The renowned Times Dispatch Invitational (TDIT) got up and running this past Wednesday with eight boys' varsity teams from around the Richmond, VA area all participating in first-round matchups. I remember coming home for Christmas break last year while in college and checking out the thrilling TDIT 2017 championship between Varina High School and Trinity Episcopal School. Fast forward to a year later and we had some new faces show up in the prestigious tournament this time around. In the same situation of my coverage in the girls division, I arrived on Thursday afternoon (12/20) for the boys' semifinals in the championship bracket and then watched all of the games played on Sunday.

 

 

Final Scores

12/19/18 (First Round):

Huguenot HS ' 88

Trinity Episcopal ' 85

 

Collegiate ' 55

Douglas Freeman HS ' 53

 

Highland Springs ' 73

George Wythe HS ' 43

 

Armstrong HS ' 68

St. Christopher's ' 62

 

12/20/18:

Consolation Semifinals:

Trinity Episcopal ' 55

St. Christopher's ' 48

 

Douglas Freeman HS ' 71

George Wythe HS ' 55

 

Championship Semifinals:

Huguenot HS -75

Armstrong HS ' 60

 

Collegiate ' 60

Highland Springs ' 55

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12/21/18:

7th place game:

George Wythe HS ' 62

St. Christopher's ' 57

 

5th place game:

Trinity Episcopal ' 70

Douglas Freeman HS ' 67

 

3rd place game:

Highland Springs ' 86

Armstrong HS ' 78

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TDIT Championship:

Collegiate ' 63

Huguenot HS ' 43

 

 

Some Team Notes

  • It had been a while since Collegiate last won the TDIT title, dating back to 20 years ago in 1998. There's several areas that one could appreciate about the Cougars in the way they execute and give effort at all times. Regardless, I personally feel that the team's greatest trait involves how disciplined they appear whenever taking the court. The focus and IQ of Collegiate's players didn't really have any lapses when I watched them in the tournament. Head coach Del Harris plays a big role in this by holding his guys accountable at all times and steadily giving instruction. The Collegiate players approach the game smartly and I expect them to continue their success heading into conference play (Prep League) soon.
  • The Huguenot Falcons really made some noise in their run to a title game appearance. The tallest player on the roster only stands around 6'2' yet they did a great job of protecting the interior against Armstrong in the semifinals; 6'1' wing Kevin Gayles '20 had one of the biggest impacts in his rim protection. Huguenot has a lot of heart' anyone who's seen them play could agree with that. Their shooting appeared to take a dip as each game progressed (I heard they shot the lights out in the first-round). Despite going through some perimeter inefficiency, they stood out in creating ways to find angles and score around the rim. Against the much bigger Collegiate squad, the Falcons showed this same type of toughness in the first half. As the game wore on, however, Collegiate's length/overall size just proved too much.
  • Armstrong has some determined guys in their lineup that rarely settle for any passive scoring looks. They have an athletic backcourt in Antoine Bruce '20 and Zarkeil McEachin '19, two guys that got in the lane probably more than any other backcourt I watched during Thursday and Friday. One main concern of the Wildcats is that they don't have much structure in their offense; just appearing to look in getting quick paint touches from their guards every trip down the floor. It's always exciting to watch a team who wants to play fast and fearless in that type of manner but that strategy can only work for so long before players get worn out. I felt that I mainly saw this notion in the second half of the 3rd place game. Armstrong looked drained.
  • Highland Springs shot the ball the best from three-point land out of the games I spectated. They really got going in the semifinals, which kept it a close and exhilarating game. In the 3rd place game, their shooting prowess proved its worth against Armstrong, who didn't really have much an outside threat. The Springers moved the ball well around the perimeter, starting with their floor general, Christian Wilson '20. I saw a nice blend of athleticism within their players that made me feel they could equally stand out on defense. They defend solidly, mostly when looking to press, but can improve on their focus/discipline to not foul as much in the half court.

 

 

My Seven Standouts

 

Robbie Beran '19 ' Collegiate: Anybody who may not have known much about the Northwestern commit surely should be talking about him now. Beran played like a top 3 player in Richmond this week. He dominated as a force down low, using his body control to finish with power and recognizing mismatches. His versatility on offense makes it difficult for defenses to determine how to play him; he can hurt opponents both inside and out on the wing. The 6'9' senior showed off his court vision too; a more underrated aspect of his game. Defensively, he came up with more rejections than anyone else, swatting away a combined nine shots in his final two games. After posting 20 points in the semifinals and then exploding for a performance of 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in the title game, it seemed only right that Beran took home the TDIT MVP trophy.

