Cadet Classic: Wings and Bigs Notebook

The inaugural Cadet Classic took place at St. John's (DC) on Thursday and Friday featuring four programs: St. John's (DC), St. Maria Goretti, St. Joe's Prep (PA) and Christian Brothers College High School (MO). It was a great opportunity to take in some hoops before the holiday weekend, and after taking a look at the guards, we'll move onto the wings and bigs who made an impact throughout the event.   [player_tooltip player_id='1127309' first='Donavan' last='Freeman'] | St. John's (DC) '24   Freeman went onto win MVP of the tournament and for good reason. He was a dominant two-way impact as a rim protector and provided the cameramen plenty of footage with high-flying finishes. In the opening game against St. Joe's Prep, he was matched up against [player_tooltip player_id='933048' first='Tristen' last='Guillouette'], a 6'9 big with a strong frame. Freeman did his damage scoring by facing up from the high post or playing off other's penetration where he'd set himself up for dump-off passes before taking flight. He shut the gym down with a sequence that included swatting a layup attempt on the defensive end, sprinting the floor and catching a one-handed lob that he threw down with authority.   [player_tooltip player_id='933048' first='Tristen' last='Guillouette'] | St. Joe's Prep '24   When the St. Joe guard could handle the St. John's pressure and get into their half court sets, good things happened when the ball found Guillouette's hands. He'd establish good position on the block, catch with a high target hand and use his brute frame to establish an advantage going towards the middle. If he didn't finish with over the shoulder hooks, he was creating enough contact to draw fouls. He visited the free-throw line 11 times total in the game against St. John's and converted on eight of them. The 6'9 big tallied a double-double effort with 14 points, 11 rebounds and did what he could to protect the paint as an anchor with five blocks.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG-1273.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/IMG-1273.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-1712646" /></a></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1573248' first='Najeh' last='Allen'] | St. Maria Goretti '23   Allen stands about 6'3-6'4, but due to his length, he plays like he's a legit 6'5. He's featured more as a wing for the Gaels and because of his athleticism and length, makes for a versatile piece on the defensive side. Offensively he can knock down shots off the catch and while he's still developing a game off the bounce, if he makes his way to the basket his length really comes into play. He scored 11 points in the win over Christian Brothers, pulled down three boards and used his wiry frame to record three steals.   Jarvis Wright | St. Maria Goretti '24   Wright was a player I was unfamiliar with before this event, but seems to show signs of being a real contributor going forward. He too is 6'3, but plays with a bigger presence and showed efficiency with his decision-making both as a scorer and passer on Thursday. He scored 12 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting and knocked down two of his three looks from three. He made good hustle plays throughout the course of his 14 minutes that didn't show on the box score, but ultimately helped his team earn extra possessions or saves from turnovers.   [player_tooltip player_id='1573250' first='Tim' last='Barton'] | St. John's (DC) '23   Barton is a guy who seems very comfortable in his role. The 6'4 forward brings tremendous energy next to Freeman in the frontcourt and has ability to flare out to the corner for the occasional three to keep his defender honest. Where he makes his money is doing the hardhat chores inside battling for second-chance points, delivering textbook box-outs and getting on the floor when it calls for him to do so. In the win over St. Joe's, he always seemed to be the guy who broke any momentum the opposition had on a defensive possession. They'd either put together a few sound rotations and then Barton would find the ball under the rim to crush any hope they had in a stop. The senior finished this game with nine points on 3-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from three. He hauled in six rebounds as well all in 15 minutes of action.

The inaugural Cadet Classic took place at St. John's (DC) on Thursday and Friday featuring four programs: St. John's (DC), St. Maria Goretti, St. Joe's Prep (PA) and Christian Brothers College High School (MO). It was a great opportunity to take in some hoops before the holiday weekend, and after taking a look at the guards, we'll move onto the wings and bigs who made an impact throughout the event.