Takeaways from Washburn Rural vs Topeka West
Two of the most impressive teams in the Centennial League met at Washburn Rural Friday night. With two defensive-minded coaches facing off, the first half was predictably low-scoring. Rural pulled ahead, but had to hold off a late rally by…
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Continue ReadingTwo of the most impressive teams in the Centennial League met at Washburn Rural Friday night. With two defensive-minded coaches facing off, the first half was predictably low-scoring. Rural pulled ahead, but had to hold off a late rally by the Chargers. Here are some takeaways from this matchup of talented squads:
Both teams tried to take away the other’s leading scorer:
Two of the leading scorers in the league were bottled up for the first 20 minutes. Rural’s Joe Barry entered the contest averaging 22.3 points, but was held to just 5 at intermission. Meanwhile, West’s Elijah Brooks, who came in scoring 18.4 a game, was shut out in the first half. Barry got 14 in the second half to approach his average, but Brooks finished with 9, the first time he’d been held out of double-figures this season.
Topeka West played small a lot of the game:
The Chargers played essentially a five-guard lineup for a lot of the game. Granted, there was still some height on the floor in 6-foot-3 Trevion Alexander and 6-foot-2 Brooks. But leading rebounder 6-foot-3 Dre Durall sat some in favor of another guard.
West was no match for Rural behind the arc:
Despite playing small, West was outclassed from distance. They tried to focus on driving the ball, and thus made just one three-pointer, while Rural made nine. Noah Krueger bomb five triples and Jack Hutchinson and Josh Williams added two apiece.
West could learn from Rural’s discipline and effort:
Rural seems to know how to win with what looks like average talent. They finished second in the 6A state tournament last year, and currently rank 10th in the state again. But they don’t possess any more height, length or athleticism than the Chargers. Bloomquist seemed disappointed in his team’s effort and teamwork Friday night.
These same kids will continue to battle:
Most of the key figures in this intriguing matchup will be around next year. Only Krueger, Durall and Topeka West’s Bryson Bitler will graduate. Barry, Brooks, Alexander and company have several more battles in store.