On Saturday, Phenom Hoops travelled to Wilson, North Carolina to watch the rematch between Greenfield School and Wilson Preparatory Academy. On Thursday, Greenfield won at home 62-61 in their first meeting. That was Wilson Prep’s first game of the season. Two days later, the return game was held at Wilson Prep.
In a high scoring first quarter, Aaron Murphy and Tychaun Clay led the way for Greenfield, scoring eight points and seven points respectively. Omarreyon Johnson led the way for Wilson Prep with four first quarter points. Greenfield took a 22-14 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
In the second quarter, Christen Battle buried two deep three-pointers for Wilson Prep, but every time that Wilson Prep would make a run, Greenfield would answer. Tychaun Clay had another great quarter, along with Hampton Evans for Greenfield. Greenfield extended their lead to 47-36 heading into halftime.
In the third quarter, Greenfield school came out and took control. Greenfield was clicking on both sides of the basketball with great team defense on one end and unselfish teamwork on the other. At the 2:30 mark in the third quarter, Greenfield’s Matt Kirby caught the ball on the right wing, drove it baseline, and found Hampton Evans on the baseline drift pass to the left corner. Evans had a shot, but made the extra pass to CJ Alston on the left wing. Alston had an open shot, but made another extra pass to Tychaun Clay on the right wing for the catch and shoot three-pointer. It was a beautiful example of ball movement and how the game should be played.
Greenfield took control and entered the fourth quarter up 67-48. In the fourth quarter, Wilson Prep made a push behind Nasiar Blackston’s 14 second half points, but Greenfield was able to hold onto the lead come out victorious. The final score was 79-66 in favor of Greenfield.
Let’s take a look at some of the game’s top performers:
Aaron Murphy 6’4 2022 (Greenfield School)
Aaron Murphy played a complete game from start to finish. He came out ready to play and made his presence felt from the start. He finished a game-high 23 points to go along with 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Murphy is so strong and versatile. He does an excellent job of getting to the basket and finishing through contact. In addition, he makes good decisions with the ball at the end of drives. Once he set up the drive with the shot fake, got into the paint, and as the defense collapsed, he found Hampton Evans on the kick out for three. In addition, he plays with patience and poise. There was a play in the second quarter in which he dribbled into a post up from the perimeter, saw the double team coming from the middle, didn’t allow the pressure to bother him, and instead he reverse spun to the baseline and finished at the rim. Murphy also showcased his nice shooting touch knocking down a top of the key three-pointer and going perfect from foul line. What was most impressive about Aaron Murphy’s play throughout the game was that every time Wilson Prep would go on a run, Murphy would make a big play for Greenfield to end the run, whether it was a strong drive and finish at the rim or a put-back. He was the difference maker all game.
Hampton Evans 6’5 2024 (Greenfield School)
Hampton Evans has a bright future ahead of him. Not only can he knock down shots from the perimeter, but he is one tough player. Evans finished with a double-double of 19 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block. What stood out was how hard he plays. At 6’5, he has really good size, but he also plays with a level of physicality that will really pay dividends in the future. Offensively, he can score from multiple levels. He has a nice shot, scoring his first points of the game off a catch and shoot three-pointer. A few possessions later, he utilized his shooting ability to drive it strong to the left and finish at the rim. He rebounds well on both ends of the court. Offensively, he crashes the glass and creates second chance opportunities. On the defensive end, he rebounds it and can initiate the break. In the second quarter, he grabbed a rebound off of a missed Wilson Prep free throw and took the ball coast to coast for the finish and the foul. Evans plays with a high level of confidence and experience beyond his years. He has a bright future ahead of him.
Tychaun Clay 5’10 2023 (Greenfield School)
Tychaun Clay was another vital part of Greenfield’s success in Saturday’s win. He finished with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, and 1 assist. Clay is a tough, strong, quick point guard who sets the tone for Greenfield on both sides of the ball. He pressures the opposing ball handlers, making it difficult for them to initiate offense. He forced five steals! Not only that, he doesn’t secede positioning when taller players try to post him. Early in the game, Wilson Prep tried to post him up. Clay wasn’t having it. He didn’t allow the opponent to get deep position. He fought around the bigger offensive player and intercepted the post entry pass. This set the tone for the rest of the game. On the offensive end, he is really quick and can create off the bounce. He pushes the pace and helps get Greenfield out in transition. In the second quarter, he had a coast to coast layup after grabbing the defensive rebound. He is tough to stay in front of in the open court. Not only can he attack the basket and push the tempo, he also consistently knocked down the perimeter jumper, hitting three three-pointers in the game. Clay is another young prospect that will garner attention moving forward.
Nasiar Blackston 6’4 2021 (Wilson Preparatory Academy)
Nasiar Blackston led the way for Wilson Prep finishing with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. What initially sticks out is his size and athleticism at the guard position. But as the game progressed, he made his presence felt. He was tough to guard in transition where he was able to get out and utilize his athleticism when attacking the basket. He also showcased his touch from the midrange as he knocked down several midrange jumpers throughout the course of the game, both off the catch and the bounce. In the second quarter, he hit two catch and shoot midrange jumpers. Then in the fourth, he hit a pull-up jumper going left, and then a few possessions later he drilled a step-back to his left. Look for Blackston to have a big year for Wilson Prep.
Devyn Bullock 6’5 2021 (Wilson Preparatory Academy)
Devyn Bullock played a really good game on both sides of the ball for Wilson Prep, finishing with a near double-double of 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 assist. Bullock gave Wilson Prep a strong post presence. He attacked the offensive glass and created second chance opportunities for himself and others. On the defensive end, he contested shots at the rim.
Greenfield School Stats
Aaron Murphy – 23 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steals
Hampton Evans – 19 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Tychaun Clay – 19 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 assist
Matt Kirby – 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Justin Holland – 6 points, 2 rebounds
CJ Alston – 4 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block
Nik Edwards – 1 point
Wilson Prep Stats
Nasiar Blackston – 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
Devyn Bullock – 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist
Christen Battle – 12 points, 3 assists, 1 steal
Omarreyon Johnson – 8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
Makhi Eatmon – 4 points, 2 rebounds
Adrian Land – 2 points, 2 rebounds
Daidien Sutton – 2 points, 2 assists, 1 steal
Brandon Anderson – 2 points, 1 rebound
