Scouting: Baltimore Panthers vs Our Family

<p>In one of the more anticipated contests this winter, the Baltimore Panthers (comprised of St. Frances players) and Our Family (comprised of Poly players) faced off in what many would consider two of the top programs in Baltimore for bragging rights. In the end, the Black Panthers edged by with a 72-70 win. Here are some evaluations from the contest.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Bryce-Lindsay.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1038382" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Bryce-Lindsay-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="777095" first="Bryce" last="Lindsay"] | 6’3 | Our Family ’22</strong></span></p> <p>Lindsay scored a game-high 22 points and refused to let his team fall behind in multiple occasions throughout this game. The sharpshooter finished with five three’s, most of which came off the dribble in transition. Lindsay had to go up against stout defensive guards in [player_tooltip player_id="904668" first="Elijah" last="Davis"] and [player_tooltip player_id="836491" first="Khyrie" last="Staten"], but still managed to create space and drill shots with little space.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1089573" first="Derik" last="Queen"] | 6’8 | Black Panthers ’24</strong></span></p> <p>Queen has steadily progressed since first taking the floor back in the fall with this team. The 6-foot-8 freshman has become a crucial piece to their success and it showed again last night as indicated by his 19 points and 12 rebounds. The confidence in his three-point shot is obvious and last night, he canned three triples. The versatility that he brings on both ends cannot be praised enough.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1110545" first="Cortez" last="Johnson"] | 6’7 | Black Panthers ’22</strong></span></p> <p>Johnson played his best game as a Panther and was extremely effective in transition as he chipped in with a 14-point effort. The 6-foot-7 wing has ability to finish well above the rim and it was on display as the entire game was a track meet. He also made sound decisions as a passer. There wasn’t any flash to his passes nor did many lead to buckets, but he made the right passes, which is just as important.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Jahn-Lamothe-Jamie-Kasier.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1023605" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Jahn-Lamothe-Jamie-Kasier-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957025" first="Jahnathan" last="Lamothe"] | 6’3 | Black Panthers ’23</strong></span></p> <p>Lamothe didn’t have his best shooting game from three, but it’s well-versed how deadly he can be from beyond the arc. It didn’t stop him from finishing with 14 points by getting out on the break and finishing at the rim or drawing a foul.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Kwame-Evans.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1065165" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Kwame-Evans-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957019" first="Kwame" last="Evans"] | 6’8 | Our Family ’23</strong></span></p> <p>When you compare where Evans was last year to now, there’s a huge difference in his confidence and aggression off the bounce. Evans scored 13 points and almost all of his makes came after breaking down his defender in isolations. There were a handful of occasions where Evans drove hard to the basket and accepted contact, but no foul was called. It was good to see that he didn’t allow the non-calls to impact his determination in getting back to the basket on following possessions. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/Evans-Barry-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1110260" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/Evans-Barry-Head-Shot-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="902030" first="Barry" last="Evans"] | 6’7 | Our Family ’21</strong></span></p> <p>It’s been great seeing the willingness of Evans when it comes to doing the little things. Crashing the offensive glass, getting physical on box outs and being the first one on the floor helps set a tone and bring expectations for the rest of his team. His gritty approach resulted in earning second chance points as he added 12 for the game. The 6-foot-7 southpaw also did a nice job of staying in front of his matchup defensively.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="904632" first="Adam" last="Walden"] | 6’10 | Our Family ’21</strong></span></p> <p>Like with Johnson, this was by far the best performance I’ve seen Walden in his high school career. He performed at an elite level defensively as a shot-blocker. Whether it was lay-ups or Panthers’ players trying for a poster dunk, Walden was denying all attempts. He manned the glass as you would want from your 6-foot-10 center and the effort on that end helped him get going offensively. Walden made one specific play late in the second half when he made a catch from a dump-off pass, went up with two hands and threw down a monster dunk with a foul. </p>