After a successful viewing last Wednesday, I once again decided to hit the road down South toward Chesterfield County, Virginia for the second and final week of L.C. Bird High School's annual hosted summer league. Playoffs officially began on Tuesday (6/25) and will conclude after tonight, following Thursday's championship. In a likewise routine to the previous week, my schedule unfortunately only permitted me to check out Wednesday's slate of game; all four of which made up the consolation bracket. Regardless, it brought another enjoyable evening of hoops and the opportunity to see a new team that wasn't in attendance during my coverage last week. For today (6/27), I highly recommend tuning into L.C. Bird's team website (https://lcbirdsummerleague.weebly.com/) and Twitter page (@LC_Bird_Hoops) to stay updated with the league's final championship results. Game time starts at 5 p.m., with four games taking place.

 

 

Wednesday's Final Scores

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Game 1:

Prince George HS ' 59

Colonial Heights HS ' 51

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Game 2:

Carver Academy ' 55

Manchester HS ' 52

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Game 3:

Manchester HS ' 60

Colonial Heights ' 39

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Game 4:

Prince George HS ' 68

Carver Academy ' 49

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Some Team/Game Notes

  • If the Royals of Prince George High School (Prince George, VA) demonstrated anything last night, it's that they can REALLY go on a run after turning up their defensive pressure. In both of the team's games, things were pretty close around the first fifteen minutes up until Prince George decided to implement a full-court press. That decision led to a complete turnaround and the group increased their lead by a wide margin mainly due to caused turnovers. Out of the four teams participating, I definitely deemed Prince George as the most superior in causing havoc by using a collective defensive effort. It's a perfect way to initiate their fast break style of play.
  • Game 2 easily had the best and most unexpected finish of the day. Jeremiah Hutton '21 of Manchester High School (Midlothian, VA) likely gave everyone the impression that the game would head to overtime after he made a drive down the lane to tie it up at 52 with about five seconds remaining on the clock. However, Carver Academy (Chesterfield County, VA) would put those feelings to rest, as one of their guards came down and scored a double-clutch three-pointer to win it at the buzzer. I'm confident in saying that Manchester felt heavy disappointment by losing in that type of fashion. Still, the Lancers had to immediately turn their focus to Game 3 and displayed an incredible bounce back by dominating their way to a 21 point win over Colonial Heights High School (Colonial Heights, VA). Immense effort by Head Coach Josh Karlson's group persisted all night long.
  • Ok, so yes, it's still entirely too early to start nitpicking about what these high school teams need to improve on as a whole. I understand that it's only summer league. Still, I see potential in the Colonial Heights squad and feel they can greatly improve their play by focusing on a key area: faster ball reversals. This goes for both structure in the half-court and against full-court defenses; they mainly struggled against the latter. Trying to dribble through pressure rarely ever results in anything good. So, if the Colonials can continue to become more aware of their spacing on the floor, finding the extra man should make everything else that much easier. Most will agree that it proves true more times than not.

 

 

 

My Five Standouts from Wednesday

 

Jeremiah Hutton '21 ' Manchester HS: It being my first time seeing the 5'11' scoring guard compete, I left the gym with strong optimism that Hutton will become the 'next one' for the Lancers during these next two seasons. There was very little that he couldn't do out there on the floor yesterday. The rising junior used his speed to outrace everyone for transition points and also ended up swiping in for steals on the other end. His finishing ability with either hand had some notable finesse to it, as he converted some of the most difficult layups of the evening. Hutton also can step out to shoot it well from anywhere around the three-point line; going on a few streaks where he totaled consecutive triples. He displayed all the attributes of a 'winning guard' and looked like the glue that kept Manchester together in their very solid team efforts. Once he incorporates more of a pull-up jumper into his game at that position'who knows how scarier he can become with the ball in his hands. Hutton finished with 28 points, six rebounds, four assists, and five steals in Game 2; following it with 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in Game 3. His efficiency from the field made the two performances even more outstanding.

