Top Ten: Nathan Hale vs. Bishop Blanchet

Tuesday night, the Nathan Hale Raiders traveled to Bishop Blanchet High School to take on the Braves. It was an interesting matchup between two very different teams. Nathan Hale had the lion's share of the talent with three seniors - <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/marcus-collins/">Marcus Collins</a>, Aaron Von Bruck, and Dominique Michael - ranked in the top 40 of the class of 2020. On the other end of the court, the Braves didn't feature as much high-end talent, but they played great team basketball that nearly got them a win against a tough opponent. Blanchet led almost the entire game and took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter, but the Raiders stayed aggressive on offense and earned trips to the free-throw line (44 trips, to be exact), and they were able to pull off the win. Final score: Nathan Hale - 65, Bishop Blanchet - 60. Here's a look at some of the top performances. MVP - Julian Agosto | 5'10" PG | NHHS 2021 The Raiders trusted their Junior with the majority of point guard responsibilities, and although he got off to a slow start, he finished the game with 18 points.<a href="https://prephoops.com/player/julian-agosto/"> Agosto</a> has a quick first step and a crossover that can get him an open jumper at any time. He hit 9 of his 10 free throws and he has a confident mid-range game. He also added some really tough defense on the opposite side of the court although he got himself into trouble with a couple of unnecessary fouls. He was also an impressive rebounder at 5'10" and his big defensive rebound with under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter put the game to rest. Play of the Game - Dominique Michael | 6'6" SF | NHHS 2020 I'm a sucker for a good block, and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dominique-michaels/">Dominque Michael h</a>ad an impressive one en route to a victory. Nathan Hale had a rough first half, but partway through the third quarter, they started finding a groove. Marcus Collins had just knocked down back-to-back threes to narrow the gap when Blanchet came back down the court on a breakaway. Michaels skied and pinned a lay-in attempt against the backboard, using every bit of his long 6'6" frame. It wasn't just the block but the timing that made the play so impressive. It was a great snapshot of the Senior's next-level size and athleticism. Best Offensive Performance - Nikolas Fotopoulos | 6'2" F | BBHS 2021 Junior Niko Fotopoulos led his team with 16 points and four three-pointers. His buckets help the Braves get off to a hot start, and his back-to-back threes in the third quarter gave the team their biggest lead of the night. Fotopoulos added a pair of free throws and scored the Braves' first points of the night with an offensive rebound and put back. Blanchet did a great job of moving the ball, and Fotopoulos put himself in positions to get open spot-up threes all night. Best Defensive Performance - Jack Prohaska | 6'1" G | BBHS 2021 The Junior from Bishop Blanchet had a solid offensive night, scoring 10 points for the Braves, but his defensive contributions were more impressive. Prohaska hustled all night and came up with timely rebounds and at least three steals, and when the game was still hanging in the balance, he took a charge from Nathan Hale's Aaron Von Bruck. Prohaska took a scary fall in the fourth quarter after putting his body on the line and attempting a chase-down block on Dominique Michaels. He landed directly on his tailbone and a couple of tense minutes followed with coaches and trainers attending to him. Eventually, he popped up and trotted back to the bench like it was no big deal. Best Guy Off the Bench - Tyler Korman | 6'2" F | BBHS 2021 Korman is a bit of a bruiser at 6'2" and 200 lbs, and he added great hustle off the bench for the Braves. He banked in an early three-ball and added several rebounds and an assist. In the fourth quarter with the Raiders closing in, he had back-to-back offensive rebounds to extend the Braves' offensive possession. Best Intangibles - Aaron Von Bruck | 6'5" SG | NHHS 2020 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2019/09/IMG_6062.jpg"></a>In the interest of journalistic integrity, I should probably mention that I saw a video of <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aaron-von-bruck/">Aaron Von Bruck</a> throwing down a between-the-legs dunk off the bounce that might have influenced my opinion of the athletic shooting guard. Von Bruck didn't have his best stuff on Tuesday, but he found other ways to contribute with rebounds and a big block at the end of the first quarter. Regarding intangibles, I appreciated Von Bruck's poise. The Raiders struggled for much of the game and the frustration showed in the body language of the players, but the Senior went through the game stoically (even after a delay of game warning for an untucked jersey). Best Under-the-Radar Performance - Griffin Knowles | 5'11" G | BBHS 2021 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/griffin-knowles/">Griffin Knowles</a> didn't fill up the stat sheet with his performance, but he was the leader of Bishop Blanchet's offense, and with him at the helm, the Braves found early success with fundamental play and persistent ball movement. He was matched up against a very tough defender in Julian Agosto, but he showed great confidence with the ball in his hands and did a great job limiting turnovers. Best Underclassman - Louis Grante-Halliday | 6'5" SF | NHHS 2022 Louis Grante-Halliday is a lot to deal with in the post, and the Raiders made a point to get him the ball early and often. The Sophomore still lacks a little bit of finesse around the basket, but he has time to develop, and he has a huge upside. The Sophomore took seven trips to the free-throw line, and although he struggled from the line early, he knocked down 7 of his last 8 when they counted most. He was pulling down boards all night and added a block, a steal, and several assists. Best Story to Watch Moving Forward - Nathan Hale Team Chemistry There's no denying that Nathan Hale has the talent to put together a solid season. Their senior Marcus Collins put up 39 points last week, the most at Nathan Hale since Michael Porter Jr. according to coach Dominque Brooks. He's only one of Hale's three impressive seniors, and their talent was enough to get past Blanchet, but assists were sorely lacking in the offense, and a lot of their points came from one-on-one plays and trips to the line. This was my first time seeing the Raiders this year, and I'm sure they are a better team than they showed in this match-up.