Phenom Hoops tuned in on Saturday to watch on of the top teams in the country in action going up against a rising programs with a lot of intriguing talent. IMG Academy hit the road to The Rock. IMG came out strong to build an early double-digit lead against The Rock but both teams played well. It took some time for The Rock to get going but did start to find some success from the outside. IMG though used a balanced attack from multiple levels, while also creating some trouble with their size to grab the 38-22 halftime lead.
In the second half, The Rock game out strong with a few perimeter shots but IMG had the answer and then more, creating what was a 15-point lead to 20 and then 30 later in the second half. There was just too much firepower on the court for IMG, with several players getting on the scoresheet. Overall, impressive performance by IMG on the road but The Rock did open some eyes and provided some names to watch out for.
Final: IMG Academy 81 – The Rock 50
Standouts:
2022 Jett Howard (IMG): Each time we watch IMG, Howard just seems to stand out with his outside game. He can be deadly from three and showed it again in this game. He just does a great job in getting to his spots and always moving on the floor, and shoots the ball with confidence. He finished leading the way with 23 points in the win.
2021 Moussa Diabate (IMG): The big man was pretty effective in this matchup, on both sides of the floor. Diabate moves so well for his size, runs the floor extremely well, and is just so fluid on the court. He knows how to operate in the paint effectively with his length and power, but also step out. Diabate also was trouble on the defensive end, blocking shots, getting on the boards, and simply be disruptive against The Rock.
2024 RJ Jones (The Rock): Jones has put on some impressive outings this year and it was interesting to see how he would play against a talented IMG program. The young 6’8 prospect competed, not backing down from the challenge, and plays with an aggressive mindset. He simply battles but showed us an array of his offensive game, being able to attack the mismatch whether it was stepping out and knocking down multiple three’s or using his size and bodying up opponents down low. The freshman led the way with 18 points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block.