CBG Showcase Finale Standouts (Part 4)

<p>The Commonwealth Basketball Group has been busy this fall and winter putting on different events for teams that can’t play due to the coronavirus pandemic. It all started with the CBG Fall Series, and led into the Winter Series and multiple Showcase days as well as partnering with Team Loaded for the Coaches For a Cure event. The final team event of the winter took place on Sunday February 21, with the CBG Showcase Finale, a four game event featuring teams from across VA, MD and WV.</p> <p>It was a high level event with tons of talent all over the place and very competitive games throughout the day. Below you will find the scores for the games as well as the standouts throughout the day, and you can watch the games from the event on the <a href="https://cbglivenetwork.com">CBG Live Network</a>.</p> <p>Game 1: Blue Magic 62 CVA Warriors 31</p> <p>Game 2: 522 Warriors 77 CBG Wildcats 59</p> <p>Game 3: MD Justice 62 Peanut City 58</p> <p>Game 4: Beckley Prep IJN 82 Massanutten 81 (OT)</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1041139" first="Joryam" last="Saizonou"] | 6’3” CG | Beckley IJN 2021</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Saizonou-Joryam.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1138322" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Saizonou-Joryam-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Saizonou stole the show in the final game, as the native of the Netherlands put on an absolute clinic with both is scoring and playmaking ability in a tightly contested matchup with Massanutten. He got off to a hot start showing his ability to make shots from behind the arc and making plays in the pick-and-roll, and after a sluggish start in the second half he took the game over when they needed it the most scoring down the stretch including the buzzer beater to send it to overtime and a huge bucket in overtime to put them up for good. The 6’3” guard who is virtually unknown on the recruitment trail finished with 31 points going 11-for-21 from the field and 5-for-11 from deep, and had 6 assists to just 2 turnovers in the win.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="977580" first="Kaden" last="Warner"] | 6’0” PG | Beckley IJN 2022</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Warner-Kaden.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1138327" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Warner-Kaden-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Saizonou’s backcourt mate showed that he has serious game too, as Warner was fantastic scoring the basketball as well, especially in the first half. The junior guard is lightning quick off the bounce and changes speeds and directions well, he can fire away from deep and get in the lane at will and he always seemed to be making a play when his team needed him to. He finished with 20 points and should be a guy coaches keep on their radar for the 2022 class moving forward.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="977503" first="Saliou" last="Nguer"] | 6’9” PF | Beckley IJN 2021</strong></p> <p>In a game dominated by guard play, Nguer was one of the most consistent post players and bigs throughout the day and impacted the game in a ton of different ways. The 6’9” forward was active in the paint on both ends, he was efficient with his touches in the post and he provided a big spark off the bench for them throughout the game. He finished with 8 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field and had 6 rebounds and 2 assists as well.</p> <p><strong>James Okonkwo | 6’8” PF | Beckley IJN 2023</strong></p> <p>Okonkwo is one of the youngest players on this Beckley team, but he showed tremendous upside moving forward and should be on high major radars here soon. At 6’8” he has a terrific frame and is a ridiculously explosive athlete when he rebounds and is around the rim, and while he’s still a little raw once he polishes up his skillset he’s going to be a handful to try to guard both in transition and in the paint. He still has a ways to go but he has physical and athletic tools you simply can’t teach, and he’s definitely going to be a guy you’ll hear more about moving forward.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="815583" first="Kanye" last="Clary"] | 5’11” PG | Massanutten 2022</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Clary-Kanye-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1138330" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Clary-Kanye-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Clary battled against the talented Beckley backcourt the entire game as he was fantastic as both a floor general and a go-to scorer, and he has shown continued improvement since transferring to Massanutten from Princess Anne in Virginia Beach. A dynamic and shifty guard off the bounce, Clary is able to get in the lane at will and showed the ability to score from multiple levels with floaters and pull-ups and an improved jumper from deep. He finished with 30 points and 4 assists, and showed why he’s starting to get a lot of interest from high major programs across the region.</p> <p><strong>Kyrese Mullen | 6’6” F | Massanutten 2022</strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Mullen-Kyrese.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1138332" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/Mullen-Kyrese-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p>Mullen is another 757 local that has been at Massanutten over the past few years, and he’s gone from an undersized four/five man to a hybrid forward that can play inside-out and battle with guys taller than him in the paint. He’s physical in the paint and hits the glass on both ends, he has soft touch around the rim with both hands and he’s improved his range to be able to shoot it from deep, especially from the corners. He finished with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="927499" first="Umar" last="Lawson"] | 6’2” G | Massanutten 2022</strong></p> <p>Lawson is an intriguing guard out of South Carolina with a lot of upside as he has an explosive athlete and plays with a good motor on both ends of the floor. He played to his strengths as he got downhill regularly and thrived in transition where he used his athleticism to finish at and above the rim, he rebounded the ball well and he still has a lot of room to improve moving forward. He finished with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field and had 9 rebounds as well.</p> <p><strong>Andre Palmer | 5’10” PG | Massanutten 2021</strong></p> <p>Palmer was the other guard in charge of handling the ball along with Clary, and he was steady handling pressure and initiating the offense and picked his spots and was consistent throughout the day. He’s a guard that plays with good pace with the ball in his hands, he has a good IQ and skillset and he plays with a good motor on both ends as well. He finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.</p>