Prep Hoops 10 Best: Miller School vs. VES
In a matchup between two of the top programs in the VISAA Division 2 classification, a revitalized Miller School out of Charlottesville traveled to Lynchburg to take on Virginia Episcopal School. The matchup featured the #2 prospect in our 2018…
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Continue ReadingIn a matchup between two of the top programs in the VISAA Division 2 classification, a revitalized Miller School out of Charlottesville traveled to Lynchburg to take on Virginia Episcopal School. The matchup featured the #2 prospect in our 2018 rankings Jaelin Llewellyn of VES and the #1 prospect in our 2019 rankings Aundre Hyatt of Miller School. Miller School jumped out to a quick lead, and despite a few big runs by VES were able to hold on and pull away late for a 71-48 win to improve to 9-3 on the season. Here’s some takeaways from the game last night.
MVP | Aundre Hyatt | Miller School ’19
From a shear numbers standpoint, you can’t take anything away from a kid who almost finished with a 20-20 game in a win. A 6’6” wing known as a shooter, Hyatt showed some grit as he embraced the physical nature of the game and hit the glass hard to the tune of 20 rebounds, 13 of which came in the second half. He also scored a game high 19 points and was big down the stretch for Miller as they pulled away late.
Play of the Game
There was a combination of plays that were very impressive from VES sophomore Jaelin Llewellyn that showed his shot making and creative ability off the bounce. In the second quarter with Miller School on a run, Llewellyn had back-to-back plays where he exploded to the paint, stopped on a dime and stepped back to hit a tough contested jump shot. That ability to create space and his own shot with his explosive athletic ability is what makes Llewellyn such an impressive scoring point guard/
Best Offensive Performer | Aundre Hyatt | Miller School ’19
The numbers are impressive, but what’s even better is how effortlessly he looks when he does it. The 6’6″ wing has easy range well beyond the three point line, uses his size in the paint and in the midrange to get his shot off, and always seemed to come up with a big time rebound when they needed one. It’s easy to see why he has so many high level programs already looking at him, and as he improves defensively there will be more to come surely.
Best Defensive Performer | Jaelin Llewellyn | VES ’18
Llewellyn, a high level recruit in his own right, had a great game on both ends of the floor, finishing with a team high 18 points and was the only player on VES that could consistently create his own shot. However, he showed tremendous lateral quickness on the defensive end too. He finished with three steals, but what was most impressive is that he hardly got of position by gambling, kept ball handlers in front and was always in the right place to help on drivers.
Best Guy off the Bench | Brent Rice | Miller School ’18
The 5’9” transfer from Christchurch may not look like much of a hooper, but Rice lit VES up to the tune of 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting off the bench. With so much attention focused on the Miller School big four, Rice got easy looks from deep all game and he made them count when he did. He provided a spark immediately off the bench, and if he can give them something like this every game they will be hard to beat.
Best Intangibles | DeShaun Wade | Miller School ’18
The transfer from Virginia Beach is in a great situation at Miller where he’s the only primary ball handler and is surrounded by shooters and wings who can run with him. Wade set the tone on both ends of the floor, hounding Llewellyn defensively and pushing tempo offensively. He had a small stretch in the third quarter where he got a little loose with the ball, but other than that he was “the one that makes us go” as Head Coach Danny Manuel described it. The 6’3” point guard finished with 10 points, 8 assists and six rebounds.
Best Under-the-Radar Performer | Jaylin Reed | Miller School ’18
He’s grown to a legit 6’2” now and he’s been shooting the lights out so far this season. Reed came out with the hot hand, scoring 12 points including going 3-for-4 from deep. VES got the hint and stopped helping off of Reed, which made it much easier for Hyatt and others to get easy shots in the second half. He also pitched in six rebounds on the night for Miller.
Best Underclassman | De’Arvae Heard | Miller School ’19
We obviously could gave Hyatt this recognition as well, but Heard looks like a solid division one prospect as well despite being somewhat overshadowed last night by his teammates. The 6’3” wing has broad shoulders and great upper body strength that allows him to finish in the lane and guard players much bigger than him, and he showed a smooth stroke from the midrange as he worked the high post against the 2-3 zone. He finished with 8 points, three rebounds and three assists on the night.
Best Rebounder | Ishmael Smith | VES ’20
Other than Hyatt, Smith was the one that showed the most tenacity when crashing the boards for either team. The young but strong 6’5” big man finished with 8 rebounds on the day, and was not afraid to get physical with the older players he was guarding. He played with a high motor, is a very good athlete and should pan out as a good prospect if he continues to improve on the offensive end.
Most Gutsy Peformer | Adnan Arslanagic | VES ’17
The Bosnian point guard played in his first game in over a month after a slight knee injury, and he didn’t back down. Despite an off shooting night (I’m sure he was pretty rusty), Arslanagic wasn’t afraid to attack down hill, find contact and get to the line. He took some tough falls, made some great hustle plays and competed until the very end of the game. He finished with eight points and three assists for VES.