Top Standouts/Prospects: Massanutten vs. Hargrave
It was a matchup of two of the top post grad teams in the state and the country over the past few years, as Massanutten met up with Hargrave at Fork Union in the Military Classic this past Friday. Both…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIt was a matchup of two of the top post grad teams in the state and the country over the past few years, as Massanutten met up with Hargrave at Fork Union in the Military Classic this past Friday. Both teams have been nationally ranked this year, with Hargrave currently sitting at #2 in the post grad national rankings.
It was a game for a while until Hargrave really started opening it up late in the first half and early in the second half, as their depth and raw talent were just too much for Massanutten to handle. The Tigers ended up winning 116-102, and there were plenty of standouts from both teams in this one. Here’s a look at some of them.
Touba Traore | 6’11” C | Massanutten 2020
While he’s still a project, Traore has moments of showing that he’s a no brainer division one player who needs more attention from college programs. Traore battled against a talented Hargrave team all game long, amassing big time numbers on both ends of the floor and being an impact guy in every way possible from the big man position. He showed his quickness off his feet as he rebounded and protected the rim well, he ran the floor hard and showed a good motor and was great around the rim as a finisher and found his way to the line a lot where he was efficient from the stripe as well. He finished with an impressive 30 points and 14 rebounds in their loss to Hargrave.
Chad Kreitzer | 6’1” G | Massanutten 2020
In my third time watching Massanutten play, it was probably the best I had seen Kreitzer who came out of the gates hot and made an impact right away. A guard with good size and some toughness to him, he came in off the bench and got right to making an impact with a couple three-pointers that opened his game up and allowed him to attack the paint after. He showed a good midrange game, he competed on the defensive end and was very vocal on both ends as well. He scored 14 of his 16 points in the first half and was a big reason that the Colonels hung around for as long as they did.
Markus Ilver | 6’7” WF | Massanutten 2021
The Estonian national didn’t get off the best start, but throughout the game he showed his long term potential that has him looking like a possible high major kid moving forward. He looks the part with good length and athleticism, he plays tough on both ends of the floor with great hustle and while he started the game cold he showed how quickly he can get hot and knock down shots from deep as well. He scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half, while also pitching in 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 steals in the loss.
K.D. Johnson | 6’1” PG | Hargrave 2020
The University of Georgia commit was coming off an unreal performance in Springfield, and he showed his dominance in the first half of the Massanutten win when he flat out could not miss from anywhere. An athletic and strong 6’1” guard, Johnson got to whatever spot he wanted to on the floor and made both open and contested shots from all over whether it was off the bounce or off the catch, doing it with layups, midranges, threes and from the free throw line. He was 8-for-10 from the field, 5-for-6 from deep and 6-for-6 from the line, all by the end of the first half! He finished with 31 points on the game, and looked every bit like an immediate impact in the SEC next year.
Mark Sears | 6’1” G | Hargrave 2020
A stocky combo guard with a college ready body and some swagger to his game, Sears had moments where he looked like an immediate impact guy at the next level with his mix of scoring and playmaking ability. He doesn’t look like much of an explosive athlete but he changed my mind really quick with a couple of his finishes and rebounds, he showed a great midrange game with a few tough pull-ups and he showed great vision and passing ability as well. He really picked it up on both ends towards the end of the first half and beginning of the second half, finishing with 17 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds in the win.
Corey Walker | 6’6’” F | Hargrave 2020
The Tennessee commit showed why he’s considered one of the best and most versatile forwards in all of post grad basketball, as he played all over the floor and caused mismatches whether he was on the wing or playing the small ball four spot. He showed a good IQ and great knack for the ball on both ends, he’s a strong finisher in the paint and he’s a true three level scorer that is also an impact on both ends of the floor. He finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in the win.
Ashley James | 6’3” G | Hargrave 2020
The Missouri State commit and Virginia Beach native wasn’t the go-to guy throughout the game, but he showed flashes of what should make him an immediate impact guy in the Missouri Valley Conference next year. It was hard to recognize him without the hair until you saw the way he changed speeds, the natural athleticism and his ability to contort his body and great hang time as a finisher. He brought the house down with a great alley-app finish, he made plays for others off the bounce and was his usual pest of a defender as well. He finished with 8 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in the win.
Gabe Wiznitzer | 7’0” PF/C | Hargrave 2021
Wiznitzer is quickly becoming one of the most sought after big men on the east coast and he has the opportunity to come out in 2020 if he wants, and it makes sense with his unique skills et with his great size. The 7’0” South Carolina native isn’t the most athletic guy but he plays at his own pace, he has great fundamentals both on the perimeter and in the post, he finishes well with both hands and is a good passer at his size as well. He finished with 13 points, showing a number of ways of scoring the ball and did so in limited minutes due to foul trouble.