City of Jasper Christmas Classic: Day One Recap

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Day one of the City of Jasper Christmas Classic had some exciting games and some standout performances. Here is a recap of the day…</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Game 1:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Northridge jumped out to an early 12-2 first quarter after balanced scoring led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2291529' first='Anderson' last='Wilkin']</strong> (6'3/CG/'25/Northridge), who showed his ability to get to the cup and score in traffic. He also did a really good job throughout the game, getting his teammates involved and trusting their ability to produce after he set them up. Lausanne finally got it going in the 2nd quarter as they turned up the defensive pressure, and <strong>Zuri McClure</strong> (6'1/Wing/'28/Lausanne) looked to be more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor with his ability to put pressure on the rim. In the third quarter, Northridge grabbed complete control of the game behind <strong>Jordan Suiter</strong> (6'5/SF/'26/Northridge) and his versatility on both ends of the floor. He has length, was highly active on the glass, and got easy put-backs. He even showed his ability to score with his middle game. Jordan finished with 16pts, leading his team to a 50-33 win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Game 2:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Huffman proved to possibly be one of the best defensive teams in the entire classic. The Vikings came out putting tremendous pressure on Camden County guards, and offensively, they rode the talented <strong>Ke'von Walker&nbsp;</strong>(6'6/PF| C/'25/Huffman), who was extremely active on the inside and was taking advantage of his length and athleticism. I have covered Kevon before, and he looks stronger and more comfortable with the rock in his hands. He is playing with a lot more confidence, and his play makes Huffman a dangerous team. Camden didn't just fold as they made a run in the 2nd quarter behind the electric play of <strong>Travis Herrin</strong> (6'0/SF/'25/Camden County), a dynamic multi-level scorer. There is no doubt that Travis is at his best when the ball is in his hands, and he is looking to score. As good of a defensive team as Huffman showed to be, they could only slow him down as he is the caliber player that is going to get his no matter what. He finished with 23pts unofficially. Huffman really broke the game open in the 3rd quarter behind the sensational freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2748287' first='Antonio' last='Hill']</strong> (6'5/G | F/'28/Huffman), who flashed his athleticism and two-way impact. He has added to his game every time I have seen him, and his play on offense continues to improve, but his willingness to defend is impressive. Huffman ran away to get a 67-51 win, and Walker finished with 17pts, and Hill finished with 13pts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Game 3:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">The match-up between Dutchtown and Enterprise was one of the most exciting games of the day, as Enterprise went into the half with a 25-24 lead. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2436946' first='AJ' last='Williams']&nbsp;</strong>(6'7/CG/'28/Dutchtown), the smooth freshman, showed his budding scoring prowess from all levels early in the game. He has a nice shot from behind the arc, and his length helps him to finish over the top of defenders off the bounce. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2454982' first='Aidan' last='Williams']</strong> (6'6/PF| C/'26/Enterprise) made an early impact with his physical play on the inside. He brought energy and effort to the floor and was making plays on both ends. He is instinctive on defense and did a really good job contesting shots. Enterprise maintained a slight lead through three and a half quarters while trying to hold off the comeback led by Dutchtown's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1597727' first='Maddox' last='Melancon']</strong> (6'6/SG/'26/Dutchtown), who was able to get his own shot off the bounce at any moment and whose game drew fouls which earned him numerous trips to the line going down the stretch. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1958752' first='Tucker' last='Wadsworth']</strong> (6'5/G | F/'26/Enterprise) Enterprise's offensive weapon, especially from behind the arc, did not have the caliber game I am used to him having. Still, he did provide some key baskets going down the stretch, but Enterprise couldn't hold off Dutchtown's rally as they forced overtime. Dutchtown completed the comeback in OT and got the 55-53 win. Williams finished with 16pts, while Maddox led Dutchtown with 17pts. Wadsworth finished with 13pts, and [player_tooltip player_id='2454982' first='Aidan' last='Williams'] finished with 13pts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Game 4:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Buckhorn jumped out to an early lead and kept a safe distance until the 4th quarter when Cordova made a run. Buckhorn's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2314111' first='Josh' last='Wilkerson']</strong> (6'3/SG/'26/Buckhorn) came out extremely aggressive and showed his ability to score from all levels. He was the early spark that helped Buckhorn get out to a fast start. He showed his ability to self-create and get to his spot, and he was difficult to contain. Cordova stayed in step with Buckhorn behind the three-point shooting of <strong>Jaylen Cooley</strong> (5'10/CG/'26/Cordova), who had 15 points, all from behind the line. The strength of his game was definitely his ability to knock down the three. Buckhorn had to hold on down the stretch as Cordova made a late run. