Five Takeaways: Smoky Hill versus George Washington

The George Washington Patriots traveled to play against Smoky Hill in a great non-conference battle between the two teams. I have been thrilled to see teams challenging themselves and going at it early on before heading into the season. This was a game that was high-scoring on both ends and was great from start to finish. Here are my five takeaways from the game and players that I was really impressed with. Most entertaining game It is early in the season but this was one of the most anticipated games on my docket and I am sure that other people were ready for this one as the line was to the door an hour before tip-off, streaming issues became a very big problem for people and there was not much room to watch the game in the gym. It lived up to every single expectation that was had as both teams battled it out in a back and forth high scoring game that was full of highlights throughout the game. Buckets were handed out, players emerged that we had questions about and it came down to one team having to step up in the fourth quarter to secure the win. That is the type of stuff you like to see and while I am sure that both coaches have plenty of things they want to fix moving forward what they do not have to worry about is if their team will fold under pressure and if they show up for big games. I liked what I seen from both teams. George Washington has stars The Patriots are a team that underachieved last season, but look ready to not only prove all doubters wrong but show that they are a team that has a chance to win it all. They are a balanced team that is deep as they truly have five players that have a chance at leading them in points on any given night but it starts with junior wing Kendale Johnson Jr. who is one of the top players in the state. He is a player with the size and while he is not overpowering guys for his baskets he is scoring in different ways. In Monday’s game, he was finding holes in the defense and finishing, He knocked down two 3-pointers in the game but it's his nag of getting inside of the defense and hitting the open mid-range as well as rebounding and going up that gets him on the board. He led the Patriots with 19 points and also had eight rebounds and six assists as well. Alongside him was one of the best players from this past summer who jumped on the scene and has not looked back in Jarmell Johnson. He is an athletic guard that can knock down shots, use his springs for rebounds and against the Buffaloes he showed he is ready for big moments on both ends of the floor. He finished with 17 points and while that was impressive it was the two blocks that stood out as plays of the game. He plays with an edge to him and in only his junior season he will be a player that separates himself from the pack. He continues to rise with games like these and is a star that has the potential to dwarf into a superstar. X-Factors for both teams While there were big-time players in this game what was most interesting to watch was players step up and do things that I did not expect them to do. The play of the game for the Patriots is when Fred Edmonds rose and dunked on a defender. The Patriots big men were in foul trouble so it became a battle of the guards as expected. A guard that I cannot get enough of is Kijuan Thompson. He had eight points in the game but it was his defense and readiness to lead that had me wanting to see more from him. Darrian Hammons also had a great first half where he hit big shots and came up with stops and Eddie McPhee is a player that will start putting himself in more positions to score as he can score in a variety of ways, he just has to be more aggressive. George has some players. On the flip side.. Smoky Hill is the epitome of X-factor players. While Weaver put his stamp on the game, other players made sure that the Buffaloes protected their homecourt. Deangelo Horn was benched for the first half as he allowed rebounds to go around him but after that he was a player that helped secure the victory. He gave second-chance points as a springy leaper, he finished at and above the rim and does not force much. Quinten Rock did not have the game that he wanted as shots did not fall but Smoky Hill needed every single thing that he gave them. He calmly broke the trap, started the offense and got everything started. His explosive scoring days are coming but having a senior guard play with composure and be able to control fast tempo goes a long way. Dasani Darnell had some big plays in the fourth quarter that put the icing on the cake. Rebounds and easy rim baskets and last but not least, Anthony Harris Jr. –what to say about him. The way that he put his fingerprint on the game was great. It was all in the flow of things that he is able to do. He did not force shots, he refused to be scored on and if there is a rebound that goes up, it's his. He had some finishes late in the game that was a big reason they pulled off the win. Dunks and finishes at the baskets will be something that we see a lot of from him. Jalen Weaver shines Jalen Weaver proved exactly why he is now highly regarded as the top player in his class and if he is able to continue playing at this level – the rest of the state is in trouble. He plays with such control and when it seemed as if the Patriots were gaining momentum he went on a run of his own. He scored at will and was easily the best player on the floor. He dunked, shot the ball, got to the free-throw line and willed his team to victory. He could not be guarded in the half-court and even less in transition and even in his junior season, Mr.Basketball is not out of the question. Check out this play here as it perfectly illustrated the type of night he had. 32 points and a victory against a very good George team is exactly how you get the buzz started. https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsCO/status/1204222288012271616?s=20 Look ahead for both teams For George, this was a great building block game to see exactly where they stand and to see what they need to do next time. They will use this game not only for motivation but an experience to go forward with. They are next up against another good test in Mullen on Wednesday and if you know anything about this bunch it is that they are resilient. Expect a bounce-back game. For Smoky Hill, this was a game that shows that they can play their brand of basketball and stick to it. 29 points in the fourth quarter is how you finish a game. Forcing the pace with the press and also rushing the opposing teams into shots while also implementing a zone that made it difficult worked wonders. They see that they can go deep in their bench if needed and they will get some solid contributions. There will plenty more high scoring games for the Buffaloes where they are pushing the opposing team to the brink. They are next up against Legacy on Wednesday as I see them using Wednesday’s game as a kick-starter.