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Damon Werts '19 ' Highland Springs: An unsigned senior, I encourage college coaches to take a look at the 6'3' scoring guard. Werts had his offense on full display in the Springers' scoring attack. He spotted up well from behind the three-point line to complete four triples during the semifinals against Collegiate, ending with a team-high 16 points. The next night, he again paced the team with 24 points in the win over Armstrong. Werts has a bit of a delayed release on his shot but sets his feet and elevates well to complete looks whenever he gets them. When the shot isn't there, he can put it on the floor and use his bounce to finish reach layups with some hang time. He definitely looked like Highland Springs' best athlete. His feel for the game and confident playing style should give the Springers a boost in more games to come.

 

Henry Coleman '20 ' TES: Ok, so most basketball fanatics know by now of the dominance Coleman plays with as one of the most sought-out college recruits in the area. Even with that acknowledgement, it's still crazy to see how this guy's turned into a complete double-double machine over the past few weeks. The 6'8' junior stood as the only player to register a double-double in all three games he played in during the tournament: 38 points/21 rebounds against Huguenot, 25 points/15 rebounds versus St. Christopher's, and saved his best scoring output for last with 46 points/14 rebounds in the 5th place game. Nobody had an answer for him in the paint and he crashed the glass every possible time. He earned a spot on the All-Tournament team for his efforts. When Coleman plays with his motor in full function like this' who can stop him'

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Michael Fortune '19 ' Douglas Freeman: I really liked Fortune's mature playing style. He never looked in a rush, took smart shots, and showed great unselfishness at all times. His fundamentals plays a big role for his success; he can play as a versatile 6'4' wing who checks off many of the boxes in terms of skills. Fortune went off for his best showing in the consolation semifinals against George Wythe, filling up the stat sheet with 30 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Against TES in the 5th place game, he played more of a lesser scoring role due to senior forward Christian Smith '19 going off for 21 points (and Caleb Kenney '21 adding 17), but he still chipped in 16 points and made several tough plays down the stretch to almost give the Rebels the lead.

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Osmand Harris III '20 ' Huguenot: First, let me throw this out there: this is Harris III's first season of high school basketball. Watching him play, one would've thought he'd been on his third year of varsity. The junior wing came off the bench in the semifinals to put up a game-high 18 points (tying with Armstrong's McEachin) and also grabbed eight boards. He has a toughness and grit about him wherever his coaches may place him on the floor for matchup purposes. I really liked his ability to weave his way through the lane for finishes and drawn fouls. Harris III especially showed this in the title game against Collegiate; the 6'0' junior gave the Cougars a handful by taking it right to the teeth of their defense. While Huguenot struggled as a whole in their offense during Friday's championship game, Harris III stood as a lone bright spot. He finished with 15 points and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.

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Jordan Crump '19 ' Highland Springs: I'd say Crump's in a similar situation of his backcourt mate, Werts, as an unsigned senior who should start receiving more attention. He shot the ball really well all throughout the invitational and showed some sneaky athleticism to go along with his physical frame as a two-guard. After going off for 22 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in the Springers' first-round win over George Wythe, Crump put up 12 and 23 points in the team's final two games, respectively. He simply knows how to put the ball in the basket and made some very clutch plays for Highland Springs down the stretch of the semifinals against Collegiate. Talent-wise, I'd say he's the best prospect on the Springers' roster. His production resulted in him joining Beran, Coleman, and Harris III all on the All-Tournament team.

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Ikechi Chantilou '20 ' George Wythe: Chantilou couldn't really get going from the field at first when I watched him in the 7th place game. He got the shots he wanted, just couldn't knock them down. The second half was a completely different story, as the 6'3' athletic guard started creating off of the bounce to finish strong at the rim and shot well from the outside also. His handle looked really good, combined with his quick burst that made St. Christopher's look pretty helpless in trying to stop him. I respected the heart shown by Chantilou; he clearly looked to be on a mission in making sure his team wouldn't lose. The result included a 22-point performance and the Bulldogs won by five. More of a slept-on 2020 prospect in the area, keep Chantilou in mind. He improved every game as the tournament went on and ended up averaging close to 15 points per outing.

 

 

 

 

Make sure to check out my Girls TDIT recap as well!