10 Best: Gainesville v. Eastside
STORY In the only boys basketball rivalry that’s too big for a team to stay in their home gym, the Gainesville Hurricanes and Eastside Rams squared up at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL to add another chapter. While the…
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In the only boys basketball rivalry that’s too big for a team to stay in their home gym, the Gainesville Hurricanes and Eastside Rams squared up at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL to add another chapter. While the crowds were amped, that sound soon fizzled from one half of the arena as the ‘Canes mopped the Rams, 61-24.
MVP: J’Len Wilson (Gainesville)
“He’s only 5’10”. He’s not going to be a factor.” I imagine there were a few who murmured this to themselves after seeing him enter the game, at first. But no, Wilson used every second of the floor time to silence who may have said it. Only six points, but they came solely from free throws shot at a 100% clip, six-for-six. Here’s another “s” word for you: steals. Six, steals. You want a student-athlete who’s hungry for the ball away from offense, everyone needs a tenacious defender. Wilson gave coach Beckham and his ‘Canes that and more.
BEST OFFENSE: Christian Miller-Cardwell (Gainesville)
C.M.C. seems like he’s established himself as one of the main offensive threats for the ‘Canes. On this day, he hurt the Rams from three, shooting two-of-four. He also went three-of-four when his back was to the basket in the paint. The junior posted 12 points in three quarters to lead all scorers. The first quarter didn’t see a shot attempted by Miller-Cardwell, but I could tell it was because he didn’t want to force anything. He likes the game to come to him.
BEST DEFENSE: Jeremiah Tisme (Gainesville)
If I had to pick a second man right behind Wilson in this game, the length of 6’10” sophomore Jeremiah Tisme can’t be ignored. He is a slender guy, but he is a player that made the Eastside defense question everything they thought about entering the paint. His game-high three blocks attest to that. He’s got time to fill out the frame. And when he does, you’ll hear about it.
BEST RESERVE: Josh Dudley (Gainesville)
Dudley had a game that was felt from start to finish. He notched six points off shooting two-of-two from the three-line, one made in the first quarter, the other in the fourth. In between that, four rebounds and three assists. I could definitely see him moving up in role come next season—which would be his last as a member of the class of 2018.
BEST REBOUNDER: Isaiah Wilson (Gainesville)
He tied for the team-lead with four, but man, he isn’t a guy that’s going to wait for the ball to come to him. “Zaybo” is PURSUING the basketball while it’s in the air. There were moments he flew into the offensive glass like he had personal issues with the backboard. Two offensive, two defensive. Great to see a senior lead the way he does. By example.
BEST RADAR GUY: Dallas Tealer (Gainesville)
Remember the name next season. Tealer will be a senior next year, and I could see him being a real offensive threat with C.M.C. right next to him. Teaser notched his seven points all in the first half. Three rebounds and two steals helped add some weight on defense for the ‘Canes.
BEST ASPECT: The Neutral Site Game at Santa Fe College
This is the first time I’ve been to a neutral site regular-season basketball game. Football, a couple times. But this basketball arena had everything you want in a crowd. Some dressed up in their favorite teams’ colors, chanted war songs, the two cheer squads faced off like they were a part of “Drumline!”. Awesome environment to see.
BEST QUOTE: GHS Head Coach Kelly Beckham
“In any game, that’s big any time you can jump out to double-digits early. It was a good team effort. I think everyone contributed, tonight.” – coach Beckham right before he found out every man on the roster scored in the win.
BEST ENERGY: J’Len Wilson (Gainesville)
I tried to think of every player I saw on the court that night, and no one out-hustled Wilson. Just an active, scrappy player that you want on your side when you need some positive action. I mentioned the six steals earlier, they’re a testament of how hard he worked to make sure his opponent was uncomfortable from start to finish.
BEST STORY TO WATCH: How Eastside bounces back after loss
Any team that loses a rivalry game by near-40 has to have some type of self-reflection going on at the end of the night. I’m interested to see how they finish the season, with the playoffs just a few games away. Will that game be an example of how they finish their season, or will they rise above & come together?