Final Score:
SPIRE – 91
Life Christian – 79
The news broke out several weeks ago that widely-known high school prospect, LaMelo Ball, would bring his talents to Ettrick, VA in early December. Immediately after hearing word on the street, residents in the area knew they had to get their tickets in advance. Held at Virginia State University (a smart tactic in my opinion), Ball and SPIRE Institute (Geneva, OH) arrived on Wednesday night to take on the Eagles of Life Christian Academy (Chester, VA). With a slew of athleticism and next-level promise filling up both rosters, the matchup had been highly anticipated for the past several days leading up to the contest. You know how social media works nowadays' marketing of the game had no issues whatsoever. Over two thousand spectators made their way into Virginia State's Multi-Purpose Center. Various videographers, such as 'Ballislife,' 'SLAM,' 'Overtime,' and 'HoopImage,' all spent the night on the baseline capturing the countless highlight plays. For me, I had to make sure I kept those not attendance updated with my live tweeting. My arrival to the gym earlier that evening with Life Christian also gave me some all-access to their approach of the night.
I made my way to the school grounds of LCA around 4pm and walked in the gym to see the team shooting around casually. If they had some butterflies in their stomach, one sure couldn't tell. After suffering a loss in visiting Blue Ridge School (St. George, VA) the previous night, the only focus on everyone's mind involved bouncing back to get a win on Wednesday.
'We all knew that it would be a hyped-up game with everything going on, but I just tried to tell my guys to not lose their attention and remember all the things we practiced on for this game. It's just about being disciplined,' the Eagles' head coach Richard Mason explained.
Packing up and boarding the bus around 4:45pm, LCA didn't really have far to go at all; Virginia State's only about a 12-15 minute trip from the school. Upon arriving to the Multi-Purpose Center, Mason's group wasted no time in changing into their gear quickly to get on the gym floor. Nearly two hours of warming up would take place, while more and more seats began to fill up by the minute. While SPIRE didn't make their way onto the floor until about 15 minutes before tip-off, the arrival of Lavar and LiAngelo Ball caused an eruption in the crowd. I expected nothing less, honestly. LaMelo had the most attention on him due to his status only as a high school hooper but the collective personality of the Ball family makes them all equally popular. The production crew of the family's reality TV show, 'Ball in the Family,' also arrived early for the action. In all, the energy building up before the start of the game may had been enough for some. But, once the ball got rolling, fans really got their money's worth.
'Game Notes
- SPIRE came into the game looking as if they had a strategy to 'live-or-die' by the three-point shot. Of course, one could pretty much expect this since LCA played a 1-3-1 zone defense. While they had a bit of a slow start, SPIRE kept getting good looks from the corner and started to knock some down from long range. Terry Lockett Jr. '20 especially helped with this, going 4-6 from beyond the arc.
- After realizing how well LCA could get to the rim, SPIRE went into a zone press early in the game to try and slow the Eagles down. This execution worked for a bit at first but the quickness of LCA lead guard, Antonio 'Spider' Bridy '19 proved too much to contain. If LCA had more reliable outside shooting, it could've made things easier once Bridy broke the press, as he constantly did over and over again in spurts.
- Free throw shooting can improve a little more for the two teams, as both went 68% on the night from the charity stripe. LCA really has the tools and tenacity to draw fouls, so they will need to take advantage of those freebies when they come into play.
- During halftime, Coach Mason expressed to his group how their 1-3-1 zone would need to put a bit more pressure on SPIRE's shooters. Closing out to contest their shots with a hand in the face, specifically. Once LCA started to force SPIRE's perimeter players to make a move on the wing, Mason noted that as the key difference in the game. Other than the defensive focus, Mason also had another simple message at the half: 'Have fun.'
- SPIRE obviously enjoys looking to make alley-oop plays' the squad connected on several such attempts during the night. With athletic specimens like Myron Gardner '19 and Isaiah Jackson '20, it makes SPIRE's job a lot easier to just throw the ball anywhere up in the air once they get a paint touch.
Wednesday Night's Six Standouts
LaMelo Ball '19 ' SPIRE: Ok, so there's obviously several things to analyze about the 17-year old phenom. Well, for starters, he definitely lived up to the hype; recording 30 points, four rebounds, and 13 assists in his visit to the 804. Ball's natural feel for the game primarily separates him from other high school players. He can do whatever he wants with the ball in his hands; able to make a play for himself or others at any point in time. Court vision appeared as his best overall skill' he looked a lot like his oldest brother (Lakers guard, Lonzo) in how he found teammates all around the floor. At 6'6,' he moved around the court with some swiftness; one can tell how he's grown more comfortably into his body. His defense honestly impressed me the most. He likes to gamble a lot but has great lateral quickness to stay in front of his man and can get a hand on the ball frequently. The only main issue of Ball's game right now pertains to his shot selection and efficiency from deep range. Known as a streaky shooter, he settles for a lot of below-average looks and only went 3-11 on three-point attempts during Wednesday night. Pretty much all of his misses came from deep, as his overall field goal percentage resulted in 11-20. I think he excels better at attacking the basket. He has some nice touch around the rim and uses his craftiness well. If he can recognize how this works a lot for him most of the time, compared to launching ill-advised three-pointers, his efficiency could skyrocket.