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Rome Hudson '20 ' Carver Academy: He did some things well last week, but the 6'5' Hudson showed out even more as a force in the paint last night, starting off with his rebounding prowess. He had 20 boards in Game 2'yes, 20. That all just stemmed from pure will, honestly; it's not like he's a seven-footer or anything. I like the calmness within Hudson's approach to the game and his knowledge of how to play hard but not out of control. He sets good screens, rolls quickly to the rim at proper angles, doesn't force bad shots against double-teams near the basket, and has a soft touch on his hook shots. Hudson's strong build goes along nicely with that touch to make him a reliable finisher, no matter which type of opponent tries to contest his shot. Carver Academy undoubtedly looks like a better team whenever their veteran is out there on the floor. He brings great value as a workhorse and one who plays the game smartly. Hudson also chipped in 12 points to go along with those 20 rebounds in Game 2.

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Shannon Henry '21 ' Colonial Heights HS: He's still learning the game, but Henry caught several eyes yesterday by both demonstrating his athletic play and physical appearance. The 6'4' wing passed the 'eye test' just as well as anybody else at his position and used those same physical gifts to perform as one of the evening's most active players. Henry's constant nose for the ball ended up in him being all over the place, wherever the rock bounced to. He's a strong rebounder who can sneak in from the wing, able to play and defend multiple positions, and has solid pass perception. Occasionally, however, he gambled too late on those attempts to pick off passes; that's a habit he might want to try and control. Henry's handle and pull-up game also both looked good yesterday; I felt the latter skill appeared as one of the most promising weapons of his arsenal and obviously can take him far in his offense. There's a lot to stay excited about when acknowledging that he's only entering the 11th grade. As long as he remains disciplined in the gym, the city of Colonial Heights should see a prospect with next-level potential arise. He put up 23 points, eight rebounds, and five steals in Game 1, while finishing off Game 3 with 10 points and five rebounds.

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Alex Bean '20 ' Colonial Heights HS: Outside of his on-floor production, I saw Bean as one of the best leaders out there last night. He does the right things that one would expect from a rising senior: calling out assignments, giving encouragement, and leading by example also. I'm sure that the Colonials have confidence with him returning to the bunch, as every successful team needs a guy who takes on that type of vocal role. As far as his play, Bean showed various skills that make him a well-needed piece. He rebounds well for a guard/wing, can shoot it from distance, and attacks the basket after spotting the opportunity. It doesn't require many shot attempts for him to fill up the scoring column and he has a good enough skillset to create for his own. Bean had 17 points and five rebounds in Game 1. He notched the only double-double for Colonial Heights in Game 3; 12 points and 10 rebounds.

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Curtis Allen '22 ' Prince George HS: After making my standout list last week in the league's opening week, the young Allen had an even better showing last night as one of Wednesday's best shooters. He made five three-pointers in a row at one point during Game 4; three of which came from the same spot on the right wing. Allen can definitely shoot it but I agreed with comments from other surrounding spectators stating he can become a great scorer just by using his size alone. That combination of strength and fluid movement clearly is a gift, which should be used to an advantage as much as possible. I also noticed Allen bringing the ball up the court more to get Prince George into their half-court sets; standout point guard Johnny Soto '20 could not make it yesterday. Improving upon his handle has been a main area of emphasis that I've centered on in the young wing's game but he nonetheless looks more comfortable making moves to get past defenders each new time I see him play. Likewise to Shannon Henry from Colonial Heights, Allen still has some things to learn about the game but his talent keeps proving inevitable. He totaled 20 points, seven rebounds, and four steals in Game 1. One of the night's best offensive performances came from him in Game 4, after he knocked down those aforementioned three-pointers en route to a game-high 26 points.

 

 

 

 

Excellent two-week league put on by L.C. Bird High School. Thank you to the Skyhawks for the hospitality!