Five Key Questions: Potomac School vs. Maret

<p><em>MCLEAN, VA</em> -- After being held to just 2 first quarter points, and without their best player for a majority of the game, Maret managed to fight back and defeat Potomac School by a final score of 38-36. Here we recap this hard-fought MAC contest by answering five key questions.</p> <h2>HOW VALUABLE IS EJ JARVIS TO MARET?</h2> <p><strong>EJ Jarvis</strong> picked up what looked like an ankle injury on the first play of the game, and was forced to miss a majority of the action. Needless to say the team did not respond well initially to his injury. This is an indication of how important Jarvis is to his team's game plan. Defensively, the Yale commit is one of the best inside presences in the DMV. Offensively, he is a go-to option with a versatile scoring arsenal. Along with Qudus Wahab and Jason Gibson, he is among the most valuable players in the league, and a sure fire First Team All-Met candidate.</p> <p><span style="color: inherit; font-size: 22px; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-line: underline;">WHO STEPPED UP FOR THE FROGS?</span></p> <p><strong>Quincy Allen</strong> picked up the slack for Jarvis, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The 6-foot-6 sophomore hauled in 12 rebounds, blocked 3 shots, and swiped 2 steals. Allen did not have his best offensive performance, scoring 10 points on 4 of 13 shooting from the field (2/6 3FG), but he was productive and converted the game-winner as time expired. <strong>Teo Rice</strong> and <strong>Alex Williams</strong>, the juniors who start in the back court, were also key factors in this win. Williams knocked down several spot up threes, and Rice was the one who assisted Allen on the go-ahead basket.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/AyalewAdam/status/1086399035433455616</p> <h2>WHAT STOOD OUT ABOUT POTOMAC SCHOOL?</h2> <p>A consistent theme with this Potomac School team is that they lock down defensively. The addition of <strong>Jamel Melvin</strong>, a mobile 6-foot-9 paint presence, is a big reason why. The Panthers held Maret to just 7 fourth quarter points as they came back from down 11 to make it a one-possession game. Guys like <strong>Preston Bacon</strong> and <strong>Justin Law</strong> are aggressive two-way guards who take pride defensively. </p> <p>Another thing that stood out was how deceptively quick Bacon is. The Northwestern football commit is explosive with the ball, and has good body control when finishing in the paint. </p> <h2>WHY WAS THIS SUCH A LOW-SCORING GAME?</h2> <p>From what we understand, teams in the MAC are required to share film. It looks like all the coaches have really done their homework and do a great job negating the strengths of their opponents. Potomac School and Sidwell are two teams that typically are able to hold most teams below their respective scoring averages.</p> <h2>WHERE DO THESE TWO TEAMS STACK UP IN THE MAC?</h2> <p>Right now, Flint Hill and Sidwell are probably the best two teams in the league, but Maret and Potomac are not far behind. If <strong>Jamel Melvin</strong> can assert himself offensively, and <strong>Justin Law</strong> can knock down shots consistently, the Panthers can defend well enough to stay in most games. We saw that in their win over Sidwell earlier this season. On their best day, Maret can compete with any team in the league, and is a decent bet to compete for the championship.</p>