Ten Best: Day 1 SAC Tournament
SAC Tournament Leading Scorers Day #1 Richard Robertson (Northrop) – 35 points Trejean Didier (South Side) – 29 points Darien Causey (Wayne) – 22 points Cortney Shorter (South Side) – 21 points Craig Young (Wayne) – 21 points Adam Gottschalk…
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Continue ReadingSAC Tournament Leading Scorers Day #1
Richard Robertson (Northrop) – 35 points
Trejean Didier (South Side) – 29 points
Darien Causey (Wayne) – 22 points
Cortney Shorter (South Side) – 21 points
Craig Young (Wayne) – 21 points
Adam Gottschalk (Concordia) – 17 points
Ray Walker Jr. (Bishop Luers) – 17 points
Anton Berry (Bishop Luers) – 17 points
Riley Perlich (Carroll) – 13 points
SAC Tournament Day #1 – Ten Best
MVP: Richard Robertson (Northrop)
Apart from a rough shooting day from deep, Richard Robertson was Mr. Everything in this morning’s action. Robertson finished with a game high 35 points (7-12 2FG, 1-6 3FG, and 14-19 FT), 6 defensive rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and a block. He completely took over the second half of the game against South Side and lead Northrop to the win. He got to the basket with ease and shot a multitude of free throws. Robertson has been nothing short of great for Northrop this season and they will need him to continue this trend throughout the season for them to be successful.
Best Offensive Performance: Trejean Didier (South Side)
Trejean Didier quietly put up 29 points in South Side’s loss on 14 shots from the floor. Didier finished with a team high 29 points (2-4 2FG, 7-10 3FG, and 2-4 FT), 7 rebounds (6 defensive and 1 offensive), game high 7 assists, and 3 steals. He was the best offensive player that took the floor today as he was a threat to score each and every time that he touched the ball. Defenders were coming out with their hands up even on catches out at the volleyball line because of the proven range of Didier. Although South Side lost today, Didier did what he could to help them win including dishing the game high in assists.
Best Defensive Performance: Ray Walker Jr. (Bishop Luers)
Ray Walker Jr. really turned the game around for Bishop Luers against Carroll with his defensive effort and ability to lead his team by example. Ray Walker Jr. finished with 17 points (6-11 2FG, 0-2 3FG, and 5-6 FT), 4 rebounds (3 defensive and 1 offensive), 3 assists, and a game high 7 steals. Those 7 steals were the most that we saw in today’s SAC action and really helped Luers speed up the pace of the game. When Walker Jr. started getting those steals, it got Foster and Berry started for the Knights and that was all that they needed to pull out the win against Carroll.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Cortney Shorter (South Side)
Cortney Shorter was full of energy for the Archers in their loss to Northrop in the first round and that energy and effort lead to him filling up the stat sheet. Cortney finished with 21 points (6-8 2FG, 3-6 3FG, and 0-1 FT), 6 rebounds (5 defensive and 1 offensive) and 6 assists. Even as the second option for South Side’s offense, Cortney was efficient with his touches. South Side will need this kind of production of the 6’4” junior all season if they hope to be successful. Shorter really impressed today with his ability to make good use of his touches and his minutes on the floor.
Best Player Off-The-Bench: Jalen Royal (Northrop)
Jalen Royal was exactly what Northrop needed today in their win over South Side. They were heavily relying on Robertson and their starters to lead them to victory in the first half but Royal came in off the bench and gave great minutes. Royal finished the game with 15 points (5-7 3FG), 6 rebounds (4 defensive and 2 offensive), 3 assists, and 3 steals. He was moved into the starting lineup for the second half and finished amongst the tops on the team in terms of minutes played. The 5’9” guard was great from deep and his three steals were big momentum swingers for the Bruins as they began to take over the game late.
Quiet Impact: Jared Hofer (Carroll)
Jared Hofer quietly recorded a double-double through three quarters to help the Chargers keep within striking distance with Bishop Luers. Hofer was aggressive in the early going and it boded well for his team as they lead at the half. Jared finished with 10 points (5-9 2FG), 11 rebounds (8 defensive and 3 offensive), 2 assists, and 1 blocked shot. Hofer showed off his range a little bit knocking down a couple jump shots off pick and pop opportunities from about 15 feet. Hofer has been giving Carroll good minutes when he’s on the floor. The 6’9” forward is a tough match up for many teams on Carroll’s schedule this season and will need to be as effective as he was tonight for them all season.
Best Leader: Jadon Dance (Concordia)
Surprisingly, the best leader on the day was a sophomore guard for the Cadets. Although the Cadets lost to Wayne and Dance didn’t shoot well, he was vocal and lead his team. Dance finished with 9 points (4-10 2FG, 0-2 3FG, and 1-6 FT), 5 rebounds (3 defensive and 2 offensive), and 4 steals. Not only was he leading his team, Jadon also provided energy in low moments for Concordia and did what he could to make their game winnable down the stretch. The young guard will be a good player for Concordia moving forward as he continues to work on his game. When he develops a consistent jump shot, he will be tough to guard.
Best Rebounder: Ta’Von Johnson (Northrop)
Ta’Von Johnson was all over the glass on both ends of the floor for the Bruins in their five-point victory over South Side. Ta’Von finished the game with Johnson finished with 13 points (6-10 2FG and 1-3 FT), game high 10 rebounds (6 defensive and 4 offensive), game high 5 steals, and 2 blocks. Had he not faced foul trouble, Johnson could have easily grabbed 20 rebounds in today’s action. One of his most impressive rebounds was one of his offensive rebounds in which he elevated over two Archers and finished with a put-back-dunk that really swung the momentum in Northrop’s favor. His athleticism and length make him an elite rebounder.
Best Underclassmen: Criag Young (Wayne)
Craig Young was off to a slow start as Wayne struggled to pull away from Concordia early. As the game went on, Young started to find ways to get himself involved. Young finished the game with 21 points (9-11 2FG and 2-7 FT), 10 rebounds (7 defensive and 3 offensive), 4 assists, game high 5 steals, and 1 blocked shot. Craig did a lot of his damage in the second half of the game when Wayne began to pull away. Craig was also the energy guy for the Generals in their opening round win. Wayne will need this kind of play and production from him moving forward as they square off with Homestead tomorrow.
Best Intangibles: Arius Jones (Carroll)
Arius Jones is one of those guys who plays within himself and offers many different things to his team. Not only is he able to fill stat sheets, he leads his team both vocally and by example, does the little things, positions himself in places to be successful, and is coachable. Jones finished with 3 points (1-2 2FG and 1-1 FT), 5 defensive rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 blocked shot. Although Carroll was eliminated from the tournament, Jones showed why he is one of the top guys in the city outside of his basketball talent. He has the intangibles that all college coaches and programs like to have in their players.