Jesuit 63, Barlow 38: Five Takeaways

<p>If there were any doubts whether or not Jesuit would be able to still be a state championship contender this season, at least some of them should be silenced after this past week. The Crusaders have started off the season 2-0 and have shown potential both offensive and defensively, the latter coming in a blowout 63-38 win over Barlow on Tuesday night.</p> <p>The game actually started off fairly competitive and early in the second half, Jesuit only led 28-24. But the Crusaders got hot from the outside, was able to create some turnovers off some tough half-court defense, and ended up sprinting away from the Bruins. One of the key things they tried to prepare for was defending Barlow's high-scoring duo of <strong>Evan Inglesby</strong> and <strong>Jesse White</strong>. Consider it a job well done as Inglesby - who scored 35 in Barlow's season opener - was limited to 19 points and White - who had scored 31 - was held to 8 points.</p> <p>"Those two guys are outstanding players and we didn't want to get them going - because I've seen when they get going, it doesn't matter how may guys you throw at them," said Jesuit head coach Gene Potter. "They're going to be an outstanding team and they're going to get better through the year and we're hoping to do the same."</p> <p>On the offensive end, Jesuit shot 22-for-44 (.500) from the field and sank seven threes while holding Barlow to .384 shooting on 15-for-39 from the field, 6-for-19 from three-point range.</p> <p><strong>The Crusaders are Still Among the State Favorites</strong></p> <p>Sure a lot was lost from last year's senior class that led Jesuit to the 6A state title. But key guys like <strong>Matthew Levis</strong> and <strong>Roy Bunn</strong> are back for the Crusaders and a whole host of newcomers are ready to step into larger roles. Levis struggled a bit with his shot but still ended up posting totals of 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists while playing hard-nosed defense as he always does. Bunn (13 points, four rebounds, six assists) for sure made his presence felt on the defensive end as he was a blanket on Jesse White all night long. And newcomers such as <strong>Liam Ruttledge</strong> (19 points) and <strong>James Lang</strong> (12 points) have more than shown they are up to helping carry the load offensively and others like <strong>Aidan Corbett</strong> and <strong>Spencer McKelligon</strong> may be undersized but will try to bang down low.</p> <p><strong>Jesuit Can Play Fast or Slow</strong></p> <p>After ringing up 80 points in the season opener against Roosevelt, the Crusaders intentionally slowed things down and was more methodical on the offensive end. At times it almost seemed like they lulled Barlow to sleep and then Bunn or Levis would attack and kick it out to Ruttledge or Lang for an open outside jumper. Defensively they fell back into a half-court tough man-to-man with a little trapping action, which limited Barlow's ability to fire off quick shots to pick up the pace. Head coach Gene Potter is the master when it comes to getting his teams prepared to execute the game plan, and the Crusaders did exactly that on Tuesday night.</p> <p><strong>Shooters a Plenty</strong></p> <p>Jesuit has guys who can fill it up from three. While Levis was off (0-for-7 from three-point range) and Roy really didn't try to shoot from the outside, Ruttledge and Lang definitely picked up the slack. Ruttledge in particular has a very sweet looking lefty shot and he was 5-for-8 from three-point range. He's particularly good at spotting up in the corner for catch-and-shoot opportunities. The same could be said for Lang (2-for-3 from three), who also created a bit off the dribble. The key may be who Jesuit can depend on when someone needs to step in and create for a bucket.</p> <p><strong>Inglesby a Player of the Year Candidate</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-4 senior has been off to a fast start so far this season, scoring 35 in the opener against West Linn and then posting another 19 against Jesuit. What makes Inglesby different is that he's getting all these points without particularly forcing the issue. Against the Crusaders he shot 8-for-13 from the field with a combination of threes (3-for-6), pull-ups, and finishes near the basket. We originally picked Jesse White as the Mt. Hood Conference pre-season player of the year and First Team All-State and he still has the opportunity to reach those milestones but it wouldn't be surprising to us if Inglesby is just as much in the conversation for both honors this season.</p> <p><strong>Barlow Needs to Go Deeper</strong></p> <p>While White had an off game - a lot of credit to Bunn for that - but he will undoubtedly bounce back. Inglesby will post numbers as well. But those two seniors are going to need help. Senior forward <strong>Joey Wolcott</strong> can shoot it but other than a couple of jumpers, he was largely invisible (5 points) on Tuesday night. Only two other players even scored. So on a night where White couldn't get into a rhythm and Wolcott didn't come through more, the Bruins were essentially toast. Head coach Tom Johnson will have to find more guys who can take on more scoring responsibility if Barlow is to be among the state's best.</p>