Logan Malachuk
STORY- Meadowcreek walked away the victor against Calvary Christian in this opening round matchup, despite facing a team who has nine wins by at least 12 points. Meadowcreek’s Cory Hightower posted 16 points, while Calvary’s Kahleel Gray notched 12 of his…
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Continue ReadingSTORY- Meadowcreek walked away the victor against Calvary Christian in this opening round matchup, despite facing a team who has nine wins by at least 12 points. Meadowcreek’s Cory Hightower posted 16 points, while Calvary’s Kahleel Gray notched 12 of his own.
MVP: Cory Hightower (Meadowcreek)
Hightower knows how to be a presence as the game winds down. The 6’7” junior forward has great arm-length to be a force on the glass, as well. His first half was a bit slow, but he progressed to lead all scorers with 10 of his 16 points coming in the second half. There was a key moment where Hightower elevated for a slam in the third quarter, giving his team a nine point lead. The lead was never lost from then on.
BEST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: Jerald Butler (Calvary Christian)
Coincidentally, he’s a Butler University commit. However, Jerald gets this nod because of his fearlessness to attack the basket. He’s 6’5”, but Calvary had him running point guard. Really solid with the ball in his hands, he has a good sense of finding the crease in the half-court defense. He totaled 11 points, but went 4-of-9 from the free-throw line. Obviously, we want that ratio to improve. But, I love his patience and aggressiveness when it came to getting to the hoop.
BEST DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: Soloman Uyaelunmo (Calvary Christian)
This junior small forward stands a slender 6’8” and was a force when it came to low-post defending. There was nobody he couldn’t matchup with. On Meadowcreek’s first possession of the fourth quarter, he was key in forcing a turnover leading to a Calvary layup.
BEST RESERVE: Kahleel Gray (Calvary Christian)
How often do you see a guy off the bench lead his team in scoring for a game? This junior guard finished with 12 points, half of which came in the fourth quarter. Gray has the skill set to earn starter role next season, most definitely.
BEST INTANGIBLES: Jerald Butler (Calvary Christian)
Butler is another one of those guys who seems to have a pulse on the game, a pulse with his teammates. I mentioned his ability to really control the ball in the open-court. Speaking to him, see said he’d like a skill set as versatile as LeBron James’s. On-court, he gets looked at as if he is their leader. And sometimes, you can’t leadership.
BEST UNDER-THE-RADAR: Tyler Hudson (Meadowcreek)
The six-foot senior guard was a spark off the bench, contributing eight points while hitting three free-throws when it counted in the fourth quarter. He wasn’t shy about taking the open lane and trying to get to the hoop. Took contact very well.
BEST ASPECT OF THE GAME: The crowd setting
By the time this game started, the gym started to really file in for the games that we’re coming afterwards. It really was the first game I felt a “tournament buzz” set in. The feeling bled into the game, as you saw players really going after it late in the game, feeding off the vibe of the crowd.
BEST STORY TO WATCH MOVING FORWARD: Jerald Butler headed to Butler
Speaking with Jerald after the game, he came off as a kid who feels like he’s made the best decision, because he really thought about it. Well-mannered, eager to get started with his new team. He said that he wants to shed a couple pounds, and really be a challenger at the point guard spot.
BEST SHOES: Angel LeBron Jr. (Calvary Christian)
Some people aren’t Kevin Durant fans after last summer, but he still has a damn good sneaker for LeBron Jr. He tried out the “Court Ready” KD 9’s with the Obsidian/Dark Purple/Black color way. If he’s trying to cut his way through the lane, they’re good for comfort and support around the ankle area.
BEST ENERGY GUY: Victor Uyaelunmo (Calvary Christian)
Standing at seven-feet even, and also a starter, Victor is going to be a topic of the game regardless of what his game produces. He came out, offered six points and drew many fouls due to how active he was in trying to get shots in the paint.