On Thursday, Phenom Hoops traveled to the historical American Hebrew Academy to see the hometown Eagles host Trinity Academy from Raleigh, North Carolina. The visiting Trinity Academy Tigers have been phenomenal all season long, standing at 18-9 and playing behind the talents of nationally-regarded Isaiah Todd. Meanwhile, the Hebrew Academy entered this contest with a quality 8-5 record and have done an excellent job of continually improving their program throughout the last few years (especially after winning just once last season). So we were quite excited to see how the Hebrew Academy prepared for their senior night against Trinity Academy.

 

This game started off in a very sluggish manner, as the Tigers established their lead and held the Hebrew Academy scoreless through most of the first quarter. However, things began to pick up and the Eagles were able to generate a decent offensive flow for the remainder of the half, but still trailed 26-21 at the break. Trinity Academy really amped up the pace in the third quarter and started to gain some separation on the scoreboard. The Hebrew Academy fought extremely hard and their effort never wavered, but they ultimately fell to Trinity Academy by a score of 61-43.

 

Trinity Academy:

6'11 '20 Isaiah Todd

It's fairly obvious and should go without saying, but Todd was far and away the best player/prospect on the floor last night. He basically didn't break a sweat at any point, yet still displayed numerous flashes of true dominance. Todd is capable of generating a clean shot from anywhere on the floor and his shooting mechanics are simply beautiful. That being said, he scored a vast majority of his points from within the paint and showed his ability to control the glass with terrific consistency. Todd is incredible when playing aggressively and he displayed a mean streak defensively when protecting the rim. He doesn't appear to have any real flaws as a player and should continue to annihilate everyone in his path at the college level and beyond. Final stats: 18 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks, and 3 steals.

 

6'4 '20 Jake Bertolini-Felic

The secondary role of Bertolini-Felic is extremely vital for this Trinity Academy squad, as he offers a nice balance between scoring and playmaking. He possesses quality size at the wing position and is capable of causing matchup problems for opponents. Bertolini-Felic plays with a quality motor and made multiple plays defensively. College coaches should start showing interest in the two-way wing prospect. Final stats: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks.

 

6'0 '21 Tyler Gill

There's a lot to like with the point guard prospect, given his pesky nature on defense and ability to penetrate on offense. Gill jumped the passing lanes with incredible regularity and forced steals quite often throughout this showing. He pushed the pace in transition and finished through contact around the basket. Gill also rebounded extremely well for his size/position and looked to advance the ball to open teammates whenever possible. Final stats: 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals.

 

American Hebrew Academy:

5'10 '21 Bernardo Moel

Though somewhat undersized, Moel was certainly among the more reliable players for this Hebrew Academy. He didn't look to score very often, but seemed to find success whenever he tried. Moel did a great job of initiating the offense and playing conservative on both ends of the floor. Only a sophomore, he showcased some intriguing tools and could be a prospect to watch going forward. Final stats: 12 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals.

 

6'4 '20 Odi Kedem

The wiry wing prospect was the most polished all-around player for the Tigers, as he was able to take over and burden the offensive load whenever necessary. Kedem scored the ball effectively from all three levels, but was especially efficient from inside the arc. He proved to be a fairly consistent finisher from inside the arc and rebounded the ball well. Kedem could be a college-level prospect, especially if he continues to develop while performing on both ends of the floor. Final stats: 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals.

 

6'3 '19 Brian Brandwein

No player for either team worked harder or could match the unbelievable motor of Brandwein. He's somewhat undersized for a typical big man, but he plays so incredibly hard that success simply seems to find him. Brandwein utilizes his strength quite well to fight on the glass and accumulate rebounds. Aside from Todd, no one rebounded the ball with more purpose or consistency than Brandwein. Final stats: 12 points and 2 rebounds.