Marchellus Avery '20 ' LCA: Acknowledged as a top 2020 player in the Richmond area, the 6'8' wing's stock just took a boost after his performance on Wednesday night. Avery dominated from the start all the way until the final buzzer sounded. His aggressive drives to the rim created trouble for SPIRE's defenders all night long' they simply had no answer for him. Avery didn't shoot too great from the field in the first half but really couldn't miss once he came out of the break. He made several plays on the defensive end with blocks and steals that initiated much of LCA's fast break offense. He did well from the mid-range area but only took one three-point attempt. I've seen him catch fire from deep range in the past… if he can make that area a big threat in his game, opponents are in trouble. Using better balance on his drives should serve as the next main focal point for him. Superb performance from the passionate junior last night. Finished the game with a team-high 26 points and added six rebounds.
Isaiah Jackson '20 ' SPIRE: One of the best athletes in the gym, Jackson had a complete dunk fest as his teammates kept finding him near the rim. Standing at 6'9,' he has strong shoulders and a solid wingspan that helps make him a force in the paint. He has a knack for finding offensive tip-ins more than anything. Defensively, he's an intimidator with his shot-blocking prowess but will need to box out better, moving forward. I think that adding in a reliable shot will make things a lot easier for him and keep defenders more honest. For example, setting picks and popping to the short corner could serve as his bread-and-butter. A five-star 2020 recruit and top-15 player nationally, Jackson already has a handful of high majors after him. Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Louisville, Michigan State, Florida State, and Georgetown are all just some of the several programs that have offered. He put up 16 points (6-8 FGM) and seven rebounds in his team's victory.
Dominique Finney '20 ' LCA: The bouncy 6'5' wing did most of his production in the first half for LCA; he really set the tone by his hustle and fearlessness. Finney finished around the rim just as well as anybody else in the gym. His body control mainly helped with this, as he knows how to slow down and play with patience even when in full stride with the ball. He didn't take many shots from the outside but has proved himself capable of spotting up to knock down open looks. Finney doesn't need many dribbles to put points up on the board; a trait of a smart player. Still, his handle could use some work and I think he'll make a jump in dominating more on the court if he can show a separation game in his arsenal. He had 16 points (6-8 FGM), seven rebounds, and two assists in the contest.
Myron Gardner '19 ' SPIRE: Gardner stood out as one of the best all-around players on his squad. He checked off pretty much every single box on the list: shooting, rebounding, distributing, and defending. He has athleticism and strength that makes him nearly unstoppable once he gets a good look near the rim. Ball found him several times to throw it down and energize the crowd. Gardner's IQ led to him finding open teammates for more points as well. His handle looked nice and allowed him to create space and get pass defenders for drives toward the basket. Establishing a mid-range pull-up game would complete his entire offensive package. Ranked as a three-star prospect, Gardner has offers from Cincinnati, Xavier, Georgetown, Minnesota, and Buffalo, amongst others. Finished the night with 19 points (8-11 FGM), five rebounds, and four assists.
Antonio 'Spider' Bridy '19 ' LCA: The Eagles' senior floor general did some of the best at getting the crowd in a frenzy, especially LCA fans. Bridy's quickness and tight handle helped him singlehandedly break through SPIRE's zone press most of the game, after recognizing which opportunities to take. At one point, LCA seemed to just rely on him as a one-man fast break. He got paint touches at any time he wanted and found his teammates for easy buckets that kept them in the game. I liked Bridy's toughness' he didn't care how tall or athletic SPIRE's front court players appeared; he kept going right at them. His ability to find angles and complete finishes around the rim looked really elite. Defensively, he pestered SPIRE's ball-handlers to a great extent but should look to communicate more when guarding off the ball. Bridy didn't show a lot of comfort in shooting the three ball' if he can improve in this, he won't have to rely on pounding his way to the rim all of the time. An unsigned senior that college coaches should take note of. He had one of the most balanced performances for the Eagles with 12 points, four rebounds, and seven assists.
Wednesday night was a show! Obviously it's still really early, but that had to be the best atmosphere I've been a part of so far this season.