Going into halftime with EBCA up 33 - 32, something had to change out on the floor.... What changed was Nehemiah "Bud" Mack woke up and took over the game..... After scoring 15 pts in the first half, Mack came out in the 3rd and scored 10 points within the first 2 mins.... but that wasn't it, he would go on to drain trey after trey or rebound and go coast to coast....
When he wasn't going coast to coast, he was getting sweet dishes from Tyrece Little (6pts, 10 assist, 7 rebs) and Collin Reeves (9 pts, 6 assist, 9 rebounds)...... Jansen Morrison set the tempo of this game by scoring all 11 of his points in the first quarter from 3 treys and a jumper...
Bud Mack went on to finish this game with 54 points and 17 rebounds as he and Reeves made the ALL Tournament team....
Mack had a great season averaging 21.5 pts and 13.5 rebounds per game... He clearly showed that even though he's an 8th GRADER, he's one of the top players in this area period.... He's ranked as a top 5 8th grader in the State of PA and after this spring and summer, I don't see why he wouldn't be one of the best in the country.....
Sophomore Collin Reeves ended up having a really good year from the Small Forward position with a 13 ppg , 8 rebs average while having to defend the top guards on most teams.... I look for him to continue to improve as the year goes on....
Freshman Jansen Morrison has established himself as one of the top shooters in this area.... Morrison averaged 5.8 ppg but hit some big shots during the season and had to defend some big forwards from the other team.... With some added muscle and desire, he can be a heck of a player for EBCA....
Then you have 7th grader Tyrece Little who has grown so much as a player and young man this year... He played the role of 6th man although he was talented enough to be a starter, but never complained about it... He ended the season with averages of 8ppg, 7.3rebs, 3.5 assist and 3 steals.... Not bad for a 7th grader playing against High School kids all season....
The talent is looking rich at Emmanuel Baptist as the entire team is back next year plus 6th grader Casey Caruso who averaged 21ppg on the JV team will move up to Varsity.... This kid is crafty with the ball and is a lights out shooter..... Don't be surprised if you begin to see EBCA playing against your local school in the near future...
Also, if a child is doing better in a smaller classroom setting, that's much more important than sports.... Playing against competition in the Spring and Summer can solidify you as a player.... Doesn't matter if you play single A or AAAA.... What's matters is can you get the needed score on the SAT and are you prepared for College? If a public school with 28 kids in the classroom isn't working, try a Charter or Private school for the child.... If they got skills, they will still be seen...
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteToo many parents try and live their dreams through their children and forget about the big picture the child.