Five Standouts: Northfield versus George Washington
There was a Denver Prep League battle between two of the three unbeaten teams in the league as George Washington the powerhouse have not gotten off to the start of the season that we are accustomed to but know they…
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Continue ReadingThere was a Denver Prep League battle between two of the three unbeaten teams in the league as George Washington the powerhouse have not gotten off to the start of the season that we are accustomed to but know they are capable of beating any team in the state on any given night and the new kids on the block Northfield is having an incredible year and are the No. 4 team in all of 4A. It was a back and forth battle with runs by both teams but in the end, Northfield overcame the Patriots 70-67 to remain unbeaten in league play. Here are five players that stood out most.
Eddie McPhee sets the tone
The best Patriots player on the night was McPhee as he finished with a team-high 23 points on the night. This was McPhee’s best game I have seen him in as he was surgical with the ball and efficient on the night. McPhee found a rhythm early finishing with 15 points in the first half. He was hitting his outside shot as he had three 3-pointers to begin the game, he was getting to the rim and using his size and also turned his defense into offense. He had five rebounds and two steals on the night. He showed that he is a two-way player that is capable of big scoring games and hopefully he goes back and watches the film as this is the player the Patriots need him to be. Assertive and aggressive and pushing the pace. McPhee did everything he could to try and get a George Washington victory.
Jarmell Johnson has been consistent
Johnson is a player that is uber-athletic and springy and he uses his athleticism to get the best on guys. He jumps over them for rebounds, he gets to the rim and finishes around the trees and in the open court –showtime. He has a couple of dunks in the game that generated momentum for the Patriots to make a run and get back in the game. He also has been able to space the floor for the Patriots and hit his outside shot as he sank a couple of 3-pointers in the game and in the fourth quarter he made a few smart decisions that got the Patriots to the foul line with the clock stopped. He is not afraid to take the shot for the Patriots and the George Washington offense should run a bit more around him as he appears ready to take over at times. He had 17 points in the game and proved why he is one of the better guards in the class. Now he has to step it up a notch as the Patriots try and get as many wins as possible as they prepare for seeding in the playoffs. Not a bad game from him.
Bally Diakite is a game-changer
Every single time that I have seen Diakite, he has impressed. He is a player that I knew nothing about heading into the year but in the few games that I have seen him in he has remained a consistent force on both ends of the floor. Diakite has good size and he also understands positioning for rebounds, he gets to the spot, secures the board and goes right up with it. On offense, he is finding gaps in the defense and his guards are doing a good job of finding him for easy finishes. He finished with 13 points in the game as he was very efficient from the field but he is also a player you don’t have to run plays for. He is constantly moving, he is a hard worker and glass cleaner and had a few easy putback lay-ins off of his seven rebounds as well. Diakite is one of the better two-way forwards in the league and is a player that we will keep on our radars.
Travier Craddock is Northfield’s X-Factor
Northfield was already a team that was having a good season and have a very good guard and floor general Diego Dominguez who remains underrated and very good and RaSheik Gaddis that seems to step up whenever the Nighthawks need a basket but adding Travier Craddock to the bunch opens up another dimension for Northfield. He is a crafty and athletic guard that pushes the pace and opponents have a hard time staying in front of him. He is an aggressive down-hill guard that gets to the rim easy and either finishes or forces the defense to foul him. He was giving the Patriots defense fits. He finished with 11 points and they were all around the rim. He was getting to the FT line and also making the defense sink. He uses his speed to get to his spots and Northfield now having him changes a few things as he is an X-factor that they needed.
Nahsyah Bolar was the MVP
Bolar was a man amongst boys in Northfields game against George Washington and after a very slow start where he only had five points in the first half, he started to come within his own. He had a huge second half where he definitely looked as if he was the best player on the floor. Bolar uses his large 6’7 frame to overpower defenders on the block and he also is a glass cleaner that soars over defenders for rebounds. He does not force many shots, has a backdown game and also seems to know where every board is going to go so even if he misses, he is getting the second chance opportunity. Bolar finished with 18 points in the second half which gave him 23 points for the game. He went 11-12 from the ft line and also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds in the game which is incredible considering the Patriots had 16 as a team. Bolar jumped on our radars last season and this summer and is now the No. 24 player in the class with room to grow. If he can continue having games like this – he’ll continue to turn heads.