Five Takeaways from C-J and Thurgood Marshall

<p>It’s rare to get an exciting matchup early in the season, but that’s exactly what we got from Chaminade-Julienne and Thurgood Marshall as the Eagles erased an 11 point halftime deficit to win in overtime 86-83. As we will discuss below, the win was huge for C-J and will provide confidence for them to ride as the season gets underway. There are many takeaways from the matchup, but I take a look at 5 questions raised from this game.</p> <p>1. Is Thurgood Marshall still considered one of Dayton’s top teams?</p> <p>There is no denying this game hurt for the Cougars, especially when leading by as wide of a margin as they did. Nonetheless, this is still an extremely athletic team that will continue to be tough to matchup against. Even in the loss, Mekhi Elmore (2022) showed us why he is one of the better shooters in the Dayton area knocking down 5 treys during the game. Anthony McComb (2021) still is one of the best offensive creators in the area with his explosive first step and ability to create shots. With other contributors stepping up as well, the Cougars have plenty of talent still on their roster and to think they are not still a top 4 team with this loss is crazy.</p> <p>2. Does C-J belong as a top team with this win?</p> <p>Before this game, I felt C-J was not a top 3 team in Dayton D2. Definitely top 5 but not in that top 3 conversation. With this win, the Eagles have assured they do belong. Defense wins games and C-J doesn’t miss a beat with new coach Charlie Szabo. Unlike Thurgood, C-J does not have one obvious overwhelming high level prospect to rely on on either ends of the floor. Instead, the Eagles have several contributors including Dan Nauseef (2021), A.J. Solomon (2021), and Brandon Gibson (2020) that play as a cohesive unit and play at a high level, making C-J tough to beat. This win puts the Eagles as #3 in my mind behind Trotwood and Alter.</p> <p>3. What can other team’s learn from this game?</p> <p>While this game was quite impressive to watch, there are definitely things we learned about both teams. For Thurgood, their post defense is going to need some serious work. C-J began their comeback after feeding Nauseef and Dion Bruce (2020) who were unguardable on the blocks and creating offense on second chance offensive rebounds. While their athleticism is impressive, it may not be enough to overcome their size disadvantage against taller opponents. Missed opportunities at the free throw line also cost Thurgood some easy points. For C-J, we learned this group will play different styles of defense, including 2-3 and 1-3-1 zones along with their man-to-man defense. On the offensive end, they don’t have a very nice shooting touch as they finished 2-13 behind the arc. This could play into an opponent’s hands if they can deny the Eagles’ interior attack and force them to try and score from behind the arc.</p> <p>4. Is Dan Nauseef considered one of the best post players in the GCL?</p> <p>After last night’s game I think Nauseef is definitely in the conversation. Although he is not as tall as the other big men in the GCL, Nauseef showed us he is truly a low post threat on both ends of the floor. He can score with his back to the basket and has a soft touch at the rim. While it’s very early in the season to be ranking guys, it is so hard to overlook 27 points and 15 rebounds that Dan put up.</p> <p>5. Does Thurgood have another name they can depend on?</p> <p>While players like McComb and Elmore are nice to have, what else does Thurgood have in their arsenal? Reico Coulter (2022) had a tremendous outing on both ends of the floor. Offensively he scored the first 8 points of the game for Thurgood with his shooting touch and defensively showed how quick and pesky he can be as an on-ball defender. Chanze Amerson (2021) has a ton of bounce but lacked an aggressiveness with the ball in his hands. It’s early in the season so not much concern there as we know how talented Amerson is. Prophet Johnson (2022) also showed us glimpses of being a great role guy on the offensive end with his ability to get in the paint and attack with both hands. While Coulter ended up having the better offensive night among the 3 guys listed, they will need all 3 to step up if the Cougars are going to win a City League title this year.</p>