Fab 5: Simeon vs Marian Catholic
Simeon and Marian Catholic are two programs that are used to making runs in the state tournament in recent years. Friday night they met in a regional final. Simeon was without standout junior Kezo Brown due to illness, but they still have plenty of D1 talent. Marian Catholic hung with the Wolverines early in the contest. Senior Warren Allen brought them life in the first quarter on both ends of the floor. After a first quarter of sloppy ball and a lot of whistles it picked up in the second frame especially when both teams traded a barrage of five consecutive threes. Simeon led at the half 31-19. It was all Wolverines in the second half as Simeon flexed their muscles to get the 56-43 win. Here is our Fab 5: Simeon vs Marian Catholic where we breakdown the standout performers from the game.
MVP
PF Messiah Jones (Simeon – 2018)
Jones continues to produce as a junior! The 6’5” four man might be slightly undersized but he plays with a never ending motor. Jones got on the offensive glass throughout the game with his elite second jump ability. He is extremely quick getting to the high point on rebounds. Finishes strong around the hoop with explosion off the floor. Solid defensively in the paint protecting the rim. He is not a traditional score with his back to basket big, but he will be a great mid-major player with his energy, athleticism, and ability to rebound as well as finish in the paint. Jones had 17 points.
Best passer
PG Evan Gilyard (Simeon – 2017 – UTEP)
Gilyard ran the show for the Wolverines in this game. He did connect on one triple, but overall his jumper wasn’t falling in this game. What he did make an impact with was his passing. He threw multiple bullet dimes in the half court along with several other crisp passes right to the shooters pocket where they could let it fly. Pushes it in the open floor. The UTEP commit had 7 points.
Best rebounder
SF Talen Horton-Tucker (Simeon – 2018)
THT got off to a quick start. He drilled a baseline mid-range jumper and a wing three. Seemed to be hobbled a little early in the contest, but he fought through it. Rebounded at a high rate throughout the night. Grabbed them in contested situations in traffic. Closed out his night with a straight line drive where he blew right by his man for a dunk. Not a quick twitched athlete THT is still a smooth athlete that can get to the rim. He had 7 points.
Best under-the-radar performance
PG Chase Adams (Marian Catholic – 2018)
Adams was solid for the Spartans in this game. He is used to playing with and against many of the highly touted Simeon prospects so he had no fear playing against them on the big stage. Adams is a smaller point guard that can really dish the ball. Liked how he made quality decisions in the half court passing it. Moved the ball. Excels working in the pick and roll as well as getting in the lane where he can dish it off at the last minute for a dump off pass. Shooting stroke has improved. Hit a couple threes and a mid-range jumper. Adams finished with 13 points.
Best intangibles
SF Warren Allen (Marian Catholic – 2017)
In his final high school game the 6’5” forward showed he could bring some versatility to a small college team as a utility player. He is a quality defender that contests jump shots and can get block in the paint every now and then. Offensively he does his damage inside finishing around the hoop. Had a nice up and under finish along with an and-1. Slasher. Area rebounder. Finished with12 points.