Ten Best: Carey v. Liberty Benton
Liberty Benton notched their 13th win of the season Monday night with a 74-52 win over visiting Carey High School. Even though Carey cut it to 6 points during the second quarter, the outcome was never in doubt. With the…
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Continue ReadingLiberty Benton notched their 13th win of the season Monday night with a 74-52 win over visiting Carey High School. Even though Carey cut it to 6 points during the second quarter, the outcome was never in doubt. With the loss, Carey’s record dropped to 9-8 on the season.
Now, here’s the Ten Best moments and individual performances from tonight’s game…
MVP: Anthony Masterlasco (Liberty Benton)
Not a surprise that the Findlay commit was simply much better than everyone else on the court. By floating from short corner to short corner, Masterlasco let the game come to him. Once he caught, he was most deadly with the pass (even though he did score 27 points of his own). The 6’4” wing probably could have taken the game over sooner than he did, but Masterlasco played within the offense, which made for an even more impressive performance.
Best offensive performance: Ethan Frankart (Liberty Benton)
Frankart finished the night with 12 points, but his 8 in the first quarter got Liberty Benton rolling early. Frankart displayed great touch around the rim, with nearly all of his points coming on baby hooks and floaters. The 6’6” senior isn’t going to overwhelm you with his physicality, but his soft hands are an asset.
Best defensive performance: Clay Luzader (Carey)
The 5’9” junior’s game is twitchy. He’s not polished, he’s not a great shooter, but on defense Luzader’s erratic style helps the team. Luzader was able to get his hands on a few balls to force turnovers. High motor.
Best unsigned prospect: Hayden Stone (Carey)
PHO may have found a diamond in the rough tonight in freshman post player, Hayden Stone. Though he’s listed at 6’4”, he looked to be equally as tall as the 6’6” Frankart when they matched-up. We will definitely keep an eye on the fluid big man during the grassroots season and beyond.
Best under-the-radar performance: Tyler George (Liberty Benton)
While Carey’s guards were mostly out of control, George, Liberty Benton’s starting point guard, kept his team appropriately calm. Although the 5’11” senior didn’t score a single basket, he safely got the ball to guys who did.
Best underclassman: Hayden Stone (Carey)
The freshman started at the center position for Carey. It will be interesting to see him a year from now to see if he becomes more aggressive. Also, Carey should consider running their offense through the promising big — extra touches might provide some needed confidence for Stone. Kid has a high ceiling.
X-Factor: Trey Bame (Carey)
Bame has a nice looking jump shot, and creates space with one dribble. He finished with seven points. The big if in this game is: if Bame could have converted a few more three-pointers, could this game have been closer? Yes. He just hardly missed on a lot of open threes.
Best intangibles: Anthony Masterlasco (Liberty Benton)
The senior leader was the one talking to the team in the huddle pre-game, high-fiving every ball-boy, and cheering the loudest when the end of the bench played the fourth quarter. Furthermore, when he had the ball on offense it was obvious that his teammates trusted Masterlasco to find them.
Other: Austin May (Liberty Benton)
May’s main role on the team seems to be stretching out the defense with his three-point shooting. He also showed some impressive athleticism tonight, especially in the strength category. May’s combination of physicality and shooting is a rare one, making the 6’3” wing a potential Division III prospect.
Best moment: The most impressive play came in a routine half-court set. Masterlasco drove from one wing to the opposite elbow while staring down a shooter in the corner, then he whipped a no-look pass to the top of the key. It ended in a easy three-point conversion for the recipient of that pass. Masterlasco’s future teammates at Findlay are going to love playing with him because of that vision.