10 Best: SPSL Championship Game
The 2017 St. Paul’s Summer League came to a conclusion last night as Poly matched up against Gerstell Academy. Poly defeated St. Paul’s and Gerstell defeated C. Milton Wright to earn their place in the final. Earlier this week, Poly was upended by Gerstell 45-34 in what was a shocking outcome. Poly shot themselves in the foot after collecting three technicals throughout the game and wasn’t able to make a comeback.
The Engineers got their revenge in the championship game by defeating Gerstell 53-33 in a game that was never really close. The Engineers pulled away early and were able to speed up Gerstell throughout to hold their big lead. Let’s take a look at the 10 best list from this championship match up:
MVP: Demetrius Mims | Poly | 2018
Mims was a dominant force throughout this game. He led all scorers with 15 points and did so in plenty of ways. When Mims is leading the fastbreak, it doesn’t seem to matter or not if someone is in his way. He’s going to attack the rim ferociously and if the opportunity presents itself, try and stuff a dunk on the opposing players head. His energy and intensity was key in setting the tone for the Engineers immediately.
Best Offensive Performance: Demetrius Mims | Poly | 2018
Mims mixed it up with his offensive attack. He connected on a couple of three’s off kick-outs from point guard Rahim Ali. Mims and Ali also executed a pick-and-roll that resulted in a switch. Mims was quick to use his 6’5 frame to post up the smaller defender on the block that resulted in an easy turnaround shot at the rim for two. It was obvious that Mims was adjusting perfectly to whatever the defense threw his way.
Best Defensive Player: Brad Witt | Gerstell | 2018
Witt was extremely active defensively in the paint. The 6’5 forward had a couple of nice blocks on Ali layups including one that was pinned against the glass on the fastbreak. Poly has plenty of player who relentlessly attack the rim, but Witt did a good job being a presence that forced the Poly players to adjust their shots.
Best Passer: Rahim Ali | Poly | 2020
Ali is a good floor general that operates very well in pick-and-roll sets. As stated before, he and Mims were a difficult duo to contain in these type of situations. Ali did a good job of being patient until the mismatch presented itself and distributing the ball to the right player at the ideal time. He’s a crafty passer in the open floor and had a few flashy no-look dishes to teammates for easy baskets.
Best Under the Radar Performance: Cleveland Horton | Poly | 2018
Horton is always the guy doing the dirty work for the Engineers. The 6’2 guard is a hard-nosed defender that gets after it both on and off the ball. He’ll dive on the floor, contest shots, and rebound amongst the bigs. Horton finished with 12 points including a couple of smooth three’s, but his defense was key in Poly’s full court press throughout the game. He created multiple turnovers by getting his hands on the ball during a trap that helped result in fastbreak opportunities.
Best Intangibles: Demetrius Mims | Poly | 2018
Mims’ intensity and fierceness couldn’t be overlooked in this game. Gerstell threw many different defensive looks his way, but nothing was going to keep him from getting to the basket. Some players these days have the skill to be a top player in their respective state, but they lack the “it” factor that separates themselves from the pack. Mims has that “it” factor with his intensity and passion that shows on the floor.
Best Rebounder: Brad Witt | Gerstell | 2018
Witt was active when it came to closing down on the glass. At 6’5 he was undersized compared to Poly’s 6’9 center Amani Walker, but Witt did a good job of getting a body on him and exploding to the ball when it came off the rim. This game showed that Witt doesn’t have to depend on his athleticism to gather boards, he can also box out properly and get low on a bigger match up
Best Underclassman: Rahim Ali | Poly | 2020
When you watch Ali play, it’s hard to believe that he is a rising sophomore. His pace and basketball IQ surpass his age. He is undoubtedly the floor general for the Engineers, who have multiple players that can create their own shot. Ali is good at making their job easier by penetrating the heart of the defense to open up opportunities for them. He is getting better in consistently knocking down mid-range pull-ups off ball-screens. He can knock down three’s and finish around the rim, but the mid-range was a hole in his game that he is quickly patching up. That’s dangerous for opposing players.
Freshman to Watch: Ahmad Harrison | Gerstell | 2021
Harrison proved himself all summer league long that he will be a freshman to have on your radar this season in the MIAA B Conference. He finished with six points in this match up, but the lefty made a number of good decisions despite constant pressure and traps from Poly. The 6′ lefty had a few nice pull up jumpers with good rythym. Harrison didn’t look overwhelmed with the high speed that the Engineers force every one of their opponents to play at.
Going Forward
Poly adds another championship to their collection months after claiming the Class 3A State Title (their first in school history). Mims will spearhead a talented team that will try and repeat their success despite losing Temple signee and PrepHoops 2016-17 Player of the Year Dre Perry. Head coach Sam Brand and the rest of the coaching staff continue to set a winning culture and a high level of play that should result in plenty of wins this season. For Gerstell, they have a solid collection of older and younger players with good chemistry. Guys like Witt and Colin Rimmell will lead as seniors while others such as Anthony Carpenter and Harrison will be sparkplugs offensively. Gerstell will look to catch many by surprise in the MIAA B Conference as they chase a conference title.