5 Takeaways: John A Logan vs NW Florida State
What a ride for John A Logan this season. It was capped off in the JUCO National Championship Game on Saturday where they had to grit out a 73-70 win over Northwest Florida State to win the title and finish on a 31 game winning streak. We break it all down in 5 Takeaways: John A Logan vs NW Florida State!
Logan Way Closes Deal
It wasn’t pretty at all, but all that matters is the trophy. John A Logan was down double digits in the first half and didn’t play their A game, but down the stretch they made the key plays that won it. They did it with grit on both ends of the floor. Logan got up and down the floor recording 19 more shot attempts than Northwest Florida State. They also held the turnovers to only five despite the length and perimeter defenders on the other side. On the defensive end the Vols created 16 points off turnovers from their opponent.
Depth Shines Through Once Again for Logan
This team will be defined as a team. Not one or two individuals. They had depth and it won in the end. They were better in the second half with a major reason being how many quality players they could throw out there. Mizzou commit Curt Lewis is the headliner. The big bodied and strong small forward struggled shooting it, but when it mattered most he took it to the rim to get his team back in the game and drained a couple clutch threes in the second half for 18 points. Quimari Peterson is among the best lead guards in junior college because of the way he can control a game playing with pace and using his handles to manipulate a defense. Mid-range jumpers, reverse layups, and floaters were flowing in 15 point outing. Former Bolingbrook standout Isaiah Stafford didn’t have his best shooting game, but he got to the line and hit a couple key shots for 10 points. Long and lanky small forward Elijah Jones came up huge in this game. He stuffed the stat sheet for 6 points, 12 rebounds, 2 dimes, and 3 steals. Former Lanphier standout KJ Debrick struggled missing bunnies, but he kept fighting and came up with the biggest put back and-1 of the game to give Logan the lead that they would never give up as he had 9 points and 5 rebounds. The x-factor and defensive specialist Justin Cross is a combo forward that really defends all over the floor. He was all over the corner three heave to attempt to tie game. Also was active on the offensive glass.
Vols Win Despite Not Shooting Well
Logan averaged making 10 triples a game this season. On Saturday they had one of, if not the worst, three point shooting games of the season. Went 4-20 from distance for 20%. Shot only 33% from the field while their opponent was at 42%. They found a way to win though.
Smithpeters Wins in Rookie Year
John A Logan had never won a game until this year at Hutch. They have been incredibly successful over the last decade under Kyle Smithpeters and now Tyler Smithpeters racking up Region 24 titles and producing D1 players in amazing numbers year after year. Kyle Smithpeters who is now an assistant at Mizzou laid the foundation for this team. He built Logan to a basketball brand in the Midwest consistently getting top talent from Illinois and Kentucky along with his ace recruiter Zach Carpenter. Then successfully recruiting top D1 transfers in recent years.
They have been a powerhouse that isn’t given the credit they deserve on the national level. This was the team that broke through. They were led by a first year head coach in Tyler Smithpeters who had never been a head coach at any level. They won 31 in a row to close the season. There might have been more individually talented teams including the squads led by Martavian Payne, AJ Riley, and Russell Woods along with the recent Jayden Scrubb, Jamarion Sharp, and Sydney Curry team. This group will go down as the best in school history recording it’s first national championship.
Northwest Florida State Trio Impresses in Loss
Chad Baker-Mazara was fantastic for Northwest Florida State. He went down late with an injury, but before that he displayed incredible talent as a creative shot maker that made multiple threes and hit contested shots over and over again. The lefty has a crafty scoring game with good length and athleticism which was shown on the defensive end. The wing went for 21 points (7-12 FG) and 3 impressive swats. Kasean Pryor is a former prep prospect from Chicago who has really grown into his own. Frame has filled out and has realized the potential he always flashed. Skilled face up four hit turn around mid-post jumpers, crafty scores on the block, and got to the line for 18 points while being tough on the glass grabbing 11 rebounds. Marcus Niblack was a key at the point. Good straight line takes with quickness blowing past defenders for 13 points.