Prospect Evaluations: St. Edward at Brush
Brush hosting St. Edward is one of those games you can spot from the preseason as one that could provide memorable moments and insight on the teams and players. Along with Lorain, St. Vincent-St. Mary, and maybe Garfield Heights, these…
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Continue ReadingBrush hosting St. Edward is one of those games you can spot from the preseason as one that could provide memorable moments and insight on the teams and players. Along with Lorain, St. Vincent-St. Mary, and maybe Garfield Heights, these are two of the Division I Regional contenders in Northeast Ohio and their rosters are both highlighted by collegiate talent.
The main event wound up better than we could’ve even anticipated. Brush improved to 5-0 and the seven-point margin in the final score, 81-74, may have been the largest separation of the night.
As always, we came to see the players, and almost all of them really came to play too. But the tactics deployed from both coaching staffs and the energy of the Lyndhurst crowd, along with timeless moments from several players, epitomized what we love about high school basketball. The game was sick.
St. Edward, by the way, is now 3-2 after back-to-back losses to Lima Senior and Brush. They’ll take a couple weeks off before playing at Benedictine on Jan. 5. At the moment, a consistent outside shooting threat appears to be the hole in their rotation.
Anyways, this game was covered up and down, left and right by all the newspapers in Northeast Ohio. You came here for the prospect breakdown. So, here’s what we saw from the collegiate talent on Tuesday, and we’re listing players in the order of their impact with the top performer first.
Andre Harris (2019), 6’3” G/W, Brush
The senior leader, Harris, simply made plays consistently throughout the game, doing it in every way possible. To start, he took two charges in the first couple of possessions. He grabbed six rebounds and caused two steals, using his length and athleticism to finish defensive possessions. Harris either found an outlet for one of his three assists or took it himself coast-to-coast. His footwork around the rim on drives was exceptional and he finished from tough angles with either hand. He scored in clutch moments better than anyone.
The night’s leading scorer had eight of his 25 points in the final minutes — banging a corner triple, cutting from the corner for a lob, then dropping in an impossible lefty scoop around a shot-blocker. Harris, who simply slides by his defender on drives, also impressed with his decision-making on drive-and-kicks.
John Hugley (2020), 6’9” C, Brush
When Hugley came into high school at about 6’8”, 240-pound (that’s an educated guess on weight), we all imagined the type of impact a kid like him could have on a high school game. It wasn’t the first time he lived up to the hype by any means — last year against Garfield comes to mind as another hallmark performance. But, last night was what we all longed to see from Hugley. The 6’9” MM/HM recruit is putting it together and his stat-line of 16 points and 17 rebounds says it all. Not only that, he played almost every second.
More than ever, Hugley is moving to his spots in the paint against defensive resistance. He does it without fouling, rather taking advantage of his natural strength legally. He was excellent over the left shoulder and scored efficiently without dribbles. Because, you know, why dribble when you’re a foot from the rim? He also showed great hands. Hugley likes to look for the deep outlet off the defensive glass.
DJ Dial (2019), 5’9” PG, Brush
Dial was the top unsigned senior on the floor last night, in terms of his status as a prospect. But, more than anything, he was four-year starting point guard who just ran the show and played ball.
Scoring 24 points, Dial did it mostly going towards the basket. Although he hit one pull-up triple on a pick-and-roll, Dial turned the corner most times and either sought contact or hit his patented one-foot floater (that shot is money). He uses screens very well. Scored his last eight points from the free throw line as he smartly threw himself into airborne shot-blockers in the second half. Favors his right hand on finishes, heavily.
Dial is a skilled ball-handler who could be accused of over-dribbling, but if he picked up his dribble against a trap at 5’9”, he’d be screwed. So, his fourth quarter scramble often looked like a quarterback escaping blitz as Eds tried to trap him and force turnovers — in our opinion, that’s just what he had to do, though.
Devontae Blanton (2020), 6’6” W/F, St. Edward
Blanton scored 14 points and made his presence felt in the paint by occasionally rebounding and double-teaming Hugley on the catch. His jumper stood out, though. Blanton is comfortable pulling-up or shooting with range and his mechanics looks pretty darn good right now. He’s been able to drive forever. But now that he can shoot like this, he can simply let the defense make a mistake and he takes what they give him — step-back and he’ll shoot, pressure and it’s to the rim. Good feel as a scorer.
Demetrius Terry (2019), 6’0” G, St. Edward
Terry’s speed in the open floor and on his first step allows him to score at the rim at a high volume. If you’re playing up on him, he’s going to dart right past you. Terry likes to challenge shot-blockers at the rim. He also made a nice jump stop and pump fake move to get to the foul line. Becoming a more capable shooter will be important for him at the next level. He led Eds with 19 points.
Grant Huffman (2020), 6’4” G, St. Edward
Huffman impressed as a slasher from the wing. Often jabbing in one direction and driving hard to the other, Huffman gets exactly where he needs to be and finishes or finds and open teammate. Right now, his best skill is just that and finishing through contact. He gathers himself mid-air super well and drops in layups off the glass. His game at the rim is physicality and skill, not really explosiveness right now. Huffman’s jumper was off but he still managed 17 points and four assists.
Corey Floyd (2020), 6’2” F, Brush
As the four to Hugley’s five, Floyd’s job is simplified and he operates in a complimentary role. But, wow, was he excellent in his duties last night. Off the ball offensively, he has to spread the floor and shoot open jumpers to keep the defense curious. He didn’t connect but was hardly off on his attempts. Floyd was best on the occasional flash cut into the lane or elbow, though, where he’d catch and score or lob a post entry to Hugley. Floyd’s instincts were perfect there and he accumulated 11 points and four assists. Defensively, Floyd has a lot of dog in him and is able to switch everything.
Elmore James IV (2022), 6’1” G, Brush
If you want to look simply at shot-making, James missed a lot of jumpers. But he made his most important shots of the night in the final minutes, pushing Brush from a two-point lead to up by four at the free throw line. His composure in the clutch was impressive for a freshman in his fifth game.
But, the point is, he does more than score right now. Brush has experienced bucket-getters, that’s not even his role. James, instead, uses his muscular build to defend the drive and he hardly allowed an easy look all night for Huffman. He’s raw as a slasher, but he’s definitely going to become a consistent scorer in the paint.
Montorie Foster (2020), 6’2” PG, St. Edward
Foster appears to have grown an inch since the summer. He has good size and length at the point guard spot, which he uses to get into the lane for finishes and rebounds. Foster crashed the glass well and made floaters and layups from tough angles. The ultimate hustler on rebounds and defense who continues to make the right play. Foster finished with six points, three assists, and three rebounds. Becoming more assertive as a playmaker looks like the next step for him.