10 Best: IMG vs. Montverde
The City of Palms Classic semifinal between IMG and Montverde lived up to the hype on Tuesday night as the Eagles (9-0) won 70-66 to advance. IMG junior forward Emmitt Wiliams tied the game up at 66 with under one minute…
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Continue ReadingThe City of Palms Classic semifinal between IMG and Montverde lived up to the hype on Tuesday night as the Eagles (9-0) won 70-66 to advance.
IMG junior forward Emmitt Wiliams tied the game up at 66 with under one minute left before sophomore R.J. Barrett sunk two free throws to move Montverde ahead.
The game featured 10 lead changes as Montverde’s Barrett finished with 30 points and Williams had 22 points for IMG (10-1)
MVP: R.J. Barrett (Montverde)
The Canadian sophomore really shined with 19 points in the first half and a game-high 30 after four quarters of play. R.J. Barrett came onto the scene at Montverde as a freshman at the City of Palms and the 6’7″, 176-pounder continues to shine. He hit on 7-of-15 of his shots from the field and will be the Eagles go-to guy all season long.
Best offensive performance: Emmitt Williams (IMG)
A former Lehigh star, Emmitt Williams has done just about everything for IMG in the tournament. He won the dunk contest on Sunday night and has made jumpers, dunks and shots all over the court. His bounce and strength is ridiculous. Williams finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds.
Best defensive performance: Rechon “Leaky” Black (Montverde)
One of the many transfers this season at Montverde, Rechon “Leaky” Black had a game-high two blocks along with seven points and two rebounds. Head coach Kevin Boyle was picking on Black from the sidelines, but he responded with a solid performance on defense.
Best guy off the bench: Silvio De Sousa (IMG)
A top junior in the nation, Silvio De Sousa went up against his former Montverde teammates for the first time ever. Off the bench, the big man had seven points and two rebounds. It wasn’t the best game offensively for De Sousa but you can see where he will excel as an all-around talent.
Best intangibles: Marcus Carr (Montverde)
Marcus Carr has dazzled through two games in this tournament. Along with Barrett, he’s one of the key returnees for Montverde. He had nine points, four rebounds, two assists and a block in this game. A Pittsburgh commit, Carr is a very good passer and a guy who can make a play as an attacker or as a distributor.
Best under-the-radar performance: Andrew Nembhard (Montverde)
10 points, four assists, four steals and three rebounds. Those were the stats for Montverde sophomore guard Andrew Nembhard. The Canadian made the move down to Florida to join forces with his pal Barrett. Nembhard is not afraid as a shooter or passer and he was a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw stride. I really like Nembhard’s game. Boyle will help him grow as a player even further.
Best catch and shoot guy: DeAndre Osuigwe (IMG)
A senior guard, DeAndre Osuigwe played a lot due to Duval and Aresniy Andreev being in foul trouble. Osuigwe had eight points and two steals. He connected on 2-of-4 shots from downtown. Osuigwe floats behind the scenes but he’s a very crafty guard for IMG.
Best energy guy: Keyontae Johnson (IMG)
IMG junior forward Keyontae Johnson has looked really good in this tournament. He had 13 points and six rebounds, shooting 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Although Johnson fouled out late alongside Trey Duval, he really shined as an attacker.
Best effort: Isaiah Stokes (IMG)
A Florida commit, Isaiah Stokes had six points in this game. He also had two assists and two rebounds. The 6’8″, 255-pounder is built like a football player but finds his way into the paint. Stokes missed a 3-pointer to put the Ascenders ahead late but the effort was there all night.
Best athlete: Emmitt Williams (IMG)
It is a lot of fun to watch Williams play. Back in his hometown, the former Lehigh star certainly relished the opportunity. He showed off his hops and rarely gave up on a play as an attacker or defender.