Ten Best: Carmel vs. Lawrence North
MVP: Sterling Brown (Carmel) Brown missed a couple key free throws at the end of the game but he was also the biggest reason why Carmel had a chance to win in the end. He hit a big corner three…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingMVP: Sterling Brown (Carmel)
Brown missed a couple key free throws at the end of the game but he was also the biggest reason why Carmel had a chance to win in the end. He hit a big corner three in the fourth quarter that helped send it to overtime. He hit four threes in the game and finished with 20 points. He was good in stretches where Carmel was trying to score and has adapted a bit, playing more off the ball at times as Carmel is trying to get their best players on the floor more. Brown had 20 and the next highest scorer in the game had 12.
Best Offensive Performance: Antwaan Cushingberry (Lawrence North)
Cushingberry has been a guy who has overplayed his shot a little this year and has had to bring things back down to the basics. Now, his shot looks a lot better and he’s hitting it in rhythm. He had 12 points in the game, hitting three triples. He didn’t shoot a ton but when he did he was making them. Not a ton of offense in this game but outside of Brown, Cush looked the best.
Best Defensive Performance: Ra Kpedi (Lawrence North)
Ra had a solid game on both ends of the floor but he was really solid on defense and he limited how much Carmel could score at the rim. Mulloy got going early but Kpedi was able to slow it down and create tough shots without drawing too many fouls. He also was great on the defensive glass where he didn’t give Carmel too many second chance points and near the end of the game it turned out to be a bigger factor as LN closed the gap.
Play of the Game: Cole Jenkins (Carmel)
The best play of the game came from Jenkins that had a big rundown block against Antwaan Cushingberry late in the game. It might be his only career block but it was a big one that held LN from scoring that possession even though they got the rebound back and gave Carmel life as it battled into the overtime periods.
Best Guy Off The Bench: Brit Beery (Carmel)
John-Michael got the start for Carmel but quickly ran into foul trouble as he got stuck defending Ra Kpedi and Kevin Easley on drives. Beery was able to come off the bench and give them quality minutes in the post and really disrupt what LN was trying to do. Beery finished with only four points but he had quite a few rebounds and made a ton of plays defensively that kept Carmel out front.
Best Intangibles: P.J. Baron (Carmel)
Baron isn’t a guy that is going to blow you away but he always seems to make the little plays in the interior that makes a difference in the game. Baron had a few really good finishes on dump offs and a couple key turnovers and rebounds early in the game that hlped Carmel build their lead. His size allows him to fit in on different players and he’s mobile enough to take advantage down low.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Brit Beery (Carmel)
The Indiana football commit was really the unsung hero of this win. Lawrence North is a really good team in the post and they have a legit DI prospect in Kpedi so for Beery to step in and force him to struggle to impact the game down the stretch, that gave Carmel a fighting chance that ultimately ended up in a win.
Best Underclassmen: John-Michael Mulloy (Carmel)
John-Michael Mulloy is a 6’10, lanky forward who is starting to be able to impact the game more and more. He’s also starting to get back to what he does well in AAU which is driving the ball. He showed that a couple times in this game and it was fairly successful. He’s got a ton of upside and is already drawing DI looks this early in his career. Definitely showed why tonight.
Best Player To Track: Jared Hankins (Lawrence North)
With so much talent at Lawrence North, it is actually a surprise that Hankins is getting as much run on Varsity as he is. However, he’s proven he has talent and showed that tonight. He had one of the better play of the game where he went quick baseline to the rim and went up and under against traffic to finish. He’s a big, strong wing who can score the ball with touches. A ton of talent that will get better really quickly.
Best Storyline Moving Forward: The best thing looking forward is just how fun that Regional 2 could be in Marion. Carmel looks legit, so long as they are making jumpers, and they could be setup to be in with teams like Fort Wayne North, McCutcheon, and Homestead. That would be the toughest Regional in the state and make for some great games on Saturday.