Dave Morrison Princeton’s Delathon “Lay-Lay” Wilborn has been one of the state’s top surprises early in the season. He has led the Tigers to a 4-0 start and has emerged a a scoring threat, averaging 23.3 points per…
Dave Morrison
Princeton’s Delathon “Lay-Lay” Wilborn has been one of the state’s top surprises early in the season.
He has led the Tigers to a 4-0 start and has emerged a a scoring threat, averaging 23.3 points per game.
Wilborn, a 5-10 senior showed that in his 36-point effort against rival Bluefield Friday.
He was 10 of 16 shooting and 4 of 4 on 3s.
It was Wilborn’s third straight game with at least 23 points after averaging seven points last year, with a previous career high of 16, also against Bluefield.
He added seven rebounds, four steals and seemed to be everywhere on both ends of the floor. He showed a great court awareness.
Coach Robb Williams said that Wilborn worked hard in the summer, through the Covid pandemic, to improve his game.
It’s showing.
In his last two games Chapman has scored 32 (vs. Poca) and 33 (vs. Wyoming East), both of those new career highs.
Chapman has 16 3s in his last four games and is averaging 26.5 in those four games.
Like Wilborn he is certainly not a one-trick pony. Against Wyoming East he had seven rebounds, five steals and four assists.
Chapman is scoring at a 23.2 ppg clip this season.
His twin brother Cole, one of the top defenders in the region, is averaging 15 points per game.
Here are my takeaways from James Monroe’s 69-64 victory over Greenbrier West Monday, a Class A No. vs. No. 5 battle.
There is a sense that both teams got something from the game.
Pack, an athletic dual position player for the Cavaliers, fouled out with six minutes left Monday with his team trailing by 15.
The team stormed back, with Chase McClung and Brandon Oscar nailing 3s to key a 10-2 run that made the score 67-64. The Cavs twice had possessions to get closer or tie the score and couldn’t convert in the end, but coach Jared Robertson knows he found something.
In a win last week over (Class AA) No. 2 Williamstown, and again against James Monroe, West showed it has some depth.
“I think that showed our team and all our kids can score and all our kids can contribute and he doesn’t have to score 30 points for us to win games,” Robertson said.
The Cavaliers have an interesting lineup.
Both McClung and Oscar, a transfer from Greenbrier East, are point guards who can score as well as facilitate and the 6-3 Pack, one of the areas best athletes, can also play point.
And Logan Shrewsbury filled in for Pack after the Cavs star fouled out and has some big shots in the game, with a run-starting 14-3 run over the final four minutes that made it a one-possession game.
“We’ve got eight kids I know can play and beyond that we have some sophomores who didn’t play tonight but I need to get in games because they are kids who can play too and to build for the future.”
Ty Nickell, Michael Kanode and Kadin Parker are sophomores for the Cavaliers.
James Monroe was looking for a test after starting the season outscoring opponents 72.8 to 41.2.
They got it, although midway through the fourth it looked like the Mavs were on their way to another 20-plus point blowout.
The difference in the game came on the inside.
Judd Lankford and Cam Thomas give James Monroe a tough 1-2 post presence.
In Monday’s game Thomas, starter last year as a freshman, gave the Mavs 14 points and nine rebounds.
He is a physical presence who reminds of the old-school Region 3 style of rugged play.
At 6-foot-4 he was dominate inside and was also 6 of 9 at the free throw, key for a big.
He backs up senior Judd Lankford nine points and four rebounds.
Add that to the shooter in Sauvage (19 3s in six games) and stat page stuffing guard
Eli Allen
Eli
Allen
6'4" | PG
James Monroe | 2023
WV
(14 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals vs. Greenbrier West) and there are the makings for the Mavs first and only state tournament appearance in 1995-96.
Some milestones around the state:
The other two were Anthony Scruggs and Shea Fleenor, two of the best big men in the state during their playing days.
Point Pleasant’s Hunter Bush became the school’s all-time scorer with 1,269 points. He passed Wade Martin, who had 1,265 in his career.