Allen Pettigrew Jr. 11/29/2018 Twitter: @AP_The_Great
Sandra Meadows Arena transformed into a Roman Coliseum for Day 2 of the Thanksgiving Hoopfest. Someone armed the South Garland Colonels to the teeth to take on the deadly Vashon Wolverines. The duo of Tyrese Maxey and Chris Harris Jr. shook the ground with every move they made for the Colonels. While the Wolverines became an unstoppable force with the help of Cam’Ron Fletcher and Mario McKinney.
In normal Maxey fashion, he played the game on full tilt with incredible enthusiasm. Maxey made a living getting to the rim and converting at the free throw line. He flashed athleticism throughout the night finishing around the rim with dunks and crafty layups. He scored in bunches for the top coaches in the country, including Maxey’s future coach John Calipari.
Maxey controlled the offense by not only putting up numbers for himself but using the attention he draws from the defense to open lanes for his teammates. I’d be underselling him if I didn’t mention his handle. In one sequence alone, he brought the crowd to their feet after blowing by a defender and putting another in a blender before making a pinpoint pass that his teammates could not convert thanks to Cam’Ron Fletcher.
At the other guard spot for the Colonels, Chris Harris Jr. was aggressive all night. After weakening the Wolverines zone with their three-point shooting, Harris Jr. attacked the basket at will. He became a complete bulldog playing both sides of the ball with one goal in mind: winning. He took advantage of every mishap the defense gave him even creating a few opportunities of his own during the game.
For the opposing Wolverine’s Fletcher used his devastating length on the defensive end leading to deflections and the Colonels tentative shot selection. He anchored the Wolverines’ den with a true defensive mindset. He was alert and moved his feet all-night waiting for an opportunity to change one of South Garland’s shots.
On offense, Fletcher’s long arms lead to vicious dunk and timely putbacks. Fletcher’s energy was infectious! He went coast to coast several times showing his speed and athleticism. He brought this range to Dallas with a pair of threes coming off the dribble and the catch.
Mario McKinney did his own damage for the Wolverines. McKinney was in full floor general mode. His decision making was on full display finding Fletcher for several alley-oops and keeping his teammates involved. He came up clutch near the end of the game hitting a three with just over a minute to go.
While these two teams were led by their big-time players, it was the supporting cast that pushed them forward. Guys like Vashon’s Donyae McCaskill and Nicholas Kern did their thing to support their stars. McCaskill made buckets whenever the game was most tense. His ability to finish at the rim made for a nice highlight reel. Kern took the role of a glue guy, doing all the little things needed to make a Vashon win possible.
The Colonels had a few glimpses of their future come from freshman Cruz Davis. As the smallest person on the court, he made it his job to not be a weak link on defense. He drained threes and really showed off his shooting stroke and confidence during the game.
The game ended in a Vashon Wolverine victory. While the South Garland Colonels fought hard, the Wolverines took advantage when their shots stopped falling. Missouri 1 DFW 0 until next time.
The Traveling Hooper 