10 Best: WI-Madison Memorial vs. FL-North Marion (Kingdom of the Sun Tournament)
STORY— On day one of Ocala, Florida’s “Kingdom of the Sun” tourney, game one between the Madison Spartans (8-2) and North Marion Colts (6-5) was won by a Madison team led by senior forward Chris Knight and his 19 points.…
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Continue ReadingSTORY— On day one of Ocala, Florida’s “Kingdom of the Sun” tourney, game one between the Madison Spartans (8-2) and North Marion Colts (6-5) was won by a Madison team led by senior forward Chris Knight and his 19 points. The Spartans took the win, 53-31. North Marion freshman guard led his squad with 11 points, and four-of-four from the foul line.
MVP: Chris Knight (Madison)
The senior forward did not let the early time slot be an excuse for poor play. Knight offered 11 of his total 19 points in the first half, eight of which came in the second quarter. Speaking to Knight after the game, he said a main part of his mindset prior to tip involved thinking of ways to dominate the paint. That second quarter was where we saw how well he can work the post with his 6’8” frame.
BEST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: Chris Knight (Madison)
Knight led both teams in scoring, with the second closest to him being Buie with his 11 points. The gem in his game lies in his ability to work the paint and be nearly automatic within eight feet of the basket. If you’re looking for an efficient scorer, Knight can be your guy.
BEST DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE: Blake Bradley (North Marion)
Bradley was a guy we never saw take a possession off on defense. While he earned five points in the game, his best defensive moment came when he was able to poke the ball away from the Madison guard’s hands in the second quarter, recover the rock, and sprint down-court for the layup.
BEST BENCH GUY: Torey Buie (North Marion)
Being the lone freshman on his team didn’t appear to make Buie alter his game in any way. Aggressive and quick in transition, Buie was able to offer 11 points and two steals off the pine in the loss.
BEST SHOES: Jake Ferguson (Madison)
The senior forward gave us a bit of his personality when he stepped on court in the Nike Kobe 11 “3D” model. The colorway is influenced by those 1980’s 3D red & blue-lensed glasses from movie theaters. The shoe has been said to provide “excellent court feel and mobility”, according to weartesters.com.
BEST UNDER-THE-RADAR PERFORMANCE: Blake Bradley (North Marion)
This 6’2” sophomore scored three of his five-total points in the first quarter and showed a great amount of hustle throughout every possession he played in. The score doesn’t show how much of factor he can be with more development to his jumpshot and penetration-ability.
BEST ASPECT OF THE ENVIRONMENT: The Entire Bench of Madison Memorial
It’s awesome when you see a complete team of 12 buying in to the entirety of a program. Madison’s bench stood up after every made bucket by the Spartans. They clapped, together. They cheered, together. When a player exited the game and made their way to the bench, they celebrated their teammate, together.
BEST STORY TO WATCH MOVING FORWARD: Torey Buie (North Marion)
Buie spoke on what motivates him to play following the game. He said he does everything for his father, Corey Buie, who passed away recently. One of his last wishes were for his son to grind hard enough to one day play on a nationally-televised scale. At only a freshman, he has plenty of time to work hard enough to make that wish a reality.
BEST QUOTE: Torey Buie (North Marion)
“I think I’m better than what I was last year. That’s what I’ve tried to build on. Every game I think about what I can do so I know my dad is looking down on me, impressed, at what I’m doing.” – T.B.
BEST ENERGY GUY: Torey Buie (North Marion)
Buie showed his heart during one particular play in the second half. After getting crossed up a bit by a Madison guard, he quickly recovered his footing to stretch back and block the jump shooter from behind. Buie never slacked when it came to hustle.