5 Takeaways: St. Ignatius vs Curie

<p>Thursday night we caught two quality Chicago teams with one coming from the Public League and other from Catholic League.  St. Ignatius got out to an early lead, but looked like they were going to lose until some magic in the last minute on a game winner with under 30 seconds left.  St. Ignatius won 54-53.  Here is our <strong>5 Takeaways: St. Ignatius vs Curie!</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>St. Ignatius Wings Continue Stock Rise</strong></p> <p>All season the wings have been the go to players for Ignatius.  This game was no exception.  Silky smooth 2022 wing [player_tooltip player_id="863613" first="AJ" last="Redd"] slithered his way to the hoop on an array of drives as he converts with excellent body control at the cup.  Went for 13 points.  His running mate 2023 strong bodied wing [player_tooltip player_id="989270" first="Richard" last="Barron"] hit his usual corner three off the catch along with several powerful takes where he displayed fluid handles and some shake.  Went for 12 points.  Both should have D1s monitoring them.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Post Players Make Difference for St. Ignatius in Win</strong></p> <p>The difference was the play of the big men for the CCL squad.  [player_tooltip player_id="925217" first="Kolby" last="Gilles"] came up huge late with the game winning bucket.  He was also a consistent force on the boards throughout the night and even stepped out to hit a three.  Went for 6 points.  Class of 2023 power forward [player_tooltip player_id="939066" first="Jackson" last="Kotecki"] is a skilled four that runs the floor with ease where he got an easy bucket, finished a dump off, and hit a corner three.  The potential is all there.  It just needs to be consistent.  Went for 9 points.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Senior Depth is Curie Strength</strong></p> <p>Curie doesn’t have one star player this year like in the past, but instead a rock solid collection of seniors that anyone can step up at any time.  In the backcourt [player_tooltip player_id="1048734" first="Cassius" last="Brooks"] continues to impress during his final year.  Strong and athletic combo that is shifty with the rock and gets to the rim with ease.  He had 8 points.  [player_tooltip player_id="921045" first="Kendall" last="Brasfield"] is a nice small college option late in the process.  Smooth jump shooter hit from mid-range and three for 9 points.  Up front their big man duo had their moments.  <strong>Jermell Grigsby</strong> has played excellent as a senior.  Active rebounder on the offensive glass that finishes and is efficient around the hoop.  Even stepped out for a three en route to 11 points.  [player_tooltip player_id="920977" first="Reggie" last="Ward"] is a versatile forward we love at the small college or JUCO level with his toughness and multi positional skills.  He had 8 points.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Bullock Provides Spark</strong></p> <p>The player that ignited Curie in the fourth to an almost comeback win was [player_tooltip player_id="1049088" first="Phoenix" last="Bullock"].  The 6’2” junior guard hit a pair of threes and got to the rack for 10 points in the final stanza.  Look forward to monitoring him this summer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Catholic League vs Chicago Public League Challenge?</strong></p> <p>This game made me think in this random year it would have been perfect to have a Chicago Catholic League vs Chicago Public League crossover series.  On one Saturday have the top nine teams play crossover games against the other league in kind of a Big 10 vs ACC Challenge!</p>