St. John Vianney-Donovan Catholic: Top Standouts

<p>The state tournament is in full swing as the Non-Public sections kicked off their tournament yesterday. Donovan Catholic and St. John Vianney was an intriguing match-up as the Griffins upset the Lancers in the Shore Conference Tournament a week earlier, but it was a different story yesterday. The Lancers had a convincing 69-43 win as several players had stand out games. Here are the top standouts from the St. John Vianney-Donovan Catholic game in the opening round of the Non-Public A South tournament.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="901979" first="Nate" last="Williams"], 6’4 SG St. John Vianney 2022</strong></p> <p>Williams had a big-time performance for the Lancers in the opening round as he finished up with a quadruple-double in the win. The 6’4 guard steadied the offense from the beginning as he made several nice passes to cutting teammates and got the Lancers into the flow of the offense early. Williams attacked the basket hard as he finished nicely around the rim and drew contact. He jumped passes all night and was able to clear the glass on the defensive end. Williams has been the man on offense all year for St. John Vianney and it should continue in the state tournament.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1017192" first="Kyle" last="Verriest"], 5’11 PG St. John Vianney 2023</strong></p> <p>Verriest got the offense going in the first half as he poured in 13 points before halftime. The 5’11 guard showed confidence in his release as he knocked down a couple of early triples to get the crowd into the game. Verriest played under control as he rarely forced shots in the halfcourt. He played solid defense on the perimeter and moved well without the ball in his hands. Verriest is a tough guard prospect who will need to provide a scoring spark in the quarterfinal game against St. Thomas Aquinas.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1394423" first="Omar" last="Calderon"], 6’3 SG St. John Vianney 2022</strong></p> <p>Calderon led the Lancers’ attack with 16 points and he did it in a variety of ways. The John Jay commit was able to get to the basket and finish strong with his left hand. Calderon also knocked down jumpers from behind the arc and did not hesitate to shoot when given open looks. The ball did not stick in his hands and he got deflections on the defensive end. Calderon’s shooting will be key for St. John Vianney as the Lancers look to make a deep run in the state tournament.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1206548" first="Brian" last="Farrell"], 6’2 SG Donovan Catholic 2023</strong></p> <p>Farrell struggled with early turnovers, but was able to find a groove on the offensive end in the second half. The 6’2 guard was able to get to his spot on the floor and has a nice release on his jumper. Farrell moves well off the ball, but can also put the ball on the floor. He did not force shots in the half court and moved his feet on the defensive end. Farrell is a hard-working guard prospect who is in line of a strong senior season for Donovan Catholic.</p> <p><strong>Kyree Drake, 5’8 PG Donovan Catholic 2022</strong></p> <p>Drake made an impact during the game as he used his quickness to help his team on both ends of the floor. The 5’8 guard was a blur in the open floor as he used his speed to put the Lancers’ defense on edge. Drake set his teammates up in good spots and used his handle effectively. He ended up with a couple of steals due to his quick hands and feet on the defensive end. Drake is a quick floor general who had a good senior season for Donovan Catholic.</p>