10 Best: Hampton vs. Maury

After a wild first night of Class 5 Region A Quarterfinals at Green Run, the crowd in the 757 shifted to Norfolk where the next two sets would be played. It was another double header, with the host school and #2 seed Maury faced #7 seed Hampton for a chance to go to the semifinals at the Scope on Friday. It was a packed house and the only game that I've paid for all season, but the energy was great from the beginning. Maury jumped out early in the first quarter, and their defense was impressive from the jump holding Hampton to just six points in first quarter. The Commodores held the Crabbers to just 6-for-22 shooting from the floor, and headed into halftime leading 30-16. Things didn't get any better for Hampton from there, as Maury continued their pressure but started to pick up the tempo and make their possessions count more. By the end of the third they were leading by 20, and they were able to continue to stretch the lead and execute down the stretch to pull away 64-41. The Commodores will move on to play Saturday at the Norfolk Scope against Norview. Here's a look at the game in our special “Top 10” format. *Editor's Note: All stats are unofficial and kept by myself. MVP: Clarence Rupert | Maury 2020 With three very good seniors on the roster who have been around forever, many people forget that Rupert is possibly the most important guy on this team because of his size and ability to play in the paint. The 6'6” forward has a nice blend of size and skill and he has good footwork and mobility as well. He was the best guy on the floor throughout the game and was critical in their run to separate things in the third quarter. More on his performance below. Best Offensive Performer: Clarence Rupert | Maury 2020 Rupert got it done on both ends of the floor, but it was offensively that he shined. He got behind the zone of Hampton a lot, he ran the floor well and he got some easy ones throughout the game by just moving without the ball. At his size it was impressive that he showed the ability to catch on the perimeter and be a triple threat guy, and when they resorted to fouling him he was money from the line as well. He finished with 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field and 4-for-4 from the line, and he was a force on the glass with a team high 9 rebounds too. Best Defensive Performer: Matt Mensia | Maury 2019 One of the big three I mentioned earlier, Mensia is the glue guy for Maury because of his versatility in their system. As a strong 6'4” kid, he's more suited to play on the wing but he can play in the post defensively and does a great job there. He can guard all over the floor and all of the postiions, and he makes plays defensively as he had two steals and two blocks. He's no slouch offensively, as he finished with 13 points and 4 assists too. Best Guy off the Bench: DJ Wright | Maury 2019 The 5'7” Wright is the perfect spark off the bench, as he's a smart and steady guy who can fill it up quickly and with just a few shots. After going scoreless in the first half and not getting a shot from the field, Wright came out in the third quarter and proceeded to score 7 points in about four minutes on just three shots from the field. He rarely makes mistakes and he plays with energy, grit and toughness even at his size. Best Intangibles: Chase Coleman | Maury 2019 The general of the group, Coleman plays with unbelievable passion, poise and leadership at the point guard spot. At 5'9” he isn't the biggest guy but he has the heart of a lion and has turned into a guy who will do anything to win. He set the tone early by hitting the first two shots of the game for Maury, and while he didn't score it at a high clip he's the guy who makes things go. He sets the tempo and the tone on both ends and does all of the little things. He finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Best Under-the-Radar Performer: Zaiyen Chapman | Hampton 2019 The Richard-Bland commit has had a steady rise to where he is now and has even changed his position from wing to point guard and probably become a better player because of it. He got a little trigger happy yesterday, while also getting frustrated with stellar Maury defense, but he showed flashes of what could make him a scholarship guy at some point. He can shoot the rock off the bounce, he has decent vision and he's an explosive and high energy guy. He finished with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Best Shooter: Avin Hawkins | Hampton 2019 Hawkins is a guy I didn't know much about but I'm convinced he's a pure shooter just after that one game. While I typically don't say that about guys after only one performance, the way he shot it is why I say it. Hawkins was 4-for-6 from deep, impressive in his own right, but I don't think on his four makes that he hit the rim on a single one. He showed range and a quick release, and they were all butter outside of the two he missed. He finished with 15 points and 5 rebounds. Best Slasher: Bryan Phillips | Maury 2019 The stocky combo guard has really matured over the past few years, but he still understands that his job is to lock up and to get to the rim. He's shifty off the bounce and when he gets to wear he can accelerate downhill you do not want to get in front of him. He has the ability to make plays for others which he showed with four assists, and that's another reason he's dangerous getting to the rim. He finished with 14 points, 4 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds. Best Part of Environment: Home Crowd Going back to a gym that I know very well from my playing and coaching days, it was great to see the entire community come out to support a Maury team that has grown up in the system and put the Commodores back on the map. With a team that features five seniors in their top six, this season means a lot and at the time when it was win or go home, everyone came to support. It was a great atmosphere to watch a big time high school basketball game in, complete with tons of media guys, college coaches and the best of all….. Best Part of Environment 2: Bench Celebrations THE MAURY BENCH CELEBRATIONS! It's always great to see teammates supporting each other, and one of the things many people underestimate the importance of is the energy from the guys on the bench. When you have a group of guys who, instead of sulking because they don't play, encourage their teammates on their great play it can really energize the guys on the floor. My favorite one wasn't really a celebration, but it was hilarious. After a questionable call that the home crowd did not agree with, I look over to the bench where one of the bench mob was pretending to use a walking stick as if he was blind. You can hate on that all you want, but you can't tell me that isn't hilarious!