4-Quarter Regulation

Meadowbrook ' 60

Collegiate ' 55

 

Fifth Quarter

Meadowbrook ' 14

Collegiate ' 11

 

 

 

Some Notes

  • Man, the atmosphere in the gym made the scrimmage feel like a hyped up mid-season rivalry contest. Both teams impressed in their sharpness and focus all throughout the game. If the Cougars and/or Monarchs still feel they have some rustiness to rid of before games start rapidly taking place, I definitely could not detect any during Saturday's matchup. The players found a good flow early on and provided a handful of exciting plays.
  • This being my first time seeing Collegiate up close, I had a lot of respect for how disciplined the Cougars performed. Their evident composure most likely has a lot to do with head coach Del Harris' instilling of confidence and motivation within his guys. I really liked his coaching method throughout the morning: straightforward with an ample amount of beneficial instruction. The balanced team had a bit of slow start but really turned up the intensity at the start of the second quarter to take control and an eventual lead. Collegiate looked really good when everybody started making quicker decisions and sped up the tempo. Harris has a good mix of guys who can shoot, finish at the rim, rebound, and excel with a 'dribble drive' type of play. I feel they impress some of the most in how they can play at any speed, whether it's at a faster pace or more patient half-court play; the latter worked best for them down the stretch on Saturday morning.
  • I saw Meadowbrook play a few times in their hosted fall league that took place from September to October. In my eyes, what especially stands out about the Monarchs is how they refuse to back down to anyone; no matter the opponent or circumstances. This same grit came into play again in the scrimmage and proved a big reason for the team earning the W at the end of regulation, as well as the extra fifth quarter. Newly head coach Samuel Bryant has already done well in putting his players in positions to have the best opportunities of production. I never really questioned the Monarchs cohesion (as their unity and chemistry looked just as good as any other team within their fall league), but they definitely played more under control and smarter. Their collective intensity still remains as one of the most special assets. So, combining this with a more mature team game, the program has some serious potential to establish a dominance in Chesterfield, VA this season.

 

 

Standouts of the Morning

'Robbie Beran '19 ' Collegiate School: I had an eagerness to get a first look at the Northwestern commit on the hardwood. Boy, did he not disappoint. Beran simply controlled the entire game from start to finish on the scoring and rebounding end. A four-star prospect, he did a great job in attacking the rim for finishes and (mostly) foul calls. He made at least 8-10 trips to the FT line, where he completed the freebies. Beran doesn't have an abnormal physical build on him or anything but nonetheless uses his strength and body control very well to create contact and establish position for rebounds. Defensively, he had his head on a swivel at all times and used his wingspan to contest layups, which resulted in a couple of blocks. The senior wing/forward should emerge as a double-double machine and candidate for All-Metro Player of the Year if he keeps up that same type of production for the months to come. Superb performance this past weekend.

 

Lamondre Gregg '20 ' Meadowbrook HS: The shifty scoring guard stayed in attack mode right from tip-off and used his hesitation moves well to draw a great deal of fouls, especially in the first half. Gregg does best at finding space and open lanes to give himself a chance at finishing with some finesse. He has pretty long arms that help him stretch out for reach layups and drawing fouls. His ability to create for his own off of the bounce showed its effectiveness once again; one of the best traits of his game that I've noticed since first seeing him in the gym. Gregg came in the clutch for his team in the last minute of the fourth quarter; he got to the FT line twice to knock down all four attempts and ice a five-point win for the Monarchs.

 

Cody Patterson '19 ' Collegiate School: I really liked Patterson's game. Standing as a 6'3' stocky guard, he completely took over the second quarter on an offensive tear. He re-located off-ball in transition to spot up and shoot well from distance and used his strong frame to bully his way around the rim. His ability to grab offensive rebounds as a guard definitely caught my eyes also. There's something about his confidence and poise that really made him fun to watch. If he can show more of an ability to score off of a pull-up jump shot, he'll then create himself into a deadly three-level scorer who can also make his presence felt on the glass. An unsigned senior to keep in mind.

 

Isaiah Richardson '19 ' Meadowbrook HS: While Patterson had control of the second quarter, Richardson went on his own outburst during the third quarter. Another unsigned senior, the Monarchs 5'9' floor general had great change of speed in getting paint touches and crafty finishes at the rim. Later in the contest, he started catching fire from the perimeter, as he cashed in several three-pointers throughout the second half. On defense, Richardson showed some of the most resilience in how he kept switching off defenders to guard multiple positions, regardless of the size. He even matched up against some of Collegiate's post players at times and kept them from scoring. I noted earlier how the Monarchs seemed to play at a more controlled pace on Saturday; a portion of the credit should undoubtedly go to Richardson. He dictated the tempo all morning long and made sure his guys knew where to be on the court. Again, another unsigned senior to track on the radar.

 

Gary Ampy Jr. '20 ' Meadowbrook HS: The junior scorer subbed in onto the floor as the ultimate spark plug for his squad during the first half. Ampy shot the ball at a high efficiency from three-point land and used his quickness to pester opponents into turning the ball over, which led to quick buckets for the Monarchs. Late in the fourth quarter, he knocked down another big three-pointer to take the lead with a minute remaining. In all, his energy fully exemplified how the Meadowbrook squad goes about their business on the court. Ampy's the type of guy every team would cherish to have; one who knows how to come in and turn it up a notch to get his teammates motivated.

 

 

 

 

This will probably be the last early-season scrimmage since games are now about to get underway. Man, if we can possibly get more exciting matchups like this past Saturday, the area will be in for a show this season!