10 Best: Simeon vs Morgan Park
Battle of Vincennes Round 3! Simeon and Morgan Park each won on the opposing team’s home floor during the regular season. This one was for the CPS championship after each team ripped off four wins to reach the title. Simeon…
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Continue ReadingBattle of Vincennes Round 3! Simeon and Morgan Park each won on the opposing team’s home floor during the regular season. This one was for the CPS championship after each team ripped off four wins to reach the title. Simeon jumped out strong in the first quarter to lead. Morgan Park answered back to take a four point margin at the half. The second half was a straight battle between two rivals and two historic programs. Back and forth late. In the end Simeon secured the 68-64 win to capture the Chicago Public League Championship. Want to know what prospects shined? Here is our 10 Best: Simeon vs Morgan Park!
MVP
SG Kezo Brown (Simeon – 2018)
Brown was the best player for the Wolverines when we saw them Saturday at the City Suburban Showdown and that continued Sunday in the title game. The 6’2” lefty is aggressive slashing to the hoop. His confidence seems to be at an all-time high. He is starting to get a nose for the ball and knowing where it is. Got several offensive rebound put backs, got loose in transition, and got to the charity stripe where he connected on free throws. Competed on D especially early against his good friend Ayo. Had a nice steal that he turned into a long assist. The jump shot with Kezo is usually very streaky, but he was great shooting it from deep in the second half as he was 3/4 from beyond the arc. Brown finished with 26 points. Mid-major prospect.
Play of the game
Play of the game was by Messiah Jones where he got the put back which put Simeon ahead late, followed by a block, followed by a defensive rebound to secure the win.
Best offensive performance
PG Ayo Dosunmu ( organ Park – 2018)
It was a bit of a slow start for the #1 junior in the state with only a couple points in the opening quarter. Dosunmu got it rolling in the second quarter though. The 6’4” point guard has great size for the position along with plus athleticism and slick ball handling. He is best using his speed coming off a ball screen or beating his man off the bounce getting in the lane and scoring on runners or making trips to the foul line. Also has the ability to also stretch the defense with threes. Hit a nice one in the second quarter working behind a ball screen. The junior guard is great working around screens and knows how to manipulate them to get the look he wants. Quality passer that makes big time passes when in traffic. He had 16 points and 5 assists. High-major prospect.
Best defensive performance
PF Messiah Jones (Simeon – 2018)
Jones is the top 2018 post at 6’6” with big time athleticism. He is an undersized four man that uses his energy to make an impact on the game. Early in the contest Jones got after it on the offensive glass. His best offense is when someone else puts up a missed shot and allows him to go get it. Closed the third quarter with a monster dunk on a feed from Gilyard. His late play was key to the Wolverines win. He got an offensive rebound put back to give Simeon the lead, followed that up with a block shot and a defensive rebound that secured the win. He had 6 points and 7 rebounds but his impact was bigger than that. Mid-major prospect with athleticism, motor, and rebounding ability.
Best rebounder
PF Melo Burrell (Morgan Park – 2017)
After not playing on Saturday night Burrell came out on fire in this one. He was extremely active on the offensive glass early. Playing with a higher motor than we have seen in the past. Jump shot showed flashes of improvement as he stepped out to hit a few shots beyond the arc. Burrell is a long and lanky post that has plus athleticism. This was one of the best performances we have seen out of the uncommitted post. He finished with 15 points and 10 boards. D2 potential target.
Best passer
PG Evan Gilyard (Simeon – 2017 – UTEP)
Gilyard was more of a facilitator in the first half getting others involved. The UTEP commit is at his best when he sets others up and then looks for his points. That is what he did. Hit a couple tough jumpers including a step back mid-range shot and a big corner three late. Really is effective with his runner. Gilyard had 18 points.
Best catch and shoot guy
PG Cam Irvin (Morgan Park – 2017)
Irvin is a sub six foot guard that is best spotting up on the perimeter where he can shoot the rock. Let’s it fly whenever he gets a look from beyond the arc. Drilled three triples in this game. Pesky defender. Finished with 9 points. D3/NAIA prospect.
Best guy off the bench
SG Nimari Burnett (Morgan Park – 2020)
The top 5 2020 prospect is going to start getting the nickname Mr. Big Shot! Burnett is a smooth wing that plays limited minutes for the Mustangs, but makes plays when he is in there. He had a nice steal that he threw long for an assist. Late in the game once again he hit two deep threes for Morgan Park. He has drilled big threes Friday, Saturday, and now Sunday night. Burnett had 6 points. Has high-major potential.
Best intangibles
SF Talen Horton-Tucker (Simeon – 2018)
THT is the #3 overall prospect in the state’s 2018 class. At 6’4” he has a thick body, but is a good athlete for his size. He opened this game up with an offensive rebound put back followed by a sweet up and under. Handles the ball well in traffic putting skilled combination moves together. Handles it well when given any space in the open floor. Loves to slash. THT was solid on the glass in this game and got to the foul line. Jump shot wasn’t really there. He had 13 points and 11 rebounds. High-major prospect.
Best under-the-radar performance
PF Lenell Henry (Morgan Park – 2017)
Henry has played strong down the stretch for the Mustangs. He is starting to put more together on the offensive end. Nice spin move in the post to open the game. Got on the offensive glass for multiple put backs. Like his teammate Burrell when he is engaged and playing with a motor along with being aggressive he has the athletic and physical tools to do damage. It is just about consistency with him. His most impressive move was a defensive rebound that he grabbed, took end to end, and finished on the other end. Henry had 16 points. D2 prospect.