Ten Best: Woodbury vs. Champlin Park
My last game of the evening was a treat in the form of two very good AAAA teams, Woodbury and Champlin Park. Coming in I knew Champlin Park was the surefire favorite across all rankings and polls, but Woodbury is…
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Continue ReadingMy last game of the evening was a treat in the form of two very good AAAA teams, Woodbury and Champlin Park. Coming in I knew Champlin Park was the surefire favorite across all rankings and polls, but Woodbury is very dangerous team with Jeremiah Coddon leading the way. Tightly contested early, the Rebels got out and ran the Royals down thanks to Theo John and McKinley Wright doing what they do best. I left the gym to the tune of a 95-63 score at the three minute mark, and the final was 101-70.
MVP: McKinley Wright (PG, 6-0, Sr., Champlin Park)
Wright did a lot of everything for the Rebels tonight, proving once again that he will have a chance to make an impact very quickly next year at Dayton. He was all over the floor and his statline showed it: 34 points, five rebounds, five assists, five steals. Enough said.
Best offensive performance: Jeremiah Coddon (SG, 6-2, Sr., Woodbury)
I really like Jeremiah’s game. He creates for himself extremely well and if he’s open, he’ll make it. He knocked down tons of mid range jumpers, a couple treys, and utilized a nifty behind-the-back move in traffic to score at the rim. Variety of offensive skills and the go-to guy for the Royals. 21 points for Coddon and three steals to boot.
Best defensive performance: Theo John (PF, 6-9, Sr., Champlin Park)
Theo’s post presence at both ends of the floor can barely be put into words. He dominated offensively, scoring 16 with ease and fluidity from the low block, but he blocked nine shots. NINE. Tough day if you were a Woodbury guard brave enough to venture into the lane. John projects as a power forward but he has the instinct and length to be a rim protector too. A nearby spectator sporting a Wes Unseld Washington Bullets jersey commented, “I hope Marquette knows they’re getting a gem in him. Theo is the real deal.”
Best under-the-radar performance: Michael Jones (SG/SF, 6-4, Jr., Woodbury)
Jones has been putting up huge scoring numbers all year including a couple 30-balls. He’s a very long wing with a nice stroke and he’s active defensively as well. Added 17 points in an off night where it took him a while to get a rhythm.
Best shooter: Josiah Strong (G, 6-0, Jr., Champlin Park)
I saw Strong come off the bench as a sophomore a season ago and do exactly this: bury triples. He knocked in three of them and leaked for transition buckets on his way to 14 bench points for the Rebels. His experience and keen shooting will keep Champlin up next year.
Best performance off the bench: Nolan Glunz (F, 6-1, Sr., Woodbury)
Glunz is deceivingly quick and a tough body to push off-balance when he attacks the basket. A lot of “how did he mamage that?” buckets for him on Thursday, and his 20 point performance gives Coach Getzlaff a much-needed third option offensively.
Best intangibles: David Alston (C, 6-5, Jr., Woodbury)
Alston started this game at the center position and was assigned a tall task of guarding Theo John. While Woodbury made it interesting early, Alston frustrated Theo and forced him to take a few questionable shots. When John did get going, Alston still competed with him and as a junior giving up three inches to John, I thought he held his own.
Best underclassman: Bennett Otto (G, 6-3, So., Champlin Park)
The lanky shooter is recently back from injury and by the way he was running the floor on fast breaks, he looks very healthy. Scored just five points but didn’t miss a beat physically. He has a bright future with two-plus years of varsity ball in store.
Best player comparison: McKinley Wright —> Kyrie Irving
Wright simply doesn’t miss when he penetrates into the paint. His focus on the rim is uncanny and his three-point percentage has definitely risen since last season. Not to mention his unwavering composure and ability to hit tough shots in all situations… he has ice in his veins. This sounds a lot like Kyrie, doesn’t it? I know McKinley’s a Damian Lillard fan, but I hope he and others enjoy this comparison too. He’s a leader and an uber-consistent basketball player.
Best storyline moving forward: The revelation of Jeremiah Coddon
Coddon was a part of the Howard Pulley EYBL team last summer but saw limited minutes. His performances this high school season as primary ballhandler/scorer/distributor must be garnering attention from the higher levels. He would be a great NSIC player and maybe even a low- to mid-major D-I guy. Jeremiah has proven he can create for himself and others; maybe we’ll see his name pop up in recruiting news soon.