Bigs make big impressions, even in defeat

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SPRINGFIELD, Ma. – If you managed to spend all 10-plus hours in Blake Arena Sunday watching the six games of the Spalding HoopHall Classic/High School Invitational, chances are your mind might have gone a bit numb by the time you stepped outside into the no-so-numbing chill.

OK, so I’m back in my hotel room and it’s time to commence with the “un-numbing” and sort out what we watched . . .

Some of the most gifted post players in all of high school were on display Sunday and were quite impressive, indeed.

And most of their teams lost, which illustrates nicely the point that even the best players – or, at this stage, prospects – can’t do it alone . . . figuratively, of course.

For example:

*Kentucky-bound Karl Towns Jr. went for 21 points and nine rebounds, while blocking a couple of shots.

In the meantime, however, a Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha squad with a roster bubbling over with talented non-seniors pretty much ran away from Towns’ Metuchen (NJ) St. Joseph squad, 73-45.

Mike Jones picked up his 300^th victory as his alma mater’s head coach by way of multiple strong individual performances, most notably those turned in by sophomore Joe Hampton (23 points, six rebounds, three assists and a couple of blocks) and freshman Darren Harvey (10, five, two and three).

I’m looking forward to taking another up-close-and-personal look at Jones’ lads when they head to my neck of the U.S. of A. for a Feb. 1 Nike Extravaganza tilt against Los Angeles Westchester at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, CA.

*Six-eight Cheick Diallo – who migrated to the U.S. from Mali not much more than a year ago – had an impressive audition for the crown of “Top Prospect in the Class of 2015” for his Centerreach NY) Our Savior squad during it game against La Porte (IN) Lalumiere School.

Diallo, who has created a unique definition of “quick-leaping ability”, went for 18, 17 and 10 – as in points, rebounds and blocked shots – in mostly spectacular fashion Sunday.

But the Lalumiere lads finally caught on that it was wiser – and much more productive – to attack from the perimeter than it was to challenge Diallo anywhere within 12 feet or so of the backboard.

Junior guard Jalen Colemen – with 28 points by way of 10 of 17 shooting, including eight of 11 from behind the arc – was the biggest reason that approach worked so well as his team pulled away for a 65-55 win over Our Savior.

*Six-nine (or thereabouts) UNLV signee Goodluck Okonoboh collected 16 points, six rebounds and a couple of blocked shots for Wilbraham & Monson Academy.

Yeah, he’s going to have an immediate impact in the Mountain West Conference as a Rebels freshman a year from now.

But, Sunday night, Wolfeboro (NH) Brewster Academy has two too many big men of its own as Georgetown signee Isaac Copeland (25 points and 11 rebounds) and recent roster addition – from Australia by way of a brief stay in Las Vegas with Findlay Prep – Jonah Bolden (nine points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots) helped their team roll, 89-73.

And, in the other three games contested Sunday:

*Arlington (FL) Country Day got double-figure scoring from four players – led by impressive sophomore guard Lamonte Turner’s 16 points – in its 64-54 victory over Newark (NJ) St. Benedict’s;

*Junior guard Jalen Adams – yeah, it was a heck of a day for jump-shooting Jalens, wasn’t it – scored 32 points (with four of six from behind the arc) propelled Ashburnham (MA) Cushing’s 93-83 win against Worcester (MA) Academy.

Syracuse-bound Kaleb Joseph went for 17 points, five rebounds and eight assists to team with Adams in the day’s most impressive backcourt;

*And it was a dunking and jump-shooting frenzy for Mount Herman (MA) Northfield Mount Hermon School in its 80-51 pasting of Meriden (NH) Kimball Union Academy.

Six-10ish junior Josh Sharma played just a minute in the first half after picking up two fouls but then cranked in a couple of dunks set up by back picks early after intermission en route to a 13-points in 14-minutes effort while classmate Jackson Donahue flicked the right wrist and held his follow-thru for 26 points, 18 of those coming from behind the arc.