Prep Hoops 10 Best: #1 Blue Ridge vs #22 Miller School
A huge conference and local rivalry took place Friday night, as #1 Blue Ridge traveled to #22 Miller School for a matchup of the two best boarding schools in the Charlottesville area. In their previous matchup at the Joe Miller…
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Continue ReadingA huge conference and local rivalry took place Friday night, as #1 Blue Ridge traveled to #22 Miller School for a matchup of the two best boarding schools in the Charlottesville area. In their previous matchup at the Joe Miller Phenom Hoops Holiday Classic, Blue Ridge came out with a convincing win and were looking for much of the same Friday. They got it, as Blue Ridge led from almost tip to buzzer, pulling away late in the first half and never looking back winning 78-59 to move to 18-1 on the season. Despite the final score, there was plenty of talent on both teams, and a great environment to watch a basketball game in. Here’s some of the takeaways from the game.
MVP | Aamir Simms | Blue Ridge ’17
The Clemson commit did exactly what he was supposed to do, dominating the game from a number of aspects. The 6’9” Simms took advantage of a guard oriented Miller lineup, and dominated the middle finishing with 18 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. He showed his entire skill set that makes him so versatile, starting the break off of a rebound, hitting trail threes and dominating the offensive glass. He brought his A game and got it done for Blue Ridge.
Play of the Game
Two minutes into the fourth quarter, Miller School went on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 16, and looked to have the momentum to make a comeback run. Miller School point guard DeShaun Wade made a nice move and on an unlucky break the shot rimmed out, where Simms was waiting for the rebound. He outlet the ball, ran the floor, caught for a trail 3, up faked and attacked the rim where he finished with an emphatic two handed slam. The dunk was not only highlight reel worthy, it was a big message sent to Miller as they tried to make a late run.
Best Offensive Performer | Darius McGhee | Blue Ridge ’18
All the kid does is score, and it’s because he can shoot from almost anywhere on the floor. I call him “Mr. 80 feet,” because once the ball’s inbounded to him he seems to be in range! McGhee finished with 21 points, hitting 7 three-pointers including five straight to end the second quarter. He may only be about 5’9”, but he can let it fly from anywhere and when he gets hot, it’s a done deal.
Best Defensive Performer | Aamir Simms | Blue Ridge ’17
As said earlier, the Clemson commit did a little bit of everything for the Blue Ridge, including holding down the middle defensively. Simms did a great job of contesting shots without fouling, using his length to bother ball handler and disrupt passing lanes, and did a great job rebounding and holding Miller School to just one shot attempt.
Best Guy off the Bench | Brent Rice | Miller School ’18
Rice won the award for the second straight game for Miller, but neither team got great production from their bench. The 5’8” guard did a great job handling pressure, was in the right place at the right time and sparked that 8 point run mentioned earlier by hitting a three and getting fouled on an offensive rebound. Rice’s ability to shoot gives Miller some kind of production off the bench moving forward.
Best Intangibles | DeShaun Wade | Miller School ‘18
Wade used his big 6’3” frame to his advantage against much smaller and quicker Blue Ridge guard that usually wreak havoc on backcourts, and turned it over only two times. He was very successful in getting his body between the defender and the ball, keeping him there and attacking the basket strong off the bounce and using his strength to finish in the lane. He finished with 14 points on the night.
Best Under the Radar Performer | Josh Colon | Blue Ridge ‘17
He continues to get it done, and the Blue Ridge floor general is just a dog on both ends. He hounds the basketball as a defender, reads the pick-and-roll well, makes shots off the bounce and creates for others. His toughness and poise as a point guard makes everyone around him play that way, and he finished with 16 points and 6 assists in the win.
Best Underclassman | De’Arvae Heard | Miller School ’19
Heard was as consistent a scorer as Miller School had on the night, scoring 18 points, 12 of which came in the second half. With star wing Aundre Hyatt being hounded throughout the game, Heard stepped up and made a few midrange jumpers to get his confidence going. He attacked the bigger Blue Ridge front line, got the rim and finished with consistency. He also pulled in six rebounds for the Mavericks.
Best “X Factor” | Sardarr Calhoun | Blue Ridge ’18
Calhoun has continued to improve into what’s looking like a solid division one wing prospect, but on a team with so much firepower he sometimes gets overshadowed. However, he’s provided a big spark for them throughout the season, including their win Friday night. He had a huge dunk off the tip to provide energy, was a good defender that guarded multiple positions and made shots when they needed him to. He finished with 10 points in their win.
Best Storyline to Watch Moving Forward
Blue Ridge, now sitting at 19-1 with a win over Liberty Christian Academy Saturday, has been the most consistent team in the state so far. They have played a high level schedule with their only loss coming to nationally ranked powerhouse Huntington Prep of West Virginia, and seem to be well on their way to contending for another VISAA Division 2 championship. The question will be, with all of these teams looking to knock them off, will they be able to bring that same intensity against teams they’ve beat earlier in the season. They have the discipline, firepower and depth to play with anyone, but with a roster that only features two players from their 2015 state championship in Simms and Colon, it will be important for them to bring the necessary leadership to make sure their team doesn’t slack off late in the season when they need energy the most.