10 Best: VHSL 3A State Quarterfinals
The official beginning to the public school state tournament was on Thursday at the VCU Siegel Center. While most of the six classifications are starting today at their respective super sites, 3A started yesterday and it was a great day of basketball, with three of the four games being competitive late. Phoebus of Hampton and Northside of Roanoke won the first two games and will matchup today, while Norcom of Portsmouth and George Wythe of Richmond won the last two games and will play today.
Here’s a brief takeaway from the day.
MVP | Nick Price | Northside ’18
Price led the Vikings to a big win over a local John Marshall team that was favored on paper. Price did a great job throughout the game, controlling the pace and being a playmaker on both ends of the floor. He finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, all either tied for or the game high against a team that has eight or nine college basketball players, the majority being projected as division one talents. He’s been a floor general his first two years, and he’s improved in many key areas including shooting, athleticism and leadership. If he can get more key wins that show he’s a leader, his recruitment could pick up moving forward.
Play of the Day
2019 Khyree Temple had a number of jaw dropping plays, but none like the lob he caught from another dynamic player 2018 Antwan Miles. While the Phantoms had already opened the game up against Western Albemarle in the third quarter, they didn’t stop and continued to show their dominance. Late in the third quarter when both were rolling, Miles went up top in transition to Temple, and he finished it strong, a metaphor for the big quarter the Phantoms had. They’ve been undefeated since Temple, a transfer from Philadelphia, has been eligible, and his athleticism and presence make them a tough matchup for Northside tomorrow.
Best Under the Radar Performer | Jordan Hamlette | Heritage ‘17
The Pioneers gave the Conference 26 champions all they could handle, and Hamlette was a big reason why. The senior point guard was cold in the first half with just one field goal, he went crazy in the second half scoring 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting and 5-for-7 from deep. While Hamlette has had plenty of accolades in his senior season, including joining the 1,000 point club and being named Conference 30 Player of the Year, he hasn’t been the most recruited player until the past few weeks. He picked up his first two offers from NAIA programs West Virginia Tech and Linsey College of Kentucky, and his play in front of scholarship level coaches Thursday could mean more offers are coming soon.
Best Playmaker | Antwan Miles | Phoebus ’18
Talk about a resilient kid, Miles had a knee injury late in the summer while his stock was rising that was scary and made him questionable for his junior season. However, it turned out not to be an ACL, and he was back at the beginning of the season, and he’s been huge in the Phantom’s run to now the state semifinals. The athletic 5’10” point guard finished with 15 points, four assists and two steals, and he showed his unreal quickness on both ends of the floor. His all around skill set at the point guard position, along with his athleticism and high motor have earned Miles three division one offers since the end of last season.
Best Underclassman | Isaiah Todd | John Marshall ’20
What can you say about the kid? He’s immensely talented and everyone knows that he has a very bright future in the game, yet many questioned his up-and-down play early in the season. As someone who has seen him throughout the year, it’s impressive to see how a true freshman has dealt with the adversity. He’s become more comfortable and aggressive throughout the year, and his play offensively has become more of a factor late for JM. Despite the loss, Todd was one of the biggest factors in the game for the Justices. He finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds on 6-for-10 shooting, and his mix of athleticism, length and size as a hybrid forward will be extremely coveted moving forward.
Best Underclassman Pt. 2 | Ikechi Chanitlou | George Wythe ’20
Chanitlou has showed promise throughout the season, and his play in the biggest game of the year is extremely encouraging moving forward. As a combo guard, he both made plays for himself and for his teammates, and he did so in big time situations that you wouldn’t expect from a freshman! He finished with an impressive 17 points and two assists on 7-for-10 shooting from the field, yet the most impressive part is that he didn’t commit a single turnover the entire game.
Best Rebounder | Daniel Ouderkirk | Spotswood ’18
The 6’9” two sport athlete has improved a ton since this past summer, and he played a stellar game inside against an athletic Norcom team. He finished with 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor and almost completed the double-double with 9 rebounds. His nine boards were almost a third of his entire team’s rebounds, and he had to compete with tons of smaller but quicker bigs on Norcom who are known to crash the glass well. It’s unclear whether he’ll choose baseball or basketball, but his size and coordination will always make him a big rebounder in the paint.
Best Breakout Performer | Julien Wooden | Northside ’19
Wooden has had a big sophomore season in Roanoke, and it was his chance to show on the big stage that he could do it against a high level opponent. Traveling to Richmond to play preseason favorite John Marshall with a front line measuring 6’6”, 6’7”, and 6’10”, Wooden provided an inside presence throughout the game and was a go-to guy for them all game. The lanky and athletic 6’6” hybrid showed great touch around the basket, finishing with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, and he also pulled in eight rebounds and recorded two steals. He provided a presence inside, but also handled the basketball in transition and showed great skill set on the perimeter. If he continues this play during the summer, he should end up on college coaching radars in no time.
Best Breakout Performer Pt. 2 | ’18 Keenan Austin | Heritage ‘18
Austin picked a great time to step up and have one of his best games of the season, and despite a tough loss to a Richmond team he is on the map for next season. The athletic 6’6” forward showed the whole array of moves on the day, particularly his ability to step out and knock down the jump shot. He finished 2-for-3 from deep, but also hit a number of midrange jumpers, and he finished around the basket both off the drop step and when hitting the glass. He finished with 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting on the night.
Best Upset | Northside over John Marshall
You can say what you want about this high school season, especially since it seems to be wide open in almost all of the classifications, the Northside Vikings showed a lot of heart in a win over local powerhouse John Marshall. Both teams are young, with only one senior starter in the game, so Northside’s play not only gives them a chance to win a state championship this season, but also build something moving forward. Junior point guard Nick Price is the straw that stirs the drink for them, and if he can continue to control the game the way he did on Thursday they’ll have a chance to beat anyone.