10 Best: Orr vs Curie
Curie hosted Orr on Wednesday night in a battle of CPS powers for the right to advance to the Public League semifinals Friday at Chicago State. It was all Curie early as it looked like they were going to run…
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Continue ReadingCurie hosted Orr on Wednesday night in a battle of CPS powers for the right to advance to the Public League semifinals Friday at Chicago State. It was all Curie early as it looked like they were going to run away behind their dynamic backcourt duo. Orr brought it in the second half. Their athleticism and defense got stops, turnovers, and transition points. Curie won a game that came down to the final possession 62-61. Make sure you read our 10 Best: Orr vs Curie to get the scouting reports on all of the standouts!
MVP
PG Allante Pickens (Curie – 2017)
Pickens is a point guard that can really shoot the rock. The sub six foot guard can get really hot from behind the arc and he definitely was early in this contest. He hit four threes off the catch. Also pushed it in transition and passed it extremely well in traffic. Active defender that pressures opposing point guards. Pickens came up clutch at the end of the game with a pair of free throws to give his team the one point lead and ultimately the win. He had 17 points. Low-D2 programs it might be time to start giving him a look. For high end D3/NAIA he is a no doubt kid!
Play of the game
The best play of this game was a monster put back dunk by Raekwon Drake. He finishes with POWER!
Best offensive performance
SF Dannie Smith (Orr – 2018)
Hello Dannie Smith! Welcome to the 2018 radar! We had never heard of this kid and he was the best player in the game for Orr. At about 6’4” Smith came out aggressive early for his team. Hit a pair of early threes. Seemed to be a bit streaky from deep, but shoots a good ball. His strong body allowed him to get to the line, post up wing defenders, and score in the paint. He was the man they went too late for a post up score to give them the lead with 13 seconds left before Curie ultimately won it. Smith had 14 points. Look forward to continuing to track his development.
Best defensive performance
Let’s give the best defensive award to the entire Orr team for what they did in the second half and especially the fourth quarter to get back in the game.
Best rebounder
PF Raekwon Drake (Orr – 2018)
Drake is a 6’5” power forward with explosive athleticism. What he lacks in ideal height for the post he makes up for with his motor and bounce. He is an explosive athlete off the floor. That was evident on a pair of blocks where he met his man at the highest point possible for emphatic swats. He also had two monster put back dunks! Not an overly skilled post his best post move was on a quick spin for a short J. Solid rebounder. Drake is going to be a low-major prospect that gets stuff done at that level because of his desire, toughness, and big time athleticism. Finished with 10 points and 8 boards.
Best passer
SG Elijah Joiner (Curie – 2017 – Tulsa)
Joiner was outstanding in the first half. The top 10 prospect and Tulsa signee showed off his dynamic offensive game early. He opened with a transition dunk. Hit a sick step back for a deep two. Drilled some threes off the catch. Took it to the rack off the bounce. Also passed it well especially early finding Pickens. Great speed in transition and is tough to stop with a head of steam behind him. Not a great second half for Joiner as he was held to only three points. Enough to get the win though! He had 18 points.
Best catch and shoot guy
SG Brian Hernandez (Orr – 2018)
Hernandez is a thick bodied left handed wing that can really shoot it off the catch. He was scorching from beyond the arc in this contest. The junior drilled five of them from beyond the arc when spotting up. Good mechanics on shot. Also shows he can handle it on occasion and is a decent passer. At the next level he will be looked at as a spot up shooter for a high D3/NAIA program. Hernandez went for 17 points.
Best guy off the bench
G Dennis Handy (Curie – 2017)
Hardy made some key plays in this one for Curie. They do not advance to the semis without him. The 6’0” combo guard drilled a pair of threes and had a couple of finishes at the cup. He scored 10 points. Small college prospect.
Best intangibles
F Terry Smith Jr (Curie – 2017)
Smith is a physical 6’5” combo forward that plays mostly inside for Curie. Strong body that he uses to push people around on the inside. Quality athlete with quick twitch ability for how bulky he is. Converted around the hoop on alley-oops, offensive rebound put backs, and multiple powerful drives from the high post. Can put it on the deck two maybe three dribbles, but not much more. He had 15 points. D2 prospect that has great grades.
Best under-the-radar performance
SF Tyronn Mosley (Orr – 2018)
Mosley was super impressive for me. While Raekwon Drake gets much of the hype Mosley could be just as good of a college prospect by the end of the summer. He is a long and lanky wing that continues to improve as a perimeter player. Handles have made great strides. To the point he was bringing it up a good portion of the time as a point forward and also took it off the defensive glass and looked comfortable pushing it in the open floor. Quality slasher that is slippery through traffic. Glides to the basket with his long strides and acceleration. Got on the glass for a pair of put backs. He is quick around the hoop. Had a nice finish on a post up where he backed his man in and converted a sweet spin finishing with a short jumper. Potential on the defensive end with his physical tools and he did a good job locking down in the second half. Quality rebounder. Finished with 12 points and 6 boards. Worth monitoring by low-majors and D2 programs.
More Scouting Reports
SG Emmanuel O’Neil (Orr – 2018)
O’Neil is a rangy wing that is long and projectable. Drilled a smooth one dribble pull up early in the contest. Has some slashing ability, but struggled finishing. Needs to continue to add strength. His key play was a put back late to tie the game. O’Neil had 5 points. Small college prospect with D2 upside with a big summer.