Eagle Academy II vs Erasmus Hall: Top Performers
Eagle Academy II vs Erasmus Hall turned out to be far more of a close contest than anyone could have expected. Eagle Academy II is known for being a power house who finds players with elite athleticism and skill but…
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Continue ReadingEagle Academy II vs Erasmus Hall turned out to be far more of a close contest than anyone could have expected. Eagle Academy II is known for being a power house who finds players with elite athleticism and skill but Erasmus came prepared. At half time, Eagle Academy led the game by just 3 points.
Trevon Coppin, the junior forward from Erasmus, impressed early in the game. Coppin just seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. Always running in transition, being in the right spot to catch a pass from one of his driving teammates, Coppin came up huge for his team. In addition to finishing at the rim in the half court, Coppin on multiple occasions got a huge block, rebounded the ball and then finished on the other end. Without the reliable and disciplined play of Coppin, Erasmus would not have been able to hang in this game for so long. Coppin finished the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds. While Coppin is listed at 6’4″ he showed an elite ability to finish at the rim, even over taller defenders like Treshawn (Trey) Whitfield-Shepp.
Whitfield-Shepp was a man amongst boys out there, finishing the game with 22 points on 16 rebounds and 78% shooting from the field. The most impressive aspect of Whitfield-Shepp’s game was not his elite athleticism or excellent finishing around the rim but his self-awareness. Whitfield-Shepp knew exactly what role was– a bruising big man who occasionally used his face game up or ability to run the break to score buckets– and executed at a high level. Whitfield-Shepp played the entire game within the system and set the tone for the rest of his team, even after their slow start.
Erasmus was able to keep the game close through the third quarter due to the control, poise and tempo of Junior guard Jamier Nowell. Eagle Academy had the size advantage but Nowell knew that anything could happen in transition. Nowell used his clean handle and quick first step to slash into the paint and finish over taller defenders. When Eagle Academy defender gave Nowell space, he was comfortable going to his pull up jumper and making Eagle Academy pay. Nowell finished the game with 23 points.
For Eagle Academy the guard play was a tale of two halves. In the first half, Senior Guard Eric Acker Eric Acker 6'4" | SG Eagle Academy | 2023 State NY was the primary ball handler for the team. Acker showed the potential of being a 3 level scorer– he has a quick first step, a polished floater game and an outside shot. As Acker grows as a player he will find even more ways to use his speed, quickness and vertical leap to impact both sides of the game.
Erasmus decided not to use many players off of the bench with 7 total players checking into the game which left those players tired out by the end. Junior guard Taj Smith noticed this and decided to take over in the 4th quarter, helping Eagle Academy to outscore Erasmus by 10 points in the 4th quarter. Smith’s offensive game primarily comes from his first step which he uses to get into the paint and finish over anyone who is there. When Smith is engaged, it seems like he is everywhere on the court diving for loose balls, getting out in transition and grabbing rebounds. Smith has good control over the ball and knows how to use his handle to burn a defender. Smith finished the game with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists.
Eagle Academy won the game 69-53 but the final score hardly tells the story of how close the vast majority of the game was.