Summer League – Jefferson 86, Central Catholic 76: Top Performers
On Wednesday night, Jefferson hosted Central Catholic for a summer hoops game featuring what could arguably be the two most talented teams in 6A next season. The Rams jumped out to an early lead but the Demos used their size…
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Continue ReadingOn Wednesday night, Jefferson hosted Central Catholic for a summer hoops game featuring what could arguably be the two most talented teams in 6A next season. The Rams jumped out to an early lead but the Demos used their size advantage inside and superior overall depth to make a comeback and win the game going away, 86-76.
Both teams had most of their guys in attendance although Central Catholic was missing Luke Johnson and Jordan King, and Marquis “Mookie” Cook was present but did not suit up and play for Jefferson. Here’s a look at how the key players on both teams performed.
Kam Robinson (2021 Jefferson) – Fresh off grabbing a couple of scholarship offers and getting phone calls this week from college coaches, Robinson was quite impressive. He was unstoppable around the basket, converting shots at a high percentage, using his length and touch around the hoop. He was able to attack the zone by creating from the high post and could not be contained on the offensive glass. Robinson finished with a team-high 25 points.
Deray Seamster (2020 Central Catholic) – Seamster arguably had the performance of the night despite the loss. The rising senior simply got things done as he really fought hard on the offensive glass, even though he was giving up several inches against the likes of Jefferson’s big posts. Seamster also got out on the break and finished as well. With most of his scoring around the hoop, he ended the night with a game-high 28 points.
Micah Garrett (2020 Jefferson) – One of the new kids on the block for the Demos, Garrett started off slow but started to catch fire in the second half hitting four shots including a three and ended up with 11 points. The rising senior’s stroke from the outside looked pure and one of the things we really noticed is that he fit in really well with his teammates, simply taking open shots as he got them and not forcing things at all. We caught up with Garrett after the game and will have an update posted soon.
Darius Gakwasi (2021 Central Catholic) – At the start of the game it was looking as if Gakwasi would have a really big night. He was attacking the basket, drawing fouls, and also on the mark with his shot. But as the game progressed, it seemed as if he faded more into the background. Gakwasi ended up with 17 points but while it was a fairly quiet output, we liked the way he was getting to the hoop and the line instead of just settling for outside jumpers.
Nate Rawlins-Kibonge (2021 Jefferson) – If you know Rawlins-Kibonge there was no way he would be sitting on his own laurels after committing to Washington State and the 6-foot-7 post certainly brought it on Thursday night. He was aggressive offensively early, attacking the zone from the high post when he was set up there and also taking – and hitting – a couple of perimeter jumpers. And of course he was his usual self on the boards and blocking shots. Rawlins-Kibonge finished with 12 points and 10+ rebounds.
Gaige Ainslie (2020 Central Catholic) – With the departure of SaTaievior Ayilola, Ainslie will likely be the main post threat. The 6-foot-8 rising senior was exactly that early on as he hit a couple of shots underneath but also stepped out and knocked down a three. He didn’t get many touches after that unfortunately and got a bit pushed around by Jefferson’s big guys.
Keshawn Hall (2021 Jefferson) – Hall finished second on the team with 14 points as he relentlessly attacked the basket, especially in transition, utilizing a nice Euro-step move at times to get past opponents. He also stepped back and knocked down a three, something we had not seen out of him previously. The key will be how the 6-foot point guard continues to meld in with his new teammates as there were a couple of occasions where he was focused on scoring himself when an easy pass could have been made to find an open teammate.
Isaiah Amato (2020 Central Catholic) – Wednesday night was certainly not the best we’ve seen Amato play. He started off the game with an impressive dunk in transition but after that point, shots simply weren’t falling for the 6-foot-4 rising senior, at any level. Despite this, Amato still played hard and within the team concept, dishing out some dimes and playing unselfishly.
Lamar Washington (2022 Jefferson) – While Jefferson mainly scored around the hoop and in transition, there will be times when they will have to knock down shots outside and Washington could very well be the guy who serves that role. The 6-foot-3 rising sophomore was quiet early in the game, but in the second half he used some dribble and step-back moves to can a couple of threes. He also took it to the basket strong and hit a couple of teammates with some nice passes for assists.