scored 40 points in 31 minutes against the best competition that he will face in his high school career. He hit a few deep three-pointers and got to the rim relatively easily. His cuts were sharp and in this game he solidified himself as a national prospect. <strong>Best offensive performance: </strong>Brian Bowen (La Lumiere) I was back-and-forth between Bowen and Langford for MVP, but Bowen did not score 40 points. He did score 27 points though on 20 shots. Bowen energized La Lumiere and made 5 three-pointers on nine attempts. Bowen added an assist and grabbed down three offensive boards. He is super athletic and a pretty good mover without the ball as well. A really good showing from the Arizona commit. <strong>Best defensive performance: </strong>Jaren Jackson (La Lumiere) Jackson is a tough guy as it is already and he does the opposing offenses no favors by standing 6'11. Jackson was all over the boards pulling down 18 boards which was 25 percent of the total rebounds in the game. Jackson was strong inside and dominated the entire game with his height. He can move quick for a big man and will help out Michigan State in the future. <strong>Play of the Game: </strong>Romeo Langford alley-oop from Sean East The first basket of the game was a Langford throw down off of a pass from East. It energized the crowd and showed them what they were in store for in the two games that followed. <strong>Best under-the-radar performance: </strong>Isaac Hibbard (New Albany) Hibbard was another bright spot for New Albany. The senior scored nine points and did not have any turnovers while handling the ball against the much quicker La Lumiere team. He brought down five rebounds and distributed the ball really well. A good game for the small college prospect showing he can hang with the big boys. <strong>Best underclassman: </strong>Julian Hunter (New Albany) For the state of Indiana, Hunter is one of the better freshmen. He can score and rebound the ball well and starts inside for New Albany. Hunter was the only freshman on the floor, and he played well despite the size difference. He grabbed six rebounds and scored two points. He added two steals and his motor was on full display playing for 30/32 minutes. <strong>Best passer: </strong>Tyger Campbell (La Lumiere) Campbell is La Lumiere's point guard and shows great awareness at that position. He had seven assists in the game, all in the first half. He's a very quick, small sophomore who will be a great player at La Lumiere for the next few seasons. He's a guy who will get better over time as his passing is head-and-shoulders above the rest of his game. <strong>Best shooter: </strong>Jordan Poole (La Lumiere) The 6'5 SG came off the bench in this one in a big way. He got in the game and instantly knocked down a few three's. He has a body and shot that will stick at Michigan. Poole scored 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting. He has a very quick release and knows his spots and does not really force it. <strong>Best rebounder: </strong>Jaren Jackson (LA Lumiere) Like I said earlier, Jackson is a man in a boys world. He just kept grabbing boards as fast as he could and never stopped. Jackson is heading to Michigan State and he will be a big man inside that they need. Jackson is one of the more impressive big men in the high school game today, he just needs a little bit of polishing on the offensive end. <strong>Best takeaway:</strong> Both La Lumiere and New Albany are legit La Lumiere is a national powerhouse and you can see that here as they really just took it to New Albany. With all the talent they have they will be on ESPN frequently and for good reason. Look for them to pursue a national championship this season. New Albany is also very good. Playing the toughest schedule by far in the IHSAA they will contend once again, especially with Romeo Langford. If a few others can put together a couple points a game they'll go deep in the tournament. &nbsp;