On Friday, NYCHoops.net got a chance to check out a scrimmage between the #3 ranked Abraham Lincoln Railsplitters and #10 ranked Holy Cross Knights. While scrimmages do not have winners and losers per se, it does give insight in terms of players, teams and match-ups. Here is an analysis and breakdown of the team’s top performers.
HOLY CROSS
Top Performers:
Evan Conti - The senior guard played like he was on a mission to prove that he should be considered as a top ten guard in the city. Conti played aggressive as the team’s primary ball-handler, especially during the press. His perimeter game was on point and was he very effective when penetrating.
Marcus Hopper - A new and improved Hopper was dominant in the paint and frequently gave Lincoln’s big fits in the paint. The 6’9” senior played the majority of time in the paint and also ran the floor very well. Hopper’s post up game was in rare form and the majority of shots he put up went in.
Marquise Moore - Moore was most effective as a spot-up shooter but also did a good job mixing it up and scoring at the rim in transition.
Overview:
Head coach Paul Gilvary’s Knights played well organized sets and were effective in their man-to-man defense against the Railsplitters. Their perimeter shooters Anthony Libroia, Conti and Moore scorched Lincoln on numerous occasions, especially when they spread the floor. The Knight’s transition game was also on point, whether it was off full court passes or pushing the ball up court quickly. Hopper feasted on the absence of Lincoln’s primary bigs, dominating the paint. The Knights rarely took gambles on defense, preferring to contest instead. The Knights won three of the six sets by an average of 10.3 points but lost both sets when their bench competed against Lincoln’s bench.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Top Performers:
Reuben King - King was probably the Railsplitters most consistent player on the team. King played within his game and knocked down most of his shots. The senior SG, in addition, played well defensively.
Isaiah Watson - In the earlier sets, Watson was impressive off the bench and was an unexpected surprise. Only a junior, the former JV star was impactful on offense, showing a fluid shot from 15-18 feet as well as a decent handle. He still has some work to do on the defensive end as he made some bad decisions with unnecessary reach around fouls but keep an eye on him.
Overview:
The Railsplitters were without the services of 6’6” Kamari Murphy and 6’11” Jordan Dickerson who were away for the Thanksgiving holiday. Poor spacing and settling for bad shots was also major culprit but lack of a true point guard hindered them as well. Shaquille Stokes rarely passed, opting to shoot but had a low scoring percentage. On most occasions, Isaiah Whitehead, a highly touted freshman shooting guard, was effective but deficiencies in his handle, labored his game when pressured. Another guard, 5’7” Shaq Mosley seemed more intent on setting himself up for a long range shots as opposed to setting up teammates. Unfortunately the junior was not hitting from the perimeter. With their bigs MIA, Lincoln was also without the services of sophomore point guard Ethan Telfair, who arrived late. Lincoln managed to win three of the six sets by an average of 8.7 points but two of those three winning sets where when the benches played against each other.
This post was edited on 11/26 5:28 PM by mwingate
HOLY CROSS
Top Performers:
Evan Conti - The senior guard played like he was on a mission to prove that he should be considered as a top ten guard in the city. Conti played aggressive as the team’s primary ball-handler, especially during the press. His perimeter game was on point and was he very effective when penetrating.
Marcus Hopper - A new and improved Hopper was dominant in the paint and frequently gave Lincoln’s big fits in the paint. The 6’9” senior played the majority of time in the paint and also ran the floor very well. Hopper’s post up game was in rare form and the majority of shots he put up went in.
Marquise Moore - Moore was most effective as a spot-up shooter but also did a good job mixing it up and scoring at the rim in transition.
Overview:
Head coach Paul Gilvary’s Knights played well organized sets and were effective in their man-to-man defense against the Railsplitters. Their perimeter shooters Anthony Libroia, Conti and Moore scorched Lincoln on numerous occasions, especially when they spread the floor. The Knight’s transition game was also on point, whether it was off full court passes or pushing the ball up court quickly. Hopper feasted on the absence of Lincoln’s primary bigs, dominating the paint. The Knights rarely took gambles on defense, preferring to contest instead. The Knights won three of the six sets by an average of 10.3 points but lost both sets when their bench competed against Lincoln’s bench.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Top Performers:
Reuben King - King was probably the Railsplitters most consistent player on the team. King played within his game and knocked down most of his shots. The senior SG, in addition, played well defensively.
Isaiah Watson - In the earlier sets, Watson was impressive off the bench and was an unexpected surprise. Only a junior, the former JV star was impactful on offense, showing a fluid shot from 15-18 feet as well as a decent handle. He still has some work to do on the defensive end as he made some bad decisions with unnecessary reach around fouls but keep an eye on him.
Overview:
The Railsplitters were without the services of 6’6” Kamari Murphy and 6’11” Jordan Dickerson who were away for the Thanksgiving holiday. Poor spacing and settling for bad shots was also major culprit but lack of a true point guard hindered them as well. Shaquille Stokes rarely passed, opting to shoot but had a low scoring percentage. On most occasions, Isaiah Whitehead, a highly touted freshman shooting guard, was effective but deficiencies in his handle, labored his game when pressured. Another guard, 5’7” Shaq Mosley seemed more intent on setting himself up for a long range shots as opposed to setting up teammates. Unfortunately the junior was not hitting from the perimeter. With their bigs MIA, Lincoln was also without the services of sophomore point guard Ethan Telfair, who arrived late. Lincoln managed to win three of the six sets by an average of 8.7 points but two of those three winning sets where when the benches played against each other.
This post was edited on 11/26 5:28 PM by mwingate
