CARTERSVILLE, Ga. – Night 1 of the third session of the 2017 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) was highlighted by some terrific jump shooting performances and the first loss in nine games for MOKAN Elite program.
The last of the EYBL unbeatens, MOKAN (made up of players from Missouri and Kansas) had eked its way through some tight affairs during the sessions in Hampton, VA, and Indianapolis.
But, despite another strong performance from Jontay Porter (11 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots), MOKAN couldn’t get over the hump against Southern Stampede, 54-53.
The most prolific jump shooter on display Friday night in the dazzling Lakepoint Sporting Community Champions Center was 2018 point guard Spencer Freedman (Santa Ana, CA, Mater Dei), who hit eight of 11 shots from behind the arc and scored 28 points to help Cal Supreme hold off the Las Vegas Prospects, 72-63.
On a night when Cal Supreme held out 7-foot-2 Bol Bol (Freedman’s teammate at Mater Dei was sidelined with a minor ailment), it also got a strong performance from one of its three best players in 6-5 Devonaire Doutrive (Lake Balboa, CA, Birmingham), who had 15 points and six assists.
*Another sizzling shooting performance was turned in by 2019 guard Justin Webster (Plano, TX, Prestonwood Christian), who scored 30 points while hitting 12 of 21 from the field, including three of eight from behind the arc, during ProSkills’ 75-53 win against the Nike Phamily.
The Phamily, despite being led by one of the very best – if not the best – prospects in the Class of 2018 in Marvin Bagley III (Chatsworth, CA, Sierra Canyon) are now winless in nine games.
Bagley had a sub-par performance, relative to his stratospheric standards, with just 13 points (four of 12 from the field), 10 rebounds and three assists.
*Tre Jones (Apple Valley, MN), one of the best four or five point guards in the Class of 2018, has scored 15 points with nine assists and two steals as Howard Pulley improved to 8-1 via a 73-65 decision over the New Jersey Playaz.
*Also going to 8-1 Friday night were Each1Teach1 and All-Ohio Red.
The team from Florida (that would be E1T1) knocked off a Boo Williams squad (77-69) that also came into the game with a 7-1 record.
Forward Emmitt Williams (IMG Academy in Bradenton) and swingman Antwann Jones (Orlando Oak Ridge) have much more significant “national reputations” but it was 5-10 Nick Honor (Orlando Lake Highland Prep) who was the major culprit for E1T1 Friday night via his 25-point (five of seven 3s), four-rebound and five-assist effort.
Six-five Keldon Johnson (Broadnax, VA, Hunting Prep) didn’t shoot particularly well (seven of 18 from the field) but scored 21 points and snatched 18 rebounds for Boo Williams.
The Ohio-based squad defeat Wisconsin Playground Elite, 74-64, behind a couple of Michigan-based players.
Six-nine Thomas Kithier (Macomb Dakota), who is committed to signing with Michigan State in November, had 17 points and nine rebounds while point guard Foster Loyer (Clarkston), who also plans to be a MSU Spartan, turned in 23 points, five rebounds and four assists.
*The Portland Basketball Club, in its first season in the 17s division of the EYBL, picked up its first victory Friday night by holding off another first-year EYBL 17s program, Uplay (Canada), 85-77.
A balanced scoring attack by the Portland club (in which four players scored from 14 to 19 points) was enough to withstand the 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists from Uplay’s 2019 standout, R.J. Barrett (Montverde, FL, Academy).
Six-nine senior-to-be Kamaka Hepa (Portland Jefferson) had 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists while 6-6, 240-pound Tegan Quitoriano (Salem Sprague; he’s also one of Oregon’s best football prospect) also chipped in with 19 points.
*Team Penny (based in Memphis) built a 20-point edge in the second half but then had to hold off a spirited BABC (Boston Area Basketball Club) rally to prevail, 67-61.
Two of the best from the Class of 2019, Chandler Lawson (Memphis East) and D.J. Jeffries (Olive Branch, MS), were exceptional for the winners.
Lawson went for six points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots while Jeffries – also going about 6-8 or so – had 12 points and seven rebounds.
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