Three Things I liked: Oakton vs. Centreville

<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">OAKTON, VA </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">-- Oakton hosted Centreville in a game that would ultimately decide first place in the Concorde District. The Wildcats took control early, but the Cougars made a furious comeback before falling by a final score of 63-59. I decided to recap this game by discussing three things I liked.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">CENTREVILLE’S GUARD PLAY</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Wildcats starting backcourt of </span><strong>Bryce Douglas</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><strong>Chris Kuzemka</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> were impressive throughout this game. Douglas, an unsigned senior, was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points. Aside from the fact that he shot it well, hitting 4 of 7 threes and 5 of 6 free throws, one thing that stood out about Douglas was his effort on defense. He was all over the passing lanes, recording a game-high 4 steals to go along with a blocked shot. Kuzemka, a sophomore, is enjoying a breakout season since transferring from Paul VI. He looked much more aggressive and confident than in the past. Kuzemka created space well off the dribble, and knocked down 3 of 6 from deep on his way to scoring 17 points. Centreville had 16 assists on 22 made field goals, which is an indication of how well these two set the table for their teammates and scored within the flow of the game.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">GARRETT JOHNSON’S REBOUNDING</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Loyola Assistant Coach Brenden Straughn was in to see 6-foot-5+ class of 2020 wing prospect </span><strong>Garrett Johnson</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> at this game. It was not Johnson’s best game offensively, but he still made an impact with his ability to rebound out of area. Every night won’t be a good shooting night, but it’s nice to see a player hang his hat on multiple facets of the game, and that’s exactly what Johnson did. Rebounding is an attribute that translates to the next level, and if Johnson can pull down around 8 boards per game like he did in this one, it will help illustrate how well rounded his overall game is. </span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">MAX WILSON’S HUSTLE</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Max Wilson</strong>, a class of 2020 forward for Oakton, was very active in the paint on both ends of the floor. Wilson, a good athlete who is probably around 6-foot-5, led the game with 3 offensive rebounds and 6 blocks. He was an imposing paint presence, and his unrelenting ability to keep plays alive offensively while rebounding and protect the rim defensively were a huge asset to his team’s near-comeback effort.</span></p>