Battle of the Titans: D1 Rice vs D2 Montpelier
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Rice Memorial and Montpelier High are both coming off of multiple title runs and they each showed their top tier abilities on Monday evening. Get a taste of two of VT’s top programs. Sharif Sharif Sharif Sharif 6'2" | PG…
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Continue ReadingRice Memorial and Montpelier High are both coming off of multiple title runs and they each showed their top tier abilities on Monday evening. Get a taste of two of VT’s top programs.
Sharif Sharif Sharif Sharif 6'2" | PG Rice Memorial | 2023 State New E , 6’2 G – Rice Memorial High School Class of 2023
Sharif was in his bag Monday night, putting up 17 points including his 1,000th of his career. Naturally, Sharif showed his three-level scoring throughout the evening. He produced crafty, acrobatic finishes around the rim, short-range pull-ups and threes to go with. Additionally, he hauled in a few rebounds and handled MHS’ pressure defense with composure. Sharif’s scoring capabilities are tough to contain.
Drew Bessette Drew Bessette 6'7" | PF Rice Memorial | 2024 State New E , 6’7 F – Rice Memorial High School Class of 2024
Drew got out of the gates quick in this one. Bessette stuffed a tip slam in the first minute, then another dunk, and kept steady from there. He nailed a few catch-and-shoot threes, crashed the boards, and ran transition lanes for a methodical 14 point, 12 board performance. Furthermore, he’s a highly versatile defender. Drew held down the paint on drives and contained perimeter guys with his footwork. Bessette was smooth and didn’t force anything throughout the contest.
Owen Eaton Owen Eaton 6'2" | CG Rice Memorial | 2025 State New E , 6’1 G – Rice Memorial High School Class of 2025
The definition of a spark plug, Owen came in and gave Rice a needed lift in the first quarter. Early on, Eaton finished a number of strong takes to both sides of the rim to get the offense going. Moreover, he recovered 50/50 balls for needed extra possessions. As the game wore on, he hit a couple threes off the catch and assisted a few finishes. He also applied hard-nosed defense to MHS’ crafty guards. Owen looks like an integral building block for Rice with a senior heavy group.
Daniel Bogre, 5’9 G Rice Memorial High School Class of 2023
A senior leader who comes in with the second unit, Bogre’s poise, IQ, and work ethic knit Rice’s dynamic squad together. First, Daniel is a rugged an agile defender. He forced a few turnovers and jump balls with his on-ball pressure. Of course, he turned some of that defense into offense with strong and aware takes to the rim, finishing with 10 points in limited minutes. Daniel has a level approach and mentality on the court.
Carson Cody, 6’2 G/W – Montpelier High School Class of 2025
The sophomore shouldered the scoring load for MHS, finishing with a game high 18 points. Cody found the nylon four times from deep, all off the catch and in the flow of the offense. In addition, he attacked the rim and got a few looks to drop inside amongst Rice’s interior length. In addition, Carson is a solid open court defender too. He used his agility to contain Rice’s quick guards out of MHS’ pressure and his length to disrupt vision plus passing lanes. Cody is looking like a breakout player so far this season.
Ronnie Riby-Williams, 6’0 G – Montpelier High School Class of 2023
Ronnie is someone who does a lot of little things. He’s got a strong frame and nice athleticism which he uses to recover 50/50 balls and rebounds on both ends. Additionally, Ronnie is one of MHS’ peskiest defenders. With his agility and speed, he can stick with anyone in the state. On the offensive end, he gets into the second layer makes plays from there. If he adds a short-range pull-up to his slashing, he’ll be a tough cover.
Carter Bruzzese, 5’10 G – Montpelier High School Class of 2025
MHS’ point guard, Carter put in a lot of work this game. Bruzzese dealt with lots of on-ball pressure, and he handled it incredibly well. Carter uses his body and off-hand to protect the ball and he has a secure low dribble to evade reaching defenders. He also has savvy footwork which he used to create space from defenders on the perimeter and in the paint. He had a number of crafty finishes as he posted 14 points on the night. Carter too used his agile, rugged defense to hound Rice’s guards and didn’t let up all game.
Andrew Tringe, 6’7 F – Montpelier High School Class of 2023
The senior big man showed a lot of nice things against Rice’s tough forwards. Tringe battled all evening on both ends of the floor. He collected rebounds for second chance points and secured defensive rebounds to keep Rice to single shot possessions. Moreover, he showed some perimeter skills too. He facilitated a little outside the paint, threaded a nice pass from the top of the key to a back-cutter, and went 1/2 from three. Andrew is looking like an X-factor type guy for MHS.