NIBC Invitational-Friday Notebook

Some of the nation’s best programs are set to matchup at The St. James Sports Complex in Springfield, VA over the next two weekends. The slate of games began this afternoon and as usual with events held in the DMV area, the Prep Hoops crew will be supplying pletny of content breaking down what we saw. Wasatch Academy vs La Lumiere This game was very difficult to get a grasp on. La Lumiere held a distinct height advantage, but Wasatch countered that size by pushing the tempo any chance they could. La Lumiere locked in on the defensive end in the third frame to make the score respectable, but ultimately Wasatch got back to their running ways and took the game by a final score of 55-45. 2021 Wasatch guard [player_tooltip player_id="611186" first="Nolan" last="Hickman"] was the best player on the floor. The Kentucky commit is a smooth operator and uses quick and effective combo moves to help create shots for himself. His athleticism came to light on drives to the rim after using his quick first step. Hickman led Wasatch with 11 points, dished out three assists and pulled down a couple of rebounds. 2022 Wasatch point guard Richard Isaacs made it known from the opening tip that he was going to be aggressive both as a scorer and pushing the tempo. He got 2023 La Lumiere point guard Jeremy Fears in foul trouble early and proceeded to attack the basket, seek contact and finish floaters with soft touch. Isaacs did a great job of making himself for outlet passes and quickly sprinting or advanced the ball up the floor for fast break opportunities. 2021 Wasatch guard [player_tooltip player_id="933799" first="Brennan" last="Rigsby"] was one of the more intriguing available seniors on display today. The 6-foot-3 guard has a smooth stroke from three and surprising athleticism that came to light in the open floor. He displayed sound footwork coming off screens and understands how to get open without the ball. Rigsby finished with 10 points and four rebounds. ’21 Wasatch forward [player_tooltip player_id="755610" first="Fousseyni" last="Traore"] played a critical role in his team’s win. The 6-foot-7 undersized forward has grown man strength and was an anchor defensively, helping control the glass. The BYU commit finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 4-of-7 from the field. ’22 La Lumiere wing Chisom Okpara led the way in scoring for his team in the loss with 14 points. The 6-foot-7 wing was at his best in transition where he finished consistently around the basket. Okpara struggled finding his rhythm shooting from mid-range and three, going just 5-of-16 from the field. ’22 La Lumiere center [player_tooltip player_id="889557" first="Vincent" last="Iwuchukwu"] like his team, went through spurts throughout this game. The seven-footer showcased his versatility scoring inside and out on his way to 12 points on 5-of-11 from the field and 2-of-4 from three. Iwuchukwu did his due diligence on the glass finished with nine rebounds and although he blocked just two shots, he altered over a handful of attempts in the paint. ’22 La Lumiere guard [player_tooltip player_id="996912" first="JJ" last="Starling"] provided a nice off-ball scoring presence and helped out on the glass defensively. The 6-foot-2 combo guard scored his 10 points off of one or two dribbles and had good body control on his pull ups. Starling finished with nine rebounds and five assists in the loss. Montverde vs Bishop Walsh This game was dominated from start to finish by 2022 Montverde forward [player_tooltip player_id="1062409" first="Jalen" last="Duren"]. There’s a reason why folks are beginning to wonder if he’ll be one of the elite prospects in his class to go the G-League route instead of college. At 6-foot-10, he’s a grown man on both ends around the rim. Whenever he gets a catch in the vicinity of the basket he’s trying to rip the rim off. Duren can also face-up and knock down the occasional mid-range jumper. Defensively he alters countless shots in the paint and can single-handily control the glass. In just 22 minutes, Duren boasted a stat line of 23 points and 14 rebounds. 2021 Montverde point guard [player_tooltip player_id="814899" first="Ryan" last="Nembhard"] was a joy to watch. He’s an absolute blur in transition and has a great feel for when to score or create for others. He’s an effective defender and on the ball and pressures his matchup the full length of the floor. Nembhard ran the show for Montverde and finished with seven points and six assists in the 77-39 victory. Sunrise Christian Academy vs Hamilton Heights 2021 Sunrise Christian point guard [player_tooltip player_id="537220" first="Kennedy" last="Chandler"] is as good as advertised. The Tennessee commit started the game off with a one-handed poster that helped set the tone. Chandler is one of those rare point guards that sees plays happen before they actually do. That’s the case on both ends. Chandler finished with an impressive 13 points (5-of-6 FG), seven assists and six rebounds in just 14 minutes of play. Kennedy led his team to a dominant 82-34 win. 2022 Sunrise Christian combo guard [player_tooltip player_id="996915" first="Willie" last="Lightfoot"] may be under the radar for now, but he’s set to explode and showed why. The 5-foot-11 southpaw nailed four triples and showed plenty of creativity off the bounce as he scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists. 2022 Sunrise Christian wing [player_tooltip player_id="787613" first="Gradey" last="Dick"] showed why the likes of Alabama, Baylor, Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Purdue and Texas Tech are all competing for his services. The 6-foot-7 wing has good size and length that helps make him a versatile piece on both ends. His outside shooting presence helped stretch the floor, but he wasn’t shy about putting the ball on the deck and finishing athletically around the rim. 2021 Sunrise Christian wing/forward [player_tooltip player_id="1094569" first="Kendall" last="Brown"] put in a solid performance as well. The Baylor commit recorded 12 points and four rebounds in just 15 minutes. The 6-foot-8 forward has a quick first jump and makes it challenging for opposing defenders to contest when he’s attacking the basket given his size and length. Brown was active defensively in the passing lanes tallying multiple deflections and two steals. 2022 Hamilton Heights center [player_tooltip player_id="996898" first="Felix" last="Okpara"] was an intriguing prospect. He presents elite length and stands 6-foot-11, which was on full display when he would disrupt shots in the paint. Okpara has timely shot-blocking skills and get extend way above the rim. He finished with a team-high 10 points and four rebounds despite battling foul trouble throughout the game. Okpara kept his head and didn’t allow his team being down by a significant margin impact his effort. Oak Hill vs Legacy 2022 Oak Hill wing [player_tooltip player_id="1107820" first="MJ" last="Rice"] was a man on a mission from the opening tip as he scored a game-high 25 points and secured eight rebounds in his team’s 82-68 win. Rice is a man’s man who bullied his way to the rim on a consistent basis while embracing and finishing through contact. On pretty much every catch Rice was getting downhill and attacking the rim. Legacy just didn’t have an answer for the strength he imposes at his position. 2021 Oak Hill guard [player_tooltip player_id="957885" first="Jalen" last="Ricks"] was one the best available seniors throughout the slate. The 6-foot-7 guard scored 21 points with efficiency as he went 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 from deep. Ricks also played a role on the glass as he grabbed seven rebounds in the win. Ricks’ blend of size, athleticism and shooting ability are extremely hard to come by as you scan the available 2021 prospects. The combination of [player_tooltip player_id="536314" first="Bryce" last="McGowens"] and [player_tooltip player_id="746968" first="Jacobi" last="Wright"] were the lone bright spots for legacy. McGowens, a 2021 Nebraska commit, has some possessions that really show a high ceiling. He’s a tough shot-maker and a finesse finisher in the open floor. McGowens finished with 23 points and eight rebounds on the night. Write, a 2021 South Carolina commit, got to work quickly in isolation situations where he can break his defender down and create shots for himself. Like McGowens, Wright finished with 23 points to go with four rebounds and four assists.