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1599779' first='Jeremiah' last='Wilson']</strong> (6'4/PG/Buckhorn HS), the lengthy wing who scored from all levels, has a smooth perimeter jumper and off-ball tools that made him difficult to guard. Buckhorn held on to a 52-49 win. Wilkerson finished with 17pts, and Wilson finished with 13pts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Game 5:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Cullman jumped out to an early 22-9 1st quarter lead over Jonesboro, led by their physical post player <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2748278' first='Brooks' last='Loftin'] </strong>(6'4/C/'28/Cullman), who established his dominance in the paint early. He scored well around the rim and clogged up space on the defensive end of the floor. I have seen Brooks often, and he continues to emerge into an inside presence that is going to be hard to ignore over the next few years. Jonesboro finally got adjusted to the pace that Cullman played. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2194638' first='Calvin' last='Goss']&nbsp;</strong>(6'0/PG/'28/Jonesboro) helped Jonesboro get back into the game with his perimeter scoring. He is a lefty who was very productive from behind the arc and in his middle game. He did a really good job attacking closeouts, drawing second defenders, and either scoring or distributing from there. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1696177' first='Cortez' last='Redding']&nbsp;</strong>(6'0/PG/'26/Jonesboro HS) helped Jonesboro complete the comeback and send the game into OT. Cortez showed his ability to score in bunches and made things happen when the ball was in his hands. His scoring package is well-rounded and he showed his ability to provide consistent scoring production. Jonesboro got the 68-67 overtime win, and Redding finished with 21pts while Goss finished with 17pts. Loftin led Cullman with 19pts.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Game 6:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Central and Bartow got off to a competitive start, as both teams had their offense clicking early. It was clear that Bartow was going to give Central a huge dose of <strong>Jahmir Wallace</strong> (6'3/CG/'28/Bartow), their stout yet versatile multi-positional talent. He was aggressive off the bounce while still balancing having to score and facilitate the offense. He is a functional athlete who is tough to deal with due to his physical build when getting downhill. Central found early productivity from<strong> Ty'Jor Cooper</strong> (G/Central-Phenix City HS), who showed his ability to score from all levels and really had it going from behind the arc in this game. By midway in the 2nd quarter, Central made a run from which Bartow could not recover, which was led by <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1398561' first='Bryce' last='Dawson']</strong> (6'6/G |F/Central-Phenix City HS). Bryce has emerged as the ultimate 3&amp;D player and showed his impact in both areas. He also flashed his athleticism with his ability to be a lob threat at any moment. Central cruised to the 83-64 win. Wallace led Bartow with 17pts, while Central was led by Cooper with 17pts, and Dawson added 15pts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Game 7:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">The match-up between host Jasper and Raleigh, Egypt, was pretty much over before it got really going, thanks to <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2294845' first='Miller' last='Moody'] </strong>(6'9/PF/'25/Jasper HS) and his dominant interior play. His size was too much for Raleigh Egypt, as they had no one to match it. <strong>Cornelius Ratliff</strong> (5'11/CG/'28/Raleigh Egypt) tried his best to help his team offensively as he showed his ability to score from all levels. He was the consistent bright spot for his team but his scoring was not enough. While [player_tooltip player_id='2294845' first='Miller' last='Moody'] dominated the first half, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2194997' first='Keegan' last='Keeton']&nbsp;</strong>(5'11/CG/'28/Jasper) caught fire from behind the arc and poured in 19 second-half points with 15pts coming from behind the arc. Jasper cruised to an easy 89-48 win. Miller finished the game with 23pts, while Ratliff led Raleigh Egypt with 14pts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Game 8:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">In the final game of the day, Hoover took on Greenforest in a match-up that many were excited to see because of Greenforest's length that could possibly match up with Hoover's twin towers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1398554' first='DeWayne' last='Brown, II']</strong> (6'10/Center/Hoover HS) and [player_tooltip player_id='2224458' first='Jackson' last='Sheffield']. It was a low-scoring first half as Hoover led 21-16 at the half. Offense was hard to come by, but Hoover went to their dominant big man, DeWayne Brown, and allowed him to carry the load with his ability to, at times, bully his way around the rim and, other times, show his agility and footwork. Greenforest found it hard to find offense, but the bright spot they had was <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2628479' first='Orion' last='Wilson']&nbsp;</strong>(6'5/G | F/'26/Greenforest Academy), who was very active on both ends of the floor and used his athleticism and length to impact the game. He did a good job battling on the glass, contesting shots, and scoring around the rim. Hoover found their offensive rhythm in the third quarter and, from there, used stifling defense to hold Greenforest to 13 second-half points. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1398558' first='Jarett' last='Fairley']</strong> (6'2/CG/'25/Hoover HS) was aggressive during the second half, constantly getting into the paint, drawing fouls, and finding his way to the line. Hoover cruised to an easy 57-29 win led by Brown's 17pts while Fairley chipped in 11pts. Wilson led Greenforest with 8pts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->