5 Takeaways: LC Bird vs. Monacan
In a game that is always intriguing over the past five years or so, Class 5 powerhouse LC Bird travelled about 20 minutes to Class 4 contender Monacan yesterday. Both teams have seen success in the past few years, as…
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Continue ReadingIn a game that is always intriguing over the past five years or so, Class 5 powerhouse LC Bird travelled about 20 minutes to Class 4 contender Monacan yesterday. Both teams have seen success in the past few years, as LC Bird won the Class 5 State Championship in 2017, while Monacan won the Class 4 in 2016.
These teams look much different this year than in the past. Bird is a young team that plays only one senior and one junior with a handful of talented underclassmen, while Monacan has been without Virginia Tech commit Joe Bamisile all year and were missing two other starters as well.
With that being said, it didn’t stop Monacan from coming out the gates hot as junior forward Jamais Wertz hit three straight three-pointers in the first quarter to put them up by double digits, but Bird battled back with a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 17-12 at the end of the first. The Skyhawks kept that momentum rolling in the second quarter as they stretched that 6-0 run to a 14-0 run behind the play of senior Tyler Henderson and junior Promyse Ferguson, and were able to outscore the Chiefs 20-11 in the second to take a 32-28 led into halftime.
Bird remained with the momentum for much of the third quarter, getting their lead up to double digits halfway through the quarter, but there was no quit in Monacan who made some big hustle plays and had some balls bounce their way to get back into it and head into the fourth down just six, 47-41. Things stalled a little in the fourth with both teams going cold from the field, but the Skyhawks were able to turn some defense into offense midway through the quarter and were able to ice it at the free throw line late, holding on for a 61-46 win to improve their record 9-2 on the season.
Here’s a look at five takeaways we learned from the game.
Tyler Henderson a Scholarship Player
Henderson has been a starter for one of the best programs in the Richmond area for three years now, but there’s one obvious reason he doesn’t have many offers and that’s because of his 5’8” stature. Well, I’m here to tell you that regardless of his height, Henderson is a guy that is good enough to be a full scholarship player at the next level. He’s the ultimate floor general, a guy who sets the tone on both ends of the floor, makes everyone on his team better and makes winning plays all the time. He’s improved as a scorer as he showed the ability to get in the lane and find contact, he has a good floater in the midrange and he can shoot the three-ball. Probably his best quality is on the defensive end, where he’s a pesky guy with great lateral quickness that’s able to turn defenders and force turnovers, and he’s great on help side where he’s able to jump passing lanes and take charges as well. He finished with 22 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the field and 11-for-11 shooting from the line, and pitched in 10 assists and 4 steals while only turning it over twice. He currently holds no offers, though he’s had a number of very good division two and division three schools that have been recruiting him heavily.
Monacan Frontcourt Under the Radar
Cliff RobinsonThe Chiefs were missing two starters in juniors Sam Whittenbraker and Justyn Fernandez, however they still have a number of players with good size that can play led by senior Cliff Robinson and junior Ja’Mais Wertz. Robinson is a versatile forward that can play inside-out and did a great job against the LC Bird’s zone at the high post, where he showed the ability to make shots from the elbow, attack off the bounce and make plays from that area as well. He’s a guy with good length that can guard multiple positions as well, and he was the most consistent Chief on the offensive end as he finished with 14 points and pitched in 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. He’d be a steal at the next level at a small school, and he’s under the radar because he’s a late bloomer who has had a late growth spurt.
Wertz is another under the radar and late bloomer of a guy who has a terrific frame at 6’7” with an upper body that should fill out and long limbs as well. He’s a guy who has a solid skill set as he showed the ability to hit the corner three where he hit three in a row in the first quarter, and he’s able to run the floor and finish in the paint as well. He finished with 11 points on just 7 shots, and he should be a guy to keep an eye on in the 2021 class moving forward.
Promyse Ferguson a Certified Sniper
If we’re going to talk about the best shooters in the Richmond area, and there’s quite a few very good ones, Bird junior Promyse Ferguson has to be firmly in that conversation as he’s been lighting it up all season with yesterday being one of the best shooting performances I’ve seen all year. The 6’3” wing was on fire yesterday as he made his first 8 shots of the game, 7 of them being catch-and-shoot on drive-and-kicks and one of them being a pull-up off a few dribbles. He has the right frame of a shooter with long arms, he has a quick release and consistent form, he has deep range and good confidence in his shots and he stays shot ready. I jinxed him by tweeting that he hadn’t missed and he missed his next shot, but it was still a very impressive performance as he finished with 23 points on 7-for-8 shooting from deep and 8-for-9 shooting from the field.
Walker Posey a Small College Gem
Monacan has quite a few available seniors that would be able to play at the next level at a small school, but Posey has been the leader and the go-to guy for them through all the injuries and adversity. The 6’0” guard isn’t the biggest or most athletic guy but he’s a tough minded kid who knows the game and has a good skill set to go along with it. He can shoot it from deep, he makes the right play on both ends and he’s a very coachable kid as well. He did a little of everything and is a guy who is as under the radar as anyone in the state.
Bird’s Youth Movement One to Watch
Keyontae LewisAs mentioned before, Bird is one of the youngest teams in the state with eight of their players dressed out being either sophomores or freshmen. They started two sophomores and a freshman and went eight deep bringing three more sophomores off the bench. Here’s a look at three of them that played well yesterday.
Keyontae Lewis | 6’7” PF | 2022: Lewis is a big kid, and I mean massive, and the scary thing is that he’s only 15 years old and wears a size 18 shoe, meaning he’s likely still growing. While he’s big he has worked hard on his body to get into better shape, and it showed as he was able to play at a consistent level for long minutes. He’s a bully in the paint who used his size to create space to rebound and finish, and was a paint clogger and rim protector as well. He finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks, and his upside is very good.
Brycen Blaine | 6’4” WG | 2022: Blaine is the one I saw this summer that I thought would take the biggest leap and he seems to have done just that. At 6’4” he has a great frame to play the guard position, and while he struggled with foul trouble and his shot at times he still showed a good motor and understanding of the game and found different ways to impact it. He can put it on the deck in straight lines and rebounds well for his position, and made some big plays down the stretch finishing with 6 points and 5 rebounds in the win.
Amari Gray | 6’0” G | 2022: Gray came off the bench for the Skyhawks and while he only had two points he made an impact on both ends of the floor with his motor. He’s a stocky guard that’s a bully and isn’t afraid to mix it up with the big guys, as he’s an excellent rebounder for his size and he finished with 5, many of them contested. He’s a combo that can play on or off the ball and is a wrecking ball when he get downhill and he can make plays for himself and others off the bounce.