Tournament of Champions Classic, Day 1: Game 1
To fit in the number of quality teams always on hand, games at the annual Christmas-time Tournament of Champions at Wheeler High School start at 10:30 am. Later in Day 1 last Friday as expected, college coaches lined the courtside…
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Continue ReadingTo fit in the number of quality teams always on hand, games at the annual Christmas-time Tournament of Champions at Wheeler High School start at 10:30 am. Later in Day 1 last Friday as expected, college coaches lined the courtside seating with new Vanderbilt coach and UNC and NBA-alum Jerry Stackhouse prominent among them. But those that came later in the day definitely missed both some quality teams and especially quality players in the early portion of the slate.
Kameron Hobbs Cam Bryant
Dutchtown vs Tucker – Two power teams, both very much in the conversation for their state-level championships, opened things in the main gym with a barn-burner, won 73-72 by 5A Dutchtown. I saw the Bulldogs over Thanksgiving weekend at Westlake’s tournament, and they were impressive there, with a triumvirate of seniors taking to the forefront. That was again the case to open the tournament Friday. Combining for 59 points were point guard Kameron Hobbs, forward Jamaine Mann and wing Cam Bryant. All three were massive in the fourth quarter, with Hobbs showing off his terrific shooting range, knocking down two big 3-balls (led the team with 22 points), Mann going 5-6 from the line on his way to 19 points, and Bryant getting what turned out to be the winning bucket in a strong take to the hole in the last minute (he finished with 18 points). Hobbs is a classic scoring point guard, flashy off the dribble with a nose for the basket, Mann is a bull inside but also showed an ability to step out beyond the arc, and Bryant is your classic high-flying wing slasher and fiery competitor who can score from all spots. The three get very capable support from two more seniors, guards Isaiah Placide and Jaelyn Anderson, and after bowing out in the 5A quarters last season, it’s easy to see the capability this veteran squad has to take it further this February.
Jermontae Hill Raylan Barrion
Tucker, too, has veteran leadership back from last season’s team that lost a close one in the 6A final, and their two explosive wing talents took center stage for them Friday. When I saw Tucker at the Hawks-Naismith Classic earlier this month, 6-4 senior Jermontae Hill didn’t have his best game. But his quality was present against Dutchtown, as all facets of his offensive repertoire were on display. In getting 16 of his 18 in the second half, he put the ball on the floor, scored explosively off the break and showed a particularly solid mid-range shooting touch. Terrance Edwards is well-known as a gifted finisher in close to the basket who likes to draw or play through contact, and the 6-4 senior had another solid day against a formidable opponent in totaling 24 points. He has no qualms about handling the ball either, be it running the break or finding a drive lane starting from outside the arc. Fellow frontcourt mate 6-5 junior David Giddens also showed skill and fight close to the basket in battling Dutchtown’s Mann, and the guard trio of up-and-coming sophomore point man Raylan Barrion and SG’s senior Dylan Pritchett and junior Tyler Pendergrass were factors all game and will be keys to another deep playoff run for the Tigers.