DeMatha vs John Carroll Evalutions

Yesterday afternoon I was fortunate to catch a scrimmage between to high-level programs in the DMV as DeMatha played host to John Carroll for a scrimmage. John Carroll had one scrimmage under their belt coming into this one, but it was the first time DeMathat hit the floor under the whistle for the 2021-22 season. DeMatha won by a final score of 84-81. They had reset the scoreboard each quarter. Let’s take a look at some evaluations from this scrimmage. [player_tooltip player_id="777065" first="Tyrell" last="Ward"] | DeMatha Ward was outstanding and by far the best I’ve ever seen him play as he scored a game-high 30 points. He shot the ball extremely well as indicated by his seven made three’s, all of which came off the catch, making himself available in open windows of the defense and getting into his shot with sound footwork. Ward also had a couple of nice drives into the paint where he forced the defense to collapse and found 2022 guard [player_tooltip player_id="904621" first="Rodney" last="Rice"] for spot ups throughout the game. The Xavier signee took pride in his one-on-one defense and rarely allowed any shot attempt to be uncontested. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Tyson-Commander-3-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1214236" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Tyson-Commander-3-1-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="837919" first="Tyson" last="Commander"] | John Carroll Commander led the Patriots with 28 points and I walked away from this one impressed with how he did so. Throughout his first three years of high school, the 6-foot-4 southpaw had been labeled as a shooter and at times to not be as dynamic outside of that. Commander showed glimpses of his game off the bounce back in June at DMV Live and he continued to show the improvements yesterday. Only one three-pointer accounted for his 28 total points and he was very effective at putting the ball on the floor, making his way to the paint and finishing athletically. As time progresses, folks will start seeing his more complete scoring approach, which will make things much more difficult for his matchup on a nightly basis. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Rodney-Rice.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1200684" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Rodney-Rice-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="904621" first="Rodney" last="Rice"] | DeMatha The Virginia Tech signee finished with 27 points on the night and was a handful as the lead guard for the Stags. His six three’s came in a variety of ways whether it was off the catch, trailing in transition or operating in ball screen action. Rice was consistent in making the defense pay when involved in pick-and-rolls with 2022 forward [player_tooltip player_id="904630" first="Jerrell" last="Roberson"]. If the big didn’t step up, he got into his jumper. If the big committed too aggressively, he’d blow by him to find his way in the paint and locate shooters. If the big had a soft show, he’d take advantage of Roberson popping beyond the arc and quickly firing a pass to him before his man could recover. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Jeannot-Basima.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1214232" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Jeannot-Basima-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="957030" first="Jeannot" last="Basima"] | John Carroll Basima recorded 21 points in this one and in his usual fashion with strong takes to the rim. Basima and Commander were also routine guests at the charity stripe thanks to their aggression and they converted at an above average rate from the line. Every time you see Basima you walk away impressed with how hard he plays throughout the course of the game. It doesn’t matter what side of the ball, he’s giving every possession his full attention and effort. Basima received an offer from NJIT following the scrimmage. More programs need to recruit him sooner rather than later. [player_tooltip player_id="904630" first="Jerrell" last="Roberson"] | DeMatha Roberson put together a solid outing in multiple ways. He scored nine points, with his most impressive play coming off the pick-and-pop action with Rice in to a three. Other ways the James Madison pledge stood out to me was his presence in the paint. In the past, Roberson had played a more perimeter-oriented approach, but this DeMatha team needs his size inside to be a rebounding and shot-blocking presence. He did both in an effective way in his team’s win. [player_tooltip player_id="904680" first="TJ" last="Vaughn"] | John Carroll Vaughn has a tall task ahead of him this year trying to replace the void left behind by Jalen Bryant (Kutztown), but he looked capable yesterday with his sound decision making and his ability to take advantage of open looks. The 5-foot-11 lefty finished with 11 points, nine of which came from beyond the arc. He did a great job of filling the lanes when he didn’t get the outlet pass and spotting up on the perimeter. He quickly got his feet set and shot it with confidence. Vaughn drew the task of guarding Rice, which is difficult for anyone, but remained scrappy and active despite logging a lot of minutes. [player_tooltip player_id="1159451" first="Terry" last="Long"] | John Carroll It was good to see Long have a solid performance against what should be the top team in the DMV to enter this season. The 6-foot-4 wing is vital to this John Carroll team in many ways with his ability to score based off movement without the ball. Yesterday however, he seemed more confident in putting the ball on the deck for 2-3 dribbles, getting to the rim and finishing around DeMatha’s shot blockers. Long finished with 10 points. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Cesar-Tchilombo.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1168081" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Cesar-Tchilombo-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1215151" first="Cesar" last="Tchilombo"] | John Carroll Tchilombo only finished with four points, but his impact was felt in many other ways. If you’ve seen him play before, you know he’s equipped with a tremendous motor and that comes into play in the rebounding and rim protecting departments. He was a consistent backline communicator for the defense and helped alter a handful of DeMatha attempts around the rim.