Easy Does It: D1 Burlington vs D2 Spaulding Coverage
It was BHS’ first home game on the UVM court as they seek to rebuild both a high school and their hoop program. Spaulding comes in with D2 title aspirations and handily took care of business against BHS. See who…
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Continue ReadingIt was BHS’ first home game on the UVM court as they seek to rebuild both a high school and their hoop program. Spaulding comes in with D2 title aspirations and handily took care of business against BHS. See who came to play on the college floor!
Cooper Diego, 6’2 G – Spaulding High School Class of 2023
It took a little time to dial in the range, but Diego took care of business nonetheless. Cooper led scorers with 22 points and his production came in a few different ways. First, Cooper attacked the rim in transition. He collected a few lays through contact and a transition jam to go with. In addition, he filled it up in the halfcourt. Diego stroked a couple threes and hit free throws plus simple short-range jumpers off of drives. Moreover, he rebounded the ball well and collected a couple steals on the defensive end. Diego starts the season off on the right foot with a blowout road win.
Tavarius Vance, 6’2 G – Spaulding High School Class of 2023
Tavarius also needed a little time to get acclimated to the college court, but he got his bearings rather quickly. Vance knocked down a couple threes out of halfcourt sets and he also got to the cup for finishes and free throws. He also made some nice heads-up back-cuts where he snuck into the second layer with ease and made plays from there. In addition, Vance’s defense and rebounding were locked in. Tavarius caused numerous turnovers, reeled in boards, and collected 50/50 balls to spark transition opportunities. Lastly, he aided Cooper in handling ball pressure. By using wise positioning to protect the ball while directing traffic, Vance got SHS into sets. The combo of Cooper and Tavarius are as dangerous as any perimeter duo in the state.
Riley Severly, 6’7 F – Spaulding High School Class of 2023
It’s easy to love Riley’s game. Severly has a fundamental approach to hoop with his clean footwork and smooth body mechanics. He showcased some inside out ability against BHS, making a couple nice moves from the perimeter for finishes at the rim. Yet, his post presence was even stronger. Severly had a number of nice plays in the interior with post finishes, tip-ins, and a couple of nice feeds to shooters and cutters. On the defensive end, Riley was solid as well. He used his size and verticality to clog the paint, protect the rim, and clean the glass. His rebounding sparked transition opportunities where he too ran the floor well. Severly anchors the interior defense of SHS.
Isaac Davis, 6’8 F – Spaulding High School Class of 2023
Isaac brings some old school flavor to a game that has changed dramatically in the last 5-10 years. Davis is a strong back-to-the-basket big who harbors sturdy drop steps and baby hooks. Davis’ interior presence was undeniable as he must’ve had double digit rebounds, reeling in boards on both ends constantly. That being said, Isaac showcased some perimeter mobility I hadn’t yet seen. He switched out onto guards in ball screen situations and displayed quick footwork. He was light on his feet, kept a high hand to challenge shots, and held space to contain drives. Davis too is a highly important rebounder and defensive anchor for Spaulding.
Cole McAllister, 5’7 G – Spaulding High School Class of 2023
Cole is one of the peskiest defensive guards around. McAllister is incredibly agile and has fairly good length to go with. Combine those two traits with his anticipation and Cole can really hawk ballhandlers. He slid his feet well and kept his hands active but behind his elbows to deflect passes and avoid reaching fouls. On the offensive end, Cole is a smooth off-ball operator. He cut hard into the second layer where he made a couple of lays and kick outs to shooters. He also had a few dump passes to the bigs when the defense over-rotated for easy twos. McAllister’s athleticism, hustle, and IQ grease the wheels for SHS.
Henry Tornwini, 6’4 F – Burlington High School Class of 2024
In a game where BHS could barely get anything going, I thought Henry showed nice flashes of his capabilities. Tornwini showcased good hands in the post, catching a few tough passes and finishing with nice touch around the rim. He also showed his hustle, working the offensive glass for second chance opportunities. On the defensive end, Henry battled hard with Spaulding’s tough forwards to clear the glass. I’m interested to see if Henry steps into a bigger role as the season goes on.
Charite Dzingou, 6’3 W – Burlington High School Class of 2023
Charite led the scoring for BHS with eight points on the night. His production came in a few different ways. First, Charite seemed like a natural in the open court. Dzingou made a couple of nice attacks to the rim in transition, displaying nice athleticism and finishes on both sides of the iron. He also knocked down a three in the halfcourt, and if he can hit perimeter shots consistently his slashing game will open up tremendously. He’s a tough defender and can protect the rim with his length and verticality too. Charite showed a few bright spots in a tough home opener for BHS.