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Four games. 92 players. The Barclays Center in Brooklyn was the site of the Jordan Brand Classic, which hosted some of the best high school basketball talent in the country, as well as the top underclassmen from around the world.
Here are some quick recaps and standouts from each of the four games:
U-16 Global Showcase
Final Score: Blue Team 126, Red Team 83
The Rundown: The game was virtually decided in the opening quarter, as the Blue Team got off to a strong start thanks to Addison Patterson (Canada/Athlete Institute). The 6-foot-6 wing scored 13 of his 25 points in the first half. Patterson set the tone early and opened the door for other solid performances from St. John’s target Posh Alexander (USA/Our Savior Lutheran HS), Bernardo Da Silva (Brazil/Wasatch Academy), and Elijah Hutchins-Everett (USA/DePaul Catholic, N.J.). Together, they helped give their team a 62-35 lead at half.
The Blue Team dominated the Red Team in nearly almost every facet of the game, but especially in interior scoring (76-40) and points off turnovers (25-14). Red Team struggled to get into a rhythm, as it only shot 30-of-90 (33.3 percent) on the floor. Meanwhile, the Blue Team shot 51-of-110 (50.5 percent) overall and 11-of-25 (44.0 percent) from long range.
Standouts
Blue Team
Addison Patterson (Canada/Athlete Institute): 25 points, eight rebounds, 10-of-17 shooting. Named Team MVP.
An athletic forward that plays aggressively. He excels at driving to the basket and finishing through contact. This aggressiveness carries over into other aspects of the game, such as defending and especially when crashing the boards—which he is adept at.
Posh Alexander (USA/Our Savior Lutheran HS, N.Y.): 13 points and six assists.
Alexander is a shifty, quick guard that has a decent jumpshot. The 5-10 point guard has good passing vision and probably could have had more assists, if it weren’t for a few missed bunnies on the receiving end. He plays with high energy, and is seeking to improve his play with both hands.
N’Faly Dante (Mali/Sunrise Christian, Kan.): 16 points, 8-of-10 shooting, six rebounds, and three blocks.
The 7-foot menace was a nightmare on the court. He had a bit of a slow start, but exploded in the second half. Dante gained more confidence as the game unfolded and that was apparent, as he went 7-of-8 to finish the game, with almost every make coming off a vicious dunk.
Elijah Hutchins-Everett (USA/DePaul Catholic, N.J.): 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Hutchins-Everett had the only double-double of the game, and was a force on the offensive glass. He had a game-high six offensive rebounds. The stretch big seemed a little spotty at times offensively, but his rebounding was consistent throughout.
Red Team
Cashius McNeilly (Canada/Thornlea HS): 15 points, five rebounds, and three steals.
A solid 6-foot-4 guard that was a bit inconsistent at times on offense, but he proved that he was capable of making some difficult shots. He had his moments where he impressed, it’s just a matter of stringing those moments all together.
Kilian Hayes (France/Cholet): 13 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and five steals.
The 6-foot-4 guard did a little of everything. His versatility and ability to be an all-around player was a bright spot for the Red Team. Although, they were on the losing end of a lopsided game, the Red Team MVP award was a nice consolation prize.
Karlo Matkovic (Croatia/Cedevita Zagreb): 12 points, 5-of-6 shooting.
He didn’t start, but he was pretty explosive off the bench. The 6-foot-6 forward had a highlight posterizing dunk in the second half.
Regional Game
FInal Score: Red Team 170, Blue Team 162
The Rundown: After trailing for most of the game, the Red Team spurred ahead in the closing minutes of the game for the win. While the Blue Team had the lead for most of the game, it was not a one-sided affair, as the Red Team remained right behind its opponent. The Red Team got the stops it needed towards the end to tie it up and eventually pull away, dominating in fast break opportunities and scoring off turnovers to outscore its opponent 18-11 after holding a narrow 152-151 lead.
It was a game that didn’t feature much defense. The Red Team was 75-of-113 (57.3 percent) and Blue was 67-of-111 (59.8 percent) form deep. While every player on Blue Team’s roster eclipsed double figures, their performances were not enough to beat the Red Team, which was paced by Brandon Randolph (Arizona) and Keith Williams (Cincinnati).
Standouts
Red Team
Brandon Randolph (West Chester, Pa./Westtown): The Arizona-bound guard was a force from the opening tip. He tallied 32 points (16-of-26 shooting), nine rebounds, and a pair of assists en route to being named the team’s MVP.
Keith Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y./Bishop Laughlin): An athletic guard that excels at attacking the basket. He is an excellent finisher and can do so in traffic. He finished with 25 points off 12-of-17 shooting.
Isaiah Washington (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond HS): The leader of the Jelly Fam movement impressed as a slasher and disher. The future Minnesota Golden Gopher scored 20 points off an efficient 9-of-16, and had 15 assists.
Blue Team
Kilmani Lawrence (New Hampton, Mass/New Hampton): He didn’t start the game, but was the leading man by the end of it. Lawrence was named Team MVP after racking up 27 points (10-of-14 shooting), five assists and three steals.
Bourama Sidibe (Newark, N.J./St. Benedict’s Prep): One of two hulking big men on the Blue Team that stood out as a thunderous dunker and an imposing force in the paint. The Syracuse-bound center had 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Deng Gak (Blairstown, N.J./Blair Academy): The other menacing frontcourt man, who was a perfect (8-for-8) finisher inside. He could finesse his shot with a layup or throw it down. Gak, who’s headed for Miami next season), finished with 19 points and nine rebounds.
