For those of you that were not in attendance last night for the Detroit Country Day - Chicago Orr game, well you missed a Real Good one. For those of us in the packed full house gym we were treated to a special game with a special player. It was clear after this game that the best player on the floor and best high school player that I have seen this year was not Amir Williams (Ohio State) but rather Illinois bound Mychael Henry of Chicago Orr. He put on an offensive display that was one to remember. He scored 40 points and stole with 5 seconds and scored on the other end as time was running out for a 71-67 OT win.
This game had everything, star talent, pressing defenses, runs and streaks and a great finish. Regardless of what team you were routing for every fan left that game knowing they got their money's worth. DCD started off with an easy bucket off the opening tip and scored the first 6 points before Chicago Orr went on an 18-1 run to lead after the first quarter 18-7. Henry (6'6") asserted himself right away with 9 points in the first quarter. DCD started with a 1-3-1 zone defensive but switched to man to man but no one could contain Henry. This kid is strong, very strong, goes to the hole hard, finishes and is mentally not afraid to contest anyone as he showed all night taking it to Williams and a one point doing a step ladder dunk over and in the mug of 6'6" Carter Elliot and getting fouled in the process. Orr took a 34-23 lead into the locker room at halftime mainly due to Country Days poor outside shooting. This team has 3-4 players that can stick it from the outside but they couldn't get anything to drop in the first half. Henry led Orr with 15 at half and Williams led DCD with 9.
In the second half Orr took a 42-28 lead with just over two minutes left in the third before Country Day went on a 11-0 run over the next three minutes to to cut it to 42-39 led by Junior Jordan Price's 2, 3 point bombs. DCD tied the game up with another 3, this time from lefty Adam Zavadil, at the 6:55 mark to make it 42-42. Then Henry asserted himself again with the next 6 straight points in just over a minute for a 48-42 with 5:53. With just under 2 minutes, Orr lead 54-47 and looked like they had the game in control but DCD went down low to Williams (21 pts, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks - per my stats) and was getting free throws with the clocked stopped. Henry's one downfall for this game was free throw shooting, he missed 4 in the 4th quarter and two were front ends of one on ones. That allowed DCD to stay close. It was a 58-53 game with 1 minute left before Orr committed a bad foul on a 3 point shot. The sharpshooting Zavadil nailed all three free throws to make it a 2 point game at 58-56 with 40 seconds left. Orr turned the ball over and Jordan Price converted both shots of a one and one to to tie it at 58 with 20 seconds to go. Then Henry scored again (16 pts in the 4th quarter) with 12 seconds and was fouled but missed the free throw. DCD then went to their big man who was fouled with 5 seconds and calmly sank both free throws to knot the score at 60 and send it into overtime. Orr jumped out in OT to take a 4 point lead at 66-62 but DCD answered with another 3. Henry was fouled on the other end but once again only made one and they were up 67-65. DCD tied it at 67 with 40 seconds left and then Orr took the lead on a nice bucket from very impressive Junior guard Curtis Jones. DCD had the ball with 20 seconds down 69-67 before Henry stole a pass with 5 seconds and converted to end the game at 71-67.
DCD had a really nice comeback in this game and Williams played well but I still can't get over why a guy the size (6'10") of California, with hands the size of Texas and fingers as long as the East Coast gets the ball knocked out of his hands so often. On the flip side, Henry went to the hole like a mad man, was fouled several times and never once had that ball knocked out of or taken out of his hands....and he finished at the basket. This guy was a pleasure to watch. He did it from the inside, the outside, with both hands and had no fear whatsoever taking the ball to the hole regardless of who was there. His mental toughness is something you rarely see and I would have loved to see this guy in a Green and White uniform next year because he is everything that Izzo looks for and is lacking in the Spartans this year. He was rated as the number 13 Wing Forward in the country and it is deserved and just jumped some rankings in my mind after this game. He had 9 after 1 qtr, 15 at half, 19 after 3 and 35 (16 pt qtr) after regulation. Five in overtime got him to 40. Quite a show. Although all eyes were on this kid, the 6'1" Junior guard, Curtis Jones rose above all other guards on that floor tonight. He is a smooth ballhandler, nice outside shooter, good passer, penetrates and creates and is quick. None of the DCD defenders (who are good defenders) could stay with this kid. I would be curious as to what looks this kid is getting. I think I speak for the overflow crowd and my posse (BD and his buddy Mike and son Josh from Clarkston) that not only was Orr a well coached team but this was a game but more importantly, a performance by Henry, that everyone will remember.
There were two other games that I saw but both were disappointing. Saginaw made easy work of Detroit Cass Tech and beat them handily. Saginaw is a deep team they continue to put athletes and players on that floor. They still run a nice trap zone and they press well. I thing the more these guys play with each other over the year, the stronger this team gets. Still not overly impressed with McCune however. At 6-7 he looks like he has not grown an inch (or in the waistline) since his sophomore year. Although he has a nice soft shooting touch, I just don't see him playing at West Virginia. I have seen him twice this year now and just not seeing it. Hope I am wrong.
The final game between the two MSU Signees (Brandan Kearney - Southeastern & Brandon Dawson - Indiana Lew Wallace) was a horrible game. Southeastern got off to a 16-0 start, with Percy Gibson (Dayton) on the bench - still don't know why and ended with a 71-41 Southeastern win. Southeastern plays very tough defense and I couldn't figure out if it was their D or that Lew Wallace was such a bad team but in the end I figured it was the combination of both. Once again we did get to see a very impressive guard in Edward Brown with Southeastern who had 13 of the teams first 22 points. This kid defends, is quick as quick and was knocking down outside shots. What everyone (including Tom Izzo who was there) came to see though was the two Brandons. My vote for the better Brandon goes to Brandon Dawson. This kid has wide shoulders, strong upper body, jumps and rebounds well athletically and within himself and has a nice outside touch. He gets after it which is what I like about this kid and plays with an attitude. The other Brandon, Kearney plays almost with a sense of entitlement and needs to show me more for the next level. It was clear these two were trying to one up one another but Dawson was natural and Kearney was forced. Like popping a 3 in Dawson's face when they were up 30 with 2 minutes to go. What is that all about anyway - up 30 and still have your starters in - how about giving the rest of your bench and opportunity especially when I think the lack of depth is a trouble spot with this team. Still trying to figure out Kearney's game and how he will fit in at MSU. He has a nice soft jumper, can get up, an average ball handler but did show me a good side to his passing game while in transition. I still don't care for players that stand around and wait to get the ball as opposed to moving and working to get the ball and the former is what I see in Kearney at this point.
Now this is a talented team but they have two Achilles heals - 1) Gibson can't stay out of foul trouble as he showed again picking up 3 fouls in one period of play and then getting his 4th at the 6:40 mark of the third period; He has to learn to stay on the court and play within himself 2) They have no bench.
Celebrity Sightings - Tom Izzo, Lindsay Hunter (with his son), Jordan Dumars, Deshonte Riley (what the heck is he doing here - suppose to be at Syracuse for the Notre Dame game tomorrow) something tells me he is leaving the CUSE - would probably be a good fit for UD as Brian Doyle pointed out. The best sighting however was the halftime entertainment of the last game where little (could not have been more than 12) Elijiah James (sp - ?) performed a song and dance rap routine. Now this kid had the moves.
Well off to New York. Have a Good New Years everyone and I will blog at you next year.
Your Basketball SNOB (Statements, Notices, Opinions and Banter)
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