I made the call to go Cliffs Notes on today's Kenner League recap. It was not a particularly eventful day at McDonough, and nothing I observed today is likely to add any new insight to what I've already shared.
In the first three games, the Georgetown-affiliated teams went 0-3: DCX ran into a better more experience Beyond Belief, Tombs was incredibly short handed, and Clyde's got straight out upset by Town Tavern. So there was
some variety at least!
I tend to think Hoya fans have been hit with bad luck so far this summer: injuries and less than stellar games have combined to make it a mediocre Kenner League thus far, particularly compared with the great session last summer.
(For the record, the songs would've gone Hall and Oates, OMD, and George Benson.)
Beyond Belief 75 DCX 65Every year there's at least one veteran team that's an incredibly tough out and sticks around well into the playoffs. That team often includes Isaiah Swann, who is absolutely brutal to guard and has range to where the basketball court will be in the IAC. A lot of tricks you get away with against, say, AU's backcourt or a GW freshman don't work against seasoned summer league veterans.
Greg Whittington: 7 points, 3-6 2FG, 0-3 3FG, 1-2 FT, 5RBs, 2AST, 2TO, 4F
Jabril Trawick: 16 points, 6-10 2FG, 0-1 3FG, 4-7 FT, 3RB, 2A, 4TO, 2BLK, 4F
Greg is getting somewhat lost in the shuffle for DCX. Kenner League favors players who create off the dribble (read: hog the basketball) and he hasn't shown much willingness to take the ball to the basket in the halfcourt. His outside shot hasn't fallen this summer, and when you take away that element, he doesn't have as much of a chance to shine. A pleasant surprise as a defender last season, he should be thankful Isaiah Swann doesn't play for Providence.
Jabril continues to power his way into the lane off the dribble, but struggles when presented with a roadblock. At his best last summer, he got the step on his defender and/or got to the free throw line a bunch. It's been harder this summer, and we're seeing a lot of forced shots in the paint and offensive fouls. You'd never want him to lose the aggressiveness, but he's got to open up an option besides going to the rim at all costs.
Premier Athlete 52 Tombs 46Last night, Tombs was without D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, and lost Otto Porter midway through the first half. They valiantly managed to almost steal a victory mostly through the efforts of Jamal Wise and Max Kenyi. Well, today Porter and DSR both watched from the bench* and Wise didn't show, so Tombs was left with Bolden, Caprio, and Allen as part of a 5-man roster. This game was not pretty...Tombs wore down in the second half and couldn't muster enough of a run to pass PA.
(*Tombs bench today: Porter, DSR, Hayes, Domingo, and their normal backup PG--also in street clothes--would probably be a Top 3-4 team in this year's Kenner League.)
Brandon Bolden: 13 points, 3-8 2FG, 7-11 FT, 9RB (5 off), 2TO, 3F
David Allen: 6 points, 1-4 2FG, 0-6 3FG, 4-6 FT, 3RB, 1A, 3TO, 3STL
John Caprio: 3 points, 1-7 2FG, 1-6 FT, 5RB, 2A, 4TO, 2STL
The good news for Brandon Bolden is all of the injuries have drastically increased his playing time. He's responding by really working on his interior post game. True, he only appears to have one move at this point, but he's banging down there and seeing slightly more success as the summer continues. He needs to work on catching the basketball in close spaces--he moves well and gets open, but he's dropped probably a dozen or so passes for easy layups this summer. Defensively, he has a long way to go...positioning and timing are just off.
David Allen plays with a ton of swagger for a walk-on--he'll shoot on sight and loves to pull up on fast breaks. John Caprio too isn't shy about going to the basket. But when they had to carry the load for 44 minutes and run the Tombs offense with no backup, they were probably in over their head.
Town Tavern 94 Clyde's 86If there were such a thing as upsets in the Kenner League, this would qualify as a pretty big one. Clyde's featured Lubick, Starks, Green, and Wallace...Town featured a lot of AU guys. But Town held a solid lead, even up to double digits in the second half. Green and Wallace scored a ton (J-Wall had six threes) but neither, understandably, went past second gear.
Nate Lubick: 8 points, 4-8 2FG, 0-1 3FG, 9RB, 2A, 1BLK, 2STL, 5F
Markel Starks: 12 points, 4-12 2FG, 0-2 3FG, 4-4 FT, 1RB, 6A, 2TO, 1STL, 4F
Nate distinguished himself in the first half with his energy, making several hustle plays on loose balls and defensive situations. Offensively, he continues to function primarily as a finisher, and works well in pick and roll situations and as a facilitator. Creating his own offense is a work in progress--he did break on a running hook shot twice but didn't make it, and he still hasn't found range on his jumper. His defense was off today--little bit slow with the footwork making him half a beat late contesting shots inside and/or cutting off dribble penetration.
Markel after his first game has impressed me more as a distributor than a shooter. He can get around screens well and into that mid-range area. I like that he's looking to find teammates out of that instead of always shooting it. His shooting has been hit or miss lately, so good to be creating something rather than forcing the issue.
TOMORROW: I'll be out of town on vacation. For those braving McDonough, there are two-ish GU-affiliated games: DCX-Town Tavern at noon, and Clyde's-A.Wash at 3:40pm, and Hoop Magic-On Point at 6:20pm (depending on Moses' status). Tombs doesn't play tomorrow, but then, most of them didn't today either.
