Five Takeaways: Georgetown Day vs. Episcopal
WASHINGTON, DC — Episcopal defeated Georgetown Day by a final score of 97-53 on Tuesday, and the Maroon were led by George Mason commit Xavier Johnson’s hot shooting, defense, and playmaking ability. Here we recap this contest with five takeaways.
JOHNSON BROTHERS DOMINATE
George Mason Xavier Johnson had a standout performance, shooting 7 of 7 from three on his way to 29 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and no turnovers. His younger brother Darius, who is a sophomore, also had a strong game despite going 0 of 4 from three. Johnson had 6 steals, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds and no turnovers. These two are a great compliment to one another and are always finding each other. When they are clicking on both ends of the floor, this team can operate at a high level.
RAYFORD STILL IMPROVING
Jordan Rayford is almost 6-foot-5 now, and did a bit of everything in this game despite not being 100% due to the fact that he’s still growing and his hamstrings are bothering him a bit. Rayford recorded 17 points (6/12 FG, 2/2 3 FG, 3/7 FT) 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal and 1 turnover. Aside from the fact that he missed four free throws, he played a very solid game overall, but we’d like to see him be even more aggressive on both ends of the floor.
SHANNON AND CHENERY STAND OUT
Episcopal started the game with Asa Shannon and Tymu Chenery as the two “bigs”, but they’re both so skilled and athletic that it caused a lot of problems for their opponents. Shannon, one of the best unsigned seniors in the state, recorded 19 points (9/11 FG, 0/1 3FG, 1/3 FT) 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, and 1 turnover. Chenery, a junior, contributed 16 points (5/11 FG, 2/3 3FG, 4/4 FT) 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, and 1 turnover.
MURESAN BENEFITING FROM RECLASS
Victor Muresan didn’t shoot the ball particularly well in this game, but he looks much more confident than in the past. He’s still got a long way to go, but the decision to move into the 2020 class looks like it could pay off in the long run. Muresan made his presence felt inside with his ability to block/alter shots and rebound the ball, but if his shot can become consistent it will add another dimension to his game.
MCNEIL PRODUCES, BUT MATURITY MAY BE A CONCERN
Montez McNeil had a productive game statistically, recording 21 points (8/14 FG, 0/1 3FG, 5/9 FT, 6 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO), but was seen showboating a couple of times with his team down by 30+ in the second half. While it’s understood that basketball can be an emotional game that we all enjoy, many college coaches who we’ve seen observe this types of behavior have indicated that it could be an immediate turn-off.