Collin Gillespie (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood): The future Villanova Wildcat improved as the game went along. He started a bit slow, but then had a strong performance in the second half and from the three-point line. He was 4-for-9 from deep and also was a capable distributor. He finished with 16 points and seven assists.
Girls’ National Game
Final Score: West Team 122, East Team 81
The Rundown: It’s hard to rally back after being down 27-2 from the opening tip. The East Team allowed the West Team to set the tone early, and in doing so, it was doomed.
While the East was able to trim the lead down to as low as 14, the West never let up and maintained the high-intensity basketball all throughout the game. The West Team took a 62-43 lead into the break.
Kiana Williams (Stanford) and Mikayla Coombs (UConn) spearheaded a strong West Team backcourt that got things going early. Chennedy Carter (Texas A&M) followed their lead when she came off the bench in relief. Overall, the East Team was flustered and by the time it found its footing, it was too late.
Standouts
West
Chennedy Carter (Arlington, Texas/Mansfield Timberview): A fearless guard that is very crafty with her dribble. She showed off some ankle breaking moves to create her own shot and an ability to finish through some tough contact inside. Carter, who is attending Texas A&M next fall, played her last basketball game as a high schooler and finished with 19 points.
Kiana Williams (San Antonio, Tex./Wagner HS): The Team MVP was hot from the opening minute of the game. Williams was maintained her hot shooting throughout the whole game and finished with a game-high 20 points off 8-of-13 shooting. Williams was able to beat her defender off the dribble to finish inside and if the defense sat back to anticipate the dribble drive, they were burned by a perimeter shot.
Mikayla Coombs (Peachtree Corners, Ga./Wesleyan): Efficient—that’s the word that comes to mind in terms of Coombs’ play. She had only 12 points and took smart shots, completing the game shooting just 4-of-6. She shined as a point guard, tallying seven assists to just one turnover.
East
Lexi Gordon (Hurst, Texas/L.D. Bell HS): The UConn-bound guard was the only one in a rhythm for a majority of the game, while being on an East Team that struggled to match its opponent’s firepower. She had 14 points and was 6-of-10 on the floor.
Chastity Patterson (Houston, Tex./North Shore HS): She was inconsistent to start the game but started to find her groove towards the end. Patterson even nabbed Team MVP honors, finishing with a team-high 17 points off 7-of-16 shooting.
Boys' National Game
Final Score: West Team 124, East Team 116
The Rundown: A game that featured the best of the best high school basketball recruits around did not disappoint. 24 of the best recruits around the country clashed on Friday night, putting their talents on display. It was a game loaded with talent and highlight plays, from highflying dunks to jaw dropping crossovers.
After the East held a 63-56 lead at half behind the rim rattling play of Mitchell Robinson (Western Kentucky) and the smooth play of Brian Bowen (La Porte, Ind./La Lumiere), the West started to rally back after being down for most of the game. With the game tied at 89, the West went on a 12-2 run thanks to Lonnie Walker Jr. (Miami), who scored all but two baskets during that spurt. Once the West went ahead, it was able to maintain the lead and close the game out.
At one point, with less than two minutes to go, a Jarred Vanderbilt (Kentucky) basket trimmed the West’s lead down to just one. However, three straight baskets by DeAndre Ayton (Arizona) closed off any chance of an East comeback.
Standouts
East Team
Mitchell Robinson (Chalmette, La./Chalmette HS): He did most of his damage in the first half off the game, but the 6-foot-11 center had a knack for finishing alley-oops. Over half of his baskets came from lobs, and he finished them. Robinson finished with 15 points and was a perfect 7-for-7 on the floor.
Brian Bowen (La Porte, Ind./La Lumiere): Bowen has yet to decide where he will attend school this fall, but the 6-foot-7 forward has shown flashes of being an all-around threat, maybe even a matchup nightmare for future opponents as a small four or a full-time three. He can go inside, and knock down the perimeter shot. Bowen finished with 26 points, including 6-of-7 from deep, and did so on opponents of all sizes. The Creighton target was named Team MVP.
Brandon McCoy (San Diego, Calif./Cathedral Catholic): The 6-foot-11 center is also undecided college-wise, but like Bowen, he should declare soon. McCoy was an imposing two-way force in the post. He notched 15 points and 13 rebounds, and added three blocks to his double-double game.
West Team
Lonnie Walker Jr. (Reading, Pa./Reading HS): After a quiet start, Walker exploded in the second half. He scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half alone. He was able to make his shots from almost anywhere during this stretch and was a spark for the run that helped the West take the lead and eventually win the game. The Miami-bound guard was named Team MVP.
P.J. Washington (Las Vegas, Nev./Findlay Prep): Washington’s impact was mostly felt on defense, where he had six steals. The 6-foot-8 future Kentucky Wildcat also contributed on offense, scoring 11 points, but it was his defense that impressed the most.
DeAndre Ayton (Phoenix, Ariz./Hillcrest Prep): The Arizona-bound seven-footer helped seal the deal to fend off an East comeback towards the end of the game. After an ugly 4-of-12 shooting performance in the first half, he made all five of his shot takes in the second half. Ayton had 19 points and eight rebounds, with seven of those coming on offense.