A Look Into The Class 6A Final 4: Game 1

The field is set, and we are in for an exciting #Final4 as four powerhouse teams converge in Birmingham, AL.   March 2, 2022 @ 10:30am   #3-Huffman vs. #4-McGill-Toolen   The #3-Huffman Vikings are coming into the #Final4 emotionally high as they knocked off #1-ranked Mountain Brook. When looking at the Vikings entering this game, the question is how much do they have left in the emotional tank. There is no doubt that they can match up with McGill-Toolen, which is led by [player_tooltip player_id="890737" first="Barry" last="Dunning"], the University of Arkansas commit. Huffman is a team with athletes all down their roster. They can play uptempo and play in the half-court set and physically wear you down.   McGill-Toolen is a high IQ team that has excellent chemistry. With the #1-ranked player in our 2022 rankings, everyone knows where McGill will look for production. However, they are not a team that is entirely dependent on Barry, as they have grown throughout the season and have seen others step up to be sources of production. McGill will hang their hat on what has been their staple throughout the season, and that is their commitment to sit down and guard on every possession.   For most people, this is a toss-up. Both teams are well-coached and will be fully prepared entering into this match-up. Look for which team will be able to make the in-game adjustments, as this game will probably come down to a couple of late game plays and which team can execute the adjustments.   Keys To Victory:   McGill-Toolen: <ol style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16.0pt; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;" type="1"> <li style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; vertical-align: middle; color: #0e101a;" value="1">They will need to consistently defend at a high level in the half-court.</li> <li style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; vertical-align: middle; color: #0e101a;">They will need to find points from someone other than [player_tooltip player_id="890737" first="Barry" last="Dunning"]. </li> <li style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; vertical-align: middle; color: #0e101a;">They will need to establish control of the paint and the boards. </li> </ol>   Huffman: <ol style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16.0pt; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;" type="1"> <li style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; vertical-align: middle; color: #0e101a;" value="1">They will need to play with consistency for four quarters and not have stretches of unproductivity. </li> <li style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; vertical-align: middle; color: #0e101a;">They will need to execute in the half-court and establish [player_tooltip player_id="1129573" first="Michael" last="Johnson"] on the low block. </li> <li style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0; vertical-align: middle; color: #0e101a;">They will have to play with a lot of passion in their hometown, as you will likely see a lot of orange and green in the BJCC for this match-up. </li> </ol>   Key Players:   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/PH-Michael-Johnson.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1376664 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/PH-Michael-Johnson-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="1129573" first="Michael" last="Johnson"] (6’8/Center/2022)   School: Huffman HS Instagram: N/A Twitter: N/A   Michael was a huge piece in the win against the Mountain Brook Spartans in the NE regional. The question is can he continue his dominance in the #Final4 where the pressure increases. Huffman will have an excellent chance to advance to the championship game if he can control the paint and dominate on the boards.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/PH-Jaquarious-Sword.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1346218 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/PH-Jaquarious-Sword-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="1380306" first="Jaquarious" last="Sword"] (6’5/Wing/2022)   School: Huffman HS Instagram: TheRealDooney Twitter: @DooneySword   Jaquarious has had an up and down season but is one of the most versatile players that will take the court during this game. He made a key late-game three against Mountain Brook, and he has the talent to be a source of production for the Vikings. If he can come in and give the Vikings 15-18pts in this one, it will definitely be advantage Vikings.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/PH-Barry-Dunning.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1317188 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/PH-Barry-Dunning-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="890737" first="Barry" last="Dunning"] (6’6/Forward/2022)   School: McGill-Toolen HS Instagram: bohandbz Twitter: N/A   One thing is for sure: the stage will not be too big for Barry. He is the unquestioned silent leader for McGill, and he will have to have a huge offensive game against the stingy and aggressive Huffman defense. Barry will see multiple defenders, which is a normal scenario game in and game out for him. Look for him to be dominant in the open court and possibly spend more time posting up the Vikings defenders.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/PH-Myles-Murphy.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1317189 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/PH-Myles-Murphy-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a>Myles Murphy (6’3/Combo Guard/2022)   School: McGill-Toolen Instagram: myles_murphy32 Twitter: @MylesMurphy18   Myles is a blue-collar worker that McGill will need to match the intensity of the Vikings players. He is the guy that does all the dirty work for McGill. He is good on the defensive end of the court, rebounds well, and will be needed to score in this match-up. His leadership and IQ on the court could be the difference with what could be a game that is won by the team that can keep it together mentally and execute the adjustments down the stretch.   Who do you think will emerge as the 6A State Champion? Cast your vote… https://poll.fm/11053367