Ten Best: Mater Dei vs. Santa Margarita
Santa Ana, Ca. — It’s been twelve years since Santa Margarita has topped Mater Dei in a Trinity League contest.
The Eagles last win against the Monarchs was a 54-46 decision led by then Santa Margarita star James Keefe who went on to play collegiately at UCLA.
Some believed that this year is the best chance that the Eagles have to avenge all of the defeats over the last decade-plus, and that statement seemed to have some truth based on the first three quarters of Thursday’s Trinity League opener at Mater Dei.
Santa Margarita led the Monarchs, 47-44, and starters Jordan Guest, Jake Kyman and Max Agbonkpolo had it rolling offensively, but once Kyman fouled out with 6:29 to play and Guest followed suit with 4:22 left, Spencer Freedman and Harrison Butler took over down the stretch, leading Mater Dei to a 68-55 win.
Butler led all scorers with 19 points, while Freedman added 17 and Reagan Lundeen pitched in 14.
For the Eagles, Jordan Guest led the team in scoring with 17, while Abgbonkpolo and Kyman added 15 and 14, respectively.
In this piece, we examine some ten best categories from Thursday’s contest.
Ten Best
Best Player: Spencer Freedman, Mater Dei
The Harvard-bound senior is the maestro of the Mater Dei offense, making sure his teammates are where they need to be at all times and then getting them the ball when and where they need it. Freedman took what the defense gave him, showed an improved burst on his first step and made it a point to attack the basket instead of settling for 3-pointers. One of the most impressive aspects of his performance was his defense on Santa Margarita guard Ryan Evans, holding the sophomore to five points.
Best Prospect: Max Agbonkpolo, Santa Margarita
The rangy, athletic 6-foot-8 forward continues to discover more and more layers to his game night-in and night-out. Agbonkpolo spends a lot of time as the primary ball handler for the Eagles out of necessity and it’s helping his playmaking ability off the bounce. The junior had a couple of nice blocked shots on the defensive end, as well.
Best Perimeter Defender: Harrison Butler, Mater Dei
Butler earned his minutes as a freshman at Mater Dei by devoting himself to sitting down in a defensive stance and guarding. While his offensive game has come a long way, the 6-foot-4 Southern Utah-bound senior hasn’t lost sight of one of his best attributes. Butler is a versatile defender at the high school level with the ability to guard 1-4 and sometimes even the five and came up with five steals Thursday night.
Best Offensive Efficiency: Jake Kyman, Santa Margarita
The 6-foot-7 forward fouled out early in the fourth quarter, but his 14 points prior to that moment were some of the most impressive we’ve seen from him. The junior was hitting 3-pointers, mid-range fade-aways and strong drives in the paint. One of his most impressive shots was a shot fake on the right wing into a three-dribble baseline drive which he finished by dropping his shoulder and creating just enough space to get off his fading jumper.
Best Rebounder: Harrison Butler, Mater Dei
Butler finished with seven rebounds on the night as Santa Margarita really struggled to block him out due to his sheer will to outwork the Eagles. Butler is an explosive vertical leaper off of two feet and gets up high to rebound the basketball at its peak.
Mater Dei forward Mike Wang earned the nod for “Best Improvements” due to his improved aggressiveness attacking the basket.Best Improvements: Michael Wang, Mater Dei
Wang ended last season as a guy who was a reliable catch-and-shoot threat from 3-point range. Before he left the game with an injury Thursday, the UPenn-bound senior showcased his touch from deep, but also attacked the rim with more aggressiveness and confidence.
Best Big Man: Jordan Guest, Santa Margarita
Guest had his inside-out offensive repertoire on full display, popping out for a handful of triples, while also working with his back to the basket, scoring on a few nice post moves. Guest has come a long way as a passer off the block, as well, finding open shooters and cutters out of double-teams.
Best Role Player: Reagan Lundeen, Mater Dei
Lundeen didn’t do anything flashy in this one, but his 14 points and solid defense and rebounding were huge for the Monarchs. At 6-6 with good length and athleticism, the senior can guard multiple positions defensively and can be moved around to different spots offensively, giving the Mater Dei coaching staff a lot of options with him in the game.
Best Freshman: Wilhelm Breidenbach, Mater Dei
Breidenbach is a starter on this Mater Dei team after the departures of Bol Bol and P.J. Fuller earlier in the year, and the 6-foot-8 forward gives the Monarchs exactly what they need. Breidenbach plays with a big time motor, rebounds, defends with toughness, runs the floor and can finish around the basket or space the floor with his perimeter touch.
Best Bench Performance: Devin Askew, Mater Dei
There weren’t many points scored off of either bench, but the overall impact Askew had gives him the nod. The freshman’s only three points came on a timely right wing triple in the fourth quarter, but his energy and defensive awareness were what stood out the most.