5 Takeaways: Salem Invitational Tournament Semis

<p>PHI took in the semi finals from the Salem Invitational Tournament on Friday night.  The matchups were Salem vs East St. Louis and Mt. Vernon vs Madison.  We break it all down in <strong>5 Takeaways: Salem Invitational Tournament Semis</strong>!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Rich DOMINATES in Paint</strong></p> <p>East St. Louis 6’5” combo forward [player_tooltip player_id="939073" first="Macaleab" last="Rich"] was absolutely unstoppable in their game against Salem.  The 2023 prospect scored 30 points on 15 makes inside the paint.  He was an absolute force with his strength and athleticism in the paint.  Threw down at least eight dunks in the contest utilizing his quickness in the paint to create space for take off.  Mauls on the glass on both ends especially with his second jump offensively.  Rim ran in transition and jump stops in traffic for slams.  Defensively he had multiple LBJ swats along with one on a shooter in a 30 point, 10 rebound, and 4 block night.  Was 0-3 on jumpers.  The growth in his perimeter game is the difference between where he is as a mid-major recruit now and where he could be as a high-major prospect if that came around.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Well Rounded East St Louis Team Primed for State Run</strong></p> <p>The Flyers moved to 16-4 on the year with the 71-46 victory over Salem.  In addition to Rich they have a ton of depth.  They are led by Mizzou commit [player_tooltip player_id="999560" first="Christian" last="Jones"].  The 6’4” combo guard has a great feel for the game to go along with a ton of physical tools with his length and athleticism.  Excels in the open floor where he put on a slick scoring display with an array of euro step finishes.  Also uses his length defensively to get steals and turn them into points.  Went for 11 points.  [player_tooltip player_id="1215296" first="Demarion" last="Brown"] is a big boy inside with upside in the 2023 class.  He has a big body at 6’8” and long arms.  Area rebounder that dominated on the glass along with scoring 8 points on dump offs inside.  Cameron Boone is running mate inside at 6’8” is another 2023 to track with his mobility.  Junior Tyrell Scott put his name on our radar by doing a little bit of everything in the win as a two way wing that brought versatility.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Salem 2023 Makes Name Against Metro East Power</strong></p> <p>The Wildcats got routed but there was a positive that came out of this game and that was the play of their junior 6’3” two guard Rolen Adams.  He was extremely effective with his jumper from both mid-range and three.  Hit five of them from distance along with a plethora from the 15-18 range pulling up.  Creative scorer should be on small colleges radar early in the process for 2023s.  Salem’s top senior is Caden Bee.  More of a football prospect for college but if he decided to go hoops route could play at a small college or JUCO.  Strong body with good athleticism.  Finishes well through contact in the paint and is most effective scoring from the mid-post in.  Went for 11 points.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Benson Powers Mt. Vernon to Finals</strong></p> <p>Mt. Vernon captured the second semi final 52-47 in a close game that went down to the final minutes.  They were led by the top center in the 2022 class [player_tooltip player_id="863631" first="NJ" last="Benson"].  Benson is a 6’8” strong and athletic five man that is so explosive around the rim.  That was evident in the first half as he slammed an array of dunks including a nasty reverse.  Like Rich earlier in the day his quickness around the hoop is evident.  He is light on his feet for how big he is and finishes with force.  Was constantly doubled all night but played with poise.  Had a high/low finish and made good passes out of double teams to shooters.  Owned the glass as expected in a 16 point and 10 rebound outing for the Missouri State signee.  Early on it was all about Colin McClure as the guard bombed in a trio of threes to get the Rams going.  He finished with 12 points.  Dashaunsae King is an undersized post that has a strong body and is physical on the glass.  Seals well on the interior and played bully ball on his way to 10 points.  They will now face East St. Louis in a matchup of the top two seniors in southern Illinois.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Guards Keep Madison Close in Semis</strong></p> <p>Madison wasn’t very tall but their guards brought it all night.  Top performer was 2023 shooting guard Carlis Wilson.  He was draining mid-range shots over and over off the bounce especially in the second half netting 14 points.  DeAngelo Enlow is an old school guard with a crafty game using his thick upper body to overpower guards for scores in the paint as he had 9 points.  The 2022 prospect could be a fit for a small college or JUCO.</p>