Game Recap: Roman Catholic 61, Archbishop Ryan 59

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Visiting Roman Catholic remained undefeated in Catholic League play with a nailbiting road win over Archbishop Ryan. VCU signee [player_tooltip player_id='1406768' first='Sammy' last='Jackson'] and unsigned wing [player_tooltip player_id='1406763' first='Bryce' last='Presley'] led the way with 17 points apiece while available forward [player_tooltip player_id='2251711' first='Malik' last='Hughes'] paced Ryan with a game-high 19.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1406768"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6965d844e4036"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Jackson has done nothing so far this season but strengthen his hold on his statewide #1 ranking and that continued on Friday with a smooth 17-point performance. The VCU pledge is playing with his typical calm and cerebral approach but with a clearly enhanced level of confidence, particularly when it comes to his scoring and shotmaking. He knocked down a pair of 3s on Friday along with multiple high-level turnarounds over smaller defenders. In the 4th quarter with the game on the line, he shifted into playmaking mode, using his size to see over the defense for a trio of assists leading to 8 points that helped to ice the game. It wasn't Jackson's most explosive game but still offered a lens into what makes him so highly-regarded with all he can do on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1406763"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6965d844e409d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">It's taken Presley a bit to settle in with his new surroundings, shifting from a go-to role at Germantown Academy to more of a support piece at Roman, but he experienced a breakout on Friday with a workmanlike 17-point performance to help key the win. The southpaw wing got the Cahillites started with 10 first-quarter points, filling in gaps without the ball as both a finisher around the rim and floor-spacer out to the arc. He was effective attacking off the bounce both from the wing and the high post, while also staying active on the glass against an undersized team and creating multiple extra possessions with O-boards. Presley continues to track as a clear scholarship-level prospect who's now flying a bit under the radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2251711"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6965d844e40e5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Hughes has been on an absolute tear to start the season, leading the PCL in scoring to this point, and while he quieted down relative to his torrid pace with "just" 19 points, continued to show noteworthy improvement that has him trending up as a prospect. He came out aggressive with 12 first half points, highlighted by an and-one poster slam in transition. The faceup forward was effective using both quickness and refined ball skills to work to spots off the bounce, finishing athletically in traffic and really impressing with a handful of slick passes in tight confines. He flashes his shooting potential but still has room to grow in terms of his consistency from the perimeter. Overall Hughes is clearly trending up and could be worth a look for D1 programs looking for an athletic and versatile developmental forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1628860"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6965d844e4128"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Supporting Hughes with a workmanlike effort on the perimeter, Gore contributed 11 points in a well-rounded outing. The unsigned senior guard and Thrive Charter (NJ) transfer displayed his versatility in the backcourt, showing he could both initiate offense or fill in gaps off-ball as a secondary scorer. He moved the ball well within the offense while also establishing himself as a dangerous shooter off the catch and remaining active as a rebounder from the backcourt. Gore may not have a single standout trait, but his ability to check a lot of boxes with positional size and athletic tools should place him on scholarship radars heading toward the spring. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2450665"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6965d844e416c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Despite a limited scoring performance coming off the bench, Wanamaker was key toward the win while continuing to show an upward trend in his development so far this season. In his first year with extensive minutes, he was active throughout the game using his length and instincts to make plays in the floor game and create extra possessions. He stepped up offensively in the fourth quarter with multiple key buckets, none bigger than a late wing 3 that preceded an assist in the final seconds to help ice the game. Coming into his own physically at a good rate with NBA bloodlines to boot, Wanamaker has a lot of markings of interesting name to file away from a long-term prospect standpoint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->