#OTRHoopsReport: Marshall County Hoop Fest Saturday Evening Recap – December 6, 2014
College coaches from all over the nation lined up to watch class of 2016 wing Braxton Blackwell of Nashville, Tenn., at the Marshall County Hoop Fest. Photo cred – Davide de Pas
The Marshall County Hoop Fest is one of the best stops for high school fans and college coaches to check out the nation’s top prospects. Here is a recap of Saturday evening’s games.
By: @JLHemingwayPSB
Saturday Evening Recap:
4:30 pm La Lumiere (IN) 77 Christ Presbyterian (TN) 48
Illinois signee Jalen Coleman of La Lumiere
Lalumiere took control from the very beginning of this one and never looked back. The interior duo of junior Nolan Narain and senior Alex Olesinski was too much for the CPA Lion front line. Norain finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds on his way to being named the game’s MVP. The 6-foot-11 Olesinski did not finish far behind with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Illinois signee, guard Jalen Coleman, finished with 15 points on 6 of 12 shooting from the field. CPA Head coach Drew Maddox does have something to feel good about in his play of eighth grade point guard Tyger Campbell who finished with 18 points. Also Braxton Blackwell scored a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-8 wing forward is currently ranked No. 22 in the BrandonClayScouting.com ELITE 60.
6:00 pm Villa Angela St. Joseph (OH) 60 Archbishop Carroll (PA) 54
Forward Carlton Bragg of Villa Angela St. Joseph
This match-up went back and forth with each team holding leads at several moments during each half. With 1:19 left in the game and the scored tied at 52, uncommitted forward Carlton Bragg notched back to back buckets to put the game away for St. Joseph. The 6-9 power forward finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds and MVP honors on the night. Currently ranked No. 13 in the BrandonClayScouting.com ELITE 100, Bragg had head coaches John Groce of Illinois and Bill Self of Kansas on hand to watch. Left handed guard Brian Packer Jr. added 19 for St. Joseph. Archbishop Carroll got a big game from 5-star wing Derrick Jones in that he scored 18 points and 9 rebounds on the night.
7:30 pm Oak Hill Academy (VA) vs. Our Savior (NY)
Ohio State signee Daniel Giddens of Oak Hill Academy
This game was a game played by MEN. It was an extremely physical contest that featured two 5-star front-line players in Daniel Giddens of Oak Hill and Cheick Diallo of Our Savior. Giddens finished with 11 points and two blocked shots, but impacted the game with his physical presence. For that fact alone the Ohio State signee earned MVP honors in this game. Florida State signee Dwayne Bacon carried the scoring load with 20 points and several key free throws down the stretch. Diallo finished with a solid 15 points and 12 rebounds in a productive outing. Pittsburgh bound guard Damon Wilson finished 19 points, which included a huge 11 point 4th quarter outburst that got Our Savior back in the game.
9:00 pm Orangeville Prep (CAN) 85 vs. Callaway (MS) 71
Combo guard Jamal Murray of Orangeville Prep.
Orangeville Prep pulled away in the final minutes of the game as they turned up the defensive heat, specifically on Malik Newman of Callaway. Newman, who finished the game with 42 points, was on his way to break the Marshall County Hoop Fest record of 46 points (Monta Ellis 2004). Orangeville then began running a second defender at the 6-3 shooting guard to force him to give the ball up early in the offense. Jamal Murray was fantastic for the Canadian-based team, who is currently ranked No. 22 in the BrandonClayScouting.com ELITE 60. He finished with 31 points and played important defensive possessions on Newman. The top player in the class of 2016 Thon Maker finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds on the night.
10:30 pm Huntington Prep (WV) 71 Arlington Country Day (FL) 68
Class of 2015 post Thomas Bryant of Huntington Prep
Although it did not tip off close till midnight, both teams played in a fury. The uptempo style allowed for class of 2016 wing Mario Kegler of Arlington Country Day to get loose and score 30 points. He scored multiple jumpers from beyond the arc, however it would not be enough as class of 2017 point guard Derrick Jones scored 19 and earned MVP honors. Class of 2015 5-star center Thomas Bryant played in typical high energy fashion en route to a 15 point performance.
Exposure & Showcase Opportunities
Coverage – Georgia Challenge Headliners
Coverage – Elite Basketball Academy All-American Camp
Coverage – CoachHemi.com Fall Workout
Jonathan Hemingway is a National Evaluator for the OTRHoopsReport. He is also the publisher of CoachHemi.com. He has been involved in the community since 1996 as a coach, camp director and evaluator. You can reach him via email at JonathanHemingway@PeachStateBasketball.com and follow him on twitter @JLHemingwayPSB
