Five Key Questions: Bishop Ireton vs. Glenelg Country Scrimmage

<p><em>ALEXANDRIA, VA</em> – Bishop Ireton hosted Glenelg Country on Saturday afternoon for a scrimmage and Prep Hoops was in the gym to observe. The Cardinals outscored the Dragons 79-65 in the four quarters where the starters and rotation players played. Here we recap this preseason tune-up by answering five key questions.</p> <h5><strong>WHO WERE SOME OF THE BIGGEST STANDOUTS?</strong></h5> [caption id="attachment_877299" align="alignnone" width="300"] Goddot continues to produce for the Cardinals[/caption] <p><strong>James Berry III (Ireton '20) </strong>– Berry not only shot the ball exceptionally well but was engaged in all aspects of the game. He was active and alert defensively. Berry did his due diligence on the boards by boxing out consistently.</p> <p><strong>Noah Charles (GCS '20)</strong> – Charles is the straw that stirs the drink for his team. He is involved in many of the positive plays offensively and defensively. Charles did remarkably well under pressure and played with good tempo.</p> <p><strong>Noah Batchelor (GCS '22) </strong>– Batchelor is a talented offensive prospect with a nice-looking jumper and very good athleticism. He has a quick release and is always shot ready. Batchelor had some strong finishes through contact around the basket.</p> <p><strong>Ariel Goddot (Ireton '21) </strong>– Goddot is a blue-collar forward who produces efficiently. He is a workhorse on the boards and an adept finisher in traffic.</p> <h5><strong>WHICH ROLE PLAYERS PERFORMED WELL?</strong></h5> [caption id="attachment_877301" align="alignnone" width="300"] Tye Thompson is a significant newcomer for Ireton[/caption] <p><strong>Igor Yoka-Bratasz (GCS '20) </strong>– Yoka-Bratasz not only played solid defense but was very effective offensively. He is a good straight-line driver who can finish with touch. Yoka-Bratasz is able to finish with either hand around the rim.</p> <p><strong>Tye Thompson (Ireton '21) </strong>– Thompson handled the ball confidently and looked to get downhill aggressively. He got to the foul line several times and applied constant pressure on the defense with his paint-getting ability.</p> <h5><strong>WHAT UNSIGNED SENIORS BOOSTED THEIR STOCK?</strong></h5> <p><strong>Jordan Brathwaite (GCS '20)</strong> – Brathwaite, like his team, got off to a slow start but got into a rhythm as the scrimmage progressed. He crashed the boards relentlessly, showing that he can rebound well out of his area. Brathwaite showed nice touch when scoring inside of 15 feet.</p> <p><strong>Sese Mobutu (Ireton '20) </strong>– Mobutu played a solid brand of ball on both ends of the floor. He scored it well from all three levels and shot it with confidence. Mobutu's ball pressure defensively was commendable.</p> <p><strong>Jarod Robinson (GCS '20) </strong>– Robinson was asked to guard the top perimeter players for Ireton and did a solid job. He used his length to disrupt opposing ball handlers and create deflections. Robinson also showed that he is a good rim protector for a wing player.</p> <h5><strong>HOW DID THESE TWO TEAMS MATCH UP?</strong></h5> <p>These two teams have somewhat contrasting styles. Ireton has opted for a high-tempo approach while Glenelg Country has traditional big men that they can play through. Overall, it was a close matchup with the edge going to the team that was able to control tempo.</p> <h5><strong>WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK FOR EACH TEAM?</strong></h5> <p>Both of these teams are currently ranked in the top-30 and have a positive outlook. Ireton could shock some teams with their style of play in the WCAC. Glenelg Country certainly has the horses to make things interesting in their league as well.</p>