Kentucky Sweet 16: Thursday Evening Standouts

The Kentucky Sweet 16 finished their opening round games on Thursday with the final four spots in the quarterfinals being clinched, in this article we'll spotlight the standouts from the evening slate of games.    It shouldn't be taken for granted how dominant of a high school player Rondo is an an eighth grader, as he was the best player on the court to help North Oldham advance to the quarterfinals. Rondo knocked down four 3-pointers in quick succession, hitting shots with his feet set and when a defender went under a ball screen. Rondo's two best highlights came off drives where he hung in the air and had incredible acrobatic layup finishes. A special talent, we'll see if Rondo can lead North Oldham to the title while he's still in middle school!     A dominant interior force, Daniels had some monster blocked shots as a help-side rim protector on Thursday. Playing with high energy, Daniels created some extra possessions for his team with offensive rebounds that usually turned into easy buckets. When Lyon County started to throw some full-court pressure at North Oldham, Daniels was waiting on the block to finish easy layups or find a teammate for a layup. I also was impressed by Daniel's patience with the ball, scoring on some pump fakes. North Oldham took advantage of their athletic edge across the board to advance on Thursday.     The third quarter that George Rogers Clark outscored Johnson Central 27-9 swung the game, as Johnson Central actually outscored GRC by three points in the other three quarters. Gay was crucial in that quarter with a couple of putback layups and knocking down both of his 3-pointers that quarter. The second of Gay's 3-pointers came just before the third quarter buzzer. George Rogers Clark only shot 4/15 from 3-point range so Gay knocking down two of his three attempts was crucial. One of two players on GRC with double-doubles, the physicality edge GRC played with was the difference.     The second GRC player with a double-double, Bartelson was dominant in the paint with some powerful two hand dunks and four blocks. Winning the rebounding edge by 12, Bartelson's length, size and energy on the glass were key reasons why GRC was able to overwhelm Johnson Central.     Keeping Johnson Central in the game in the first half, Blair knocked down four 3-pointers including three early in the first half. Johnson Central shot 7/12 from 3-point range in the first half, allowing them to go to the locker room up two points. With a quick trigger and range that extended to behind the college line, Blair helped space the floor for Johnson Central players to have space to drive to the pair. With almost all their production coming from sophomores and juniors, Johnson Central should hope to make a return trip to Rupp Arena next March.     I really liked Slone's energy throughout the game, making some tough shots in the fourth quarter to keep his team in the game. Slone is the most talented athlete on his team and used his quick twitch athleticism to turn the corner on drives and get to his spots in the mid-range. Major respect to Slone for competing till the final buzzer, showing the type of competitor he is. I wouldn't be surprised if Slone and Johnson Central make a run next year at the state tournament.

The Kentucky Sweet 16 finished their opening round games on Thursday with the final four spots in the quarterfinals being clinched, in this article we'll spotlight the standouts from the evening slate of games.