Clinton Grace vs Springdale Prep: Standout Prospects

NEW WINDSOR, MD- Last night in an early season MPSC heavyweight bout, Springdale Prep welcomed Clinton Grace to town in a matchup. Springdale came out with a potential knockout punch early on and got out to a 16-0 run that helped them maintain control throughout until Clinton Grace made a fourth quarter run to maintain striking distance. Springdale regained their footing and walked away with the 69-60.    Another standout performance from Green who has become the engine for this Springdale team. They started the game on a quick 16-0 run and it was sparked by back-to-back three's from the Alabama native along with intense, energetic defense. Green brings a sense of comfort at the point guard position to control the pace and getting buckets when his number is called. He brings great balance with his approach as a scorer and distributor. The leadership qualities continue to shine brightly with his communication and quarterbacking his teammates through sets or coverages. Green scored a game-high 21 points in a big, early season win for Springdale.      It wasn't a game to remember for Owinje from an efficiency standpoint as many of his jumpers seemed to fall short, but he had a bevy of opportunities off the catch thanks to Lonnie Lyons and [player_tooltip player_id='2620897' first='CJ' last='Lyons'] forcing the defense to collapse on drives. As Clinton Grace made their late game run, the 6-foot-5 wing started to stick his shots with more confidence that helped trim the lead down to double-digits. Owinje was the high scorer for the Eagles with 18 points.     Lyons first three quarters were uncharacteristically unproductive overall. It could've been the two hour bus ride that has Clinton Grace looking flat to start, but eventually the special prospect that Lyons is emerged in the final frame as the cut the lead to as little as seven. Much of his damage was done getting downhill to the rim or converting his own deflections and cashing in at the other end with two hands above the rim. Dynamic, shifty, and lengthy, Lyons is tough to slow down once he gets into his groove. Unfortunately for Clinton Grace, that didn't happen until the final eight minutes. The No. 2 ranked prospect in the 2027 class finished this one with 16.      Duncan was another prospect who finished with a nice number in the scoring column, but struggled in terms of efficiency. In the up-tempo affair his athleticism played a role in the amount of opportunities he got around the bucket as a result of sprinting the floor. He was much more sure-handed finishing with his right compared to his left in this particular viewing. He stayed persistent and as a result, registered 15 points in the victory.     It was a unique matchup considered I got to see our No. 1 and No. 2 ranked 2029 prospects. [player_tooltip player_id='2536485' first='Nas' last='Abraham'] was extremely impressive and in a first half where Clinton Grace struggled mightily as a team, he was the lone bright spot as he impacted with his willingness to generate opportunities for himself on the offensive glass. On the few catches away from the rim, he used his massive frame to bully his way to the rim with his back to the basket before finishing with feathery soft touch. It's easy to see why we are so high on the 6-foot-8 14-year-old. Abraham scored 15 points.     The No. 1 ranked prospect in our 2029 rankings had a good showing considering he battled foul trouble early as the refs had a quick whistle throughout. In his spurts, Costely knocked down a couple of fluid jumpers off the bounce and posed as an offense threat whenever he had it in his hands. He has good instincts and handles pressure well for a freshman while maintaining poise, balance, and pace.     It's becoming routine for Woodard to come in off the bench and immediately impact the game wit his defensive activity. His active hands, anticipation skills, and wingspan make him a terror in passing lanes or in traps. The finishing around the rim wasn't the most efficient, but he did have a couple of big dunks in the second half to answer Clinton Grace's late game run. All in all, Woodard demands our attention every time he takes the floor thanks to his ability to generate plays without sets or situations being called specifically for him.

NEW WINDSOR, MD- Last night in an early season MPSC heavyweight bout, Springdale Prep welcomed Clinton Grace to town in a matchup. Springdale came out with a potential knockout punch early on and got out to a 16-0 run that helped them maintain control throughout until Clinton Grace made a fourth quarter run to maintain striking distance. Springdale regained their footing and walked away with the 69-60.