Five Takeaways: Monticello at Camanche

CAMANCHE -- A matchup that we've been anticipating since we put together the "Way Too Early" rankings in August didn't quite live up to the hype on Tuesday night, as 2A #1 Camanche rolled over #2 Monticello, cruising to a 77-55 win in highly impressive fashion. The Indians took any potential drama out of this one in a hurry, jumping out to a 12-3 lead only three minutes into the game and never looking back. Monticello was able to get back within six points midway through the second quarter, but an 8-2 Camanche run pushed the lead back to double digits, 33-21, heading into the break. They cruised in the final 16 minutes, remaining undefeated and grabbing firm control of the River Valley North. Camanche (8-0) was led by LJ Henderson, who had 25 points on 9-10 shooting. Zach Erwin was a perfect 6-6 from the floor and 5-5 from the free throw line en route to 18 points, and Caleb Delzell added a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Cam Soenksen chipped in 10 points and all five Indian starters made at least one 3-pointer. Monticello (9-2) was led by junior forward Justin Recker, who had 22 points. Ty Kehoe chipped in 15 in the loss for the Panthers.   <table style="border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;height: 63px"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 21px"> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">Team</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">1Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">2Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">3Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">4Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">F</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px"> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">Monticello</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">10</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">11</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">16</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">18</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">55</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px"> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">Camanche</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">21</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">12</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">26</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">18</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%;text-align: center;height: 21px">77</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   Monticello: Justin Recker 22, Ty Kehoe 15, Connor Lambert 8, Devin Kraus 3, Luke Lambert 2, Riley Manternach 2, Jeff Carlson 2, Tyler Luensman 1 Camanche: LJ Henderson 25, Zach Erwin 18, Caleb Delzell 14, Cam Soenksen 10, Jordan Lawrence 5, Nolan Baker 3, Zayne Feller 2   Camanche is really, really good [caption id="attachment_914127" align="alignright" width="225"] Caleb Delzell had 14 points, 11 rebounds in Camanche's win[/caption] I've been higher on the Indians than the AP voters have been since the start of the year (although the AP is starting to catch up, ranking them #2 this week), and they showed why I've been so high on them here. This team is absolutely loaded with talent, versatility and experience. They were exceptional on both ends of the floor, and this is a good Monticello team that they just man-handled from start-to-finish. They have five guys (Henderson, Delzell, Soenksen, Lawrence, Erwin) who can light it up for 20+ on any given night, and each of them can shoot the basketball. There isn't one player you can just key in on, and they really get after it on the defensive end as well. In addition to the strength of the starting five, they have solid depth with guys like Mike Delzell, Ethan Buckley and Zayne Feller (who started last year) coming off the bench. This team is really, really good, and they're going to be my pick to win it all in 2A until proven otherwise.   And I think Monticello is, too In addition to being higher on Camanche than the AP, I've been significantly higher on Monticello than those voters (I had them #2, they didn't have them ranked). We won't know for sure who's (more) correct until February, but I think that this Panthers team is really strong, they just ran into a buzzsaw of a team on Tuesday. The Panthers have an outstanding big man in Justin Recker who displayed a little bit of everything in his arsenal here. He scored 22 points, going 3-4 from behind the arc, showing some impressive ball handling on a straight-line drive from the top of the key, and really impressive footwork and quickness on a coast-to-coast drive and finish following a block he had made on the other end. Ty Kehoe is a crafty guard who can score around the bucket, and Connor and Luke Lambert are both experienced guards who can score, rebound and facilitate. This is an experienced team with a star who can score from all three levels, a solid coach and I think they're still very capable of making it to State. Perhaps they're a little closer to the #6-8 range in 2A than where I had them, but this is a talented group that will continue to make noise.   LJ Henderson is a difference maker After toiling away at 4A Clinton for the first three years of high school, Henderson transferred to Camanche for his senior season, and he's been a major difference maker for the Indians. After cutting his teeth against some high-level talent in the MAC, the drop down to the River Valley had to have been eye opening for him, in a good way for himself and Camanche. He has the type of athleticism that you rarely see at the 2A level, and he used that burst and quickness to dominate this one, scoring 25 points on 9-10 shooting. He has the ability to beat anyone off the dribble, with an ability to change directions in a split second that few in the state possess. Camanche was going to be good this season without Henderson. They may just be the best team in 2A with him on the floor.   This Camanche team is different than the 2017 version The 2017 Indians qualified for State for the first time since 1985. That team played a lot like Lonzo Ball's Chino Hills team did out in California. They were explosive, but they loved to chuck up 3s (and not good 3s). These were 3s coming from the volleyball lines. They averaged 27 3-point attempts a game and shot 33.4% on those attempts. It was an entertaining style to watch, but it wasn't going to win them a state title. That team also allowed 56.7 points a game. This year's Camanche team has the ability to be just as explosive offensively, but they play in a much different way. This is a disciplined group that has a number of players who can score it, and they really pass the ball well. They're versatile. All five players on the floor can make 3s, but they're down to 15.6 attempts a game. That said, they're shooting 40% on those attempts, and they're shooting nearly 54% from the floor as a team. Yes, basketball has moved to a more 3-point oriented approach, and the Indians embraced that, but, like the Rockets in the NBA, if they had a bad shooting night, they were going to be done for. This group can score in such a variety of ways that the 3-point line isn't going to be the deciding factor. The other key difference here is that they're allowing just 45.5 points a game. They've bought in on that end of the floor, and with their length, versatility and athleticism, they can be elite on that end of the floor all year. This isn't a one-trick pony. This is a legitimate basketball team.   The difference a defender can make Jordan Lawrence missed all of last season with a knee injury after starting as a freshman. He's back now, and he's making a huge difference for Camanche. The 5-10 junior guard is a solid offensive player. He's averaging 9.9 points, shooting 50% from 3 (12-24) and has a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. But the difference that he's made comes on the defensive end of the floor. He was dominant on Tuesday night, picking up Monticello's solid freshman lead guard Tate Petersen full court, and forcing him out of his comfort zone. As a result, Petersen spent a lot more time than he's used to on the bench - he just wasn't quite ready for that pressure. Defense is about effort, and Lawrence exerts a lot of effort on that end of the floor, and the rest of the roster seems to feed off of that. We mentioned how the Indians have trimmed a lot off of their scoring against average from the 2017 State team - here's the primary reason why.