2009 National High School Invitational: Championship Game RecapBy: Adi Joseph

ROCKVILLE, Md. – So Findlay Prep has been declared by ESPN/RISE as the National Champion of high school boy’s basketball. The Pilots, in just their third season in existence, knocked off Oak Hill Academy 74-66 before 1,200 fans and an ESPN audience.

It’s no shocker. When ESPN finalized the participants in its inaugural National High School Invitational, Findlay and Oak Hill were the two clear-cut giants in a field of some of the nation’s elite prep schools.

Playing in their third game in three days — for McDonald’s All-Americans Avery Bradley (Findlay) and Keith Gallon (Oak Hill, four games in five days — there were clear signs of fatigue on the faces of all involved.

But even in a sloppy game, the talent of the players on the court was obvious. I feel confident in saying either of these teams could beat roughly 100 Division I men’s basketball teams. Combine their rosters; you’ll have an elite group capable of keeping up with most mid-tier college programs.

With that said, here’s some player evaluations from this weekend’s games, building on what I wrote last Saturday, this time including every player who touched the floor in Sunday’s final.

FINDLAY PREP (33-0) Henderson, Nev.

Sr. G Avery Bradley – 6-3, 175 lbs. – Signed to Texas
20 points on 7-of-18 shooting, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 5 turnovers, 5 fouls in 26 minutes

After being the dominant player in the Pilots’ semifinal win against Montrose Christian, Bradley came back down to earth Sunday but still scored a game-high 20 points. He was named tournament MVP, though his supreme defensive skills were hidden somewhat by a switch from the high pressure man-to-man defense the Pilots used against Montrose. A 3-2 zone effectively neutralized a lot of the Oak Hill dribble penetration, but it also made obvious that Warrior coach Steve Smith was not going to allow any of his ball handlers anywhere near Bradley. As a result, the future Longhorn was able to crash the boards, coming up with seven defensive rebounds and often flying down court for a transition jump shot after grabbing the miss. On one play, he took the ball end to end, including a full-speed behind-the-back dribble, only to settle for a midrange jump shot. Bradley’s reliance on that shot was perhaps the only flaw he clearly exposed in Rockville this weekend. He was clearly the most impressive player of the weekend and should be an asset for Rick Barnes next season.

Jr. G Issiah Grayson – 5-9, 160 lbs. – Undeclared
7 points on 1-of-1 shooting, 1 rebound, 2 fouls in 6 minutes
Grayson is clearly a bit player for this year’s Findlay team. But next year, expect him to capably handle the reigns. In brief action this weekend, he looked like a quality future point guard for a low major program.

Jr. G Cory Joseph – 6-3, 180 lbs. – Undeclared
18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 5 turnovers, 2 fouls in 32 minutes
No one on the court was better conditioned than Joseph, who never betrayed any physical wear from the weekend’s games. The rising star plays out of control on occasion, but his speed and handles are impressive, and he seems to be a natural shoot-first point guard, if that makes any sense. In many ways, Joseph’s game is very similar to Bradley’s, and no one would be surprised if he makes a big leap in the scoring column next season.

Sr. C Carlos Lopez – 6-11, 210 lbs. – Signed to UNLV
6 points on 3-of-4 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 5 fouls in 21 minutes
Lopez hadn’t shown the ability to play any offense in the first two games. But Sunday, he picked things up a little. Unfortunately, he made some poor decisions in the post and struggled to match up with Oak Hill center Keith Gallon. He’s raw but down the road could develop for the Running Rebels.

Jr. F Godwin Okonji – 6-9, 220 lbs. – Undeclared
0 points on 0-of-3 shooting, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 foul in 19 minutes
Okonji has yet to develop any semblance of an offensive game, and in the closing minutes, coach Kevin Peck used him on defense only. But he’s an athletic forward who should be able to learn the game at a D1 school in time. His athleticism and learning curve should make him a desireable prospect.

Sr. G D.J. Richardson – 6-3, 180 lbs. – Signed to Illinois
11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls in 32 minutes
Named to the all-tournament team, Richardson may be the least talented of the Pilots’ three starting guards, behind Bradley and Joseph. But he’s a very polished and intelligent player who works as hard as anyone. What you have here is a player who can come in right away and take over Chester Frazier’s former starting job for Bruce Webber, then hold onto that spot for four seasons.

Soph. G Rasham Suarez – 6-2, 180 lbs. – Undeclared
0 points on 0-of-0 shooting in 1 minute
Suarez showed nothing in his one minute on court But at least he didn’t mess up with the one time he actually made it in. He’s a sophomore at Findlay, so he obviously can’t be bad.

Jr. F Tristan Thompson – 6-9, 215 lbs. – Committed to Texas.
12 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls in 23 minutes
Thompson was invisible on offense until the final minutes. After Bradley fouled out, though, the junior was aggressive and displayed a lot of the ability that earned him the title of having the most NBA potential in the game. Thompson also played very strong defense, locking down any Oak Hill player he guarded, even Keith Gallon for a brief period. He’s very athletic though he needs to add some lower body strength. He can run the floor but is also very willing to play inside. And he took smart shots, which was refreshing to see for a player with so much talent at such a young age. Next year, he should have the reigns as Findlay’s leader. And he will thrive.

OAK HILL (40-1) Mouth of Wilson, Va.

Jr. G Bryon Allen – 6-3, 215 lbs. – Committed to West Virginia
6 points on 2-of-6 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover in 13 minutes
The Bob Huggins recruit is a thick-bodied wing with a very versatile game. At the same time, he does nothing very well and is about two to three inches shorter than would be ideal for his skill set. Allen needs to extend his jump shot, but he could be a solid four year college player.

Sr. G Austin Alecxih – 6-5, 190 lbs. – Committed to UNC-Asheville
0 points on 0-of-1 shooting, 3 fouls in 2 minutes
Alecxih offered barely a glimpse. But most players at Oak Hill are capable D1 players, something UNC-Asheville seems to be banking on here.

Sr. F Glenn Bryant – 6-7, 185 lbs. – Undeclared
4 points on 2-of-2 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks 1 turnover, 2 fouls in 20 minutes
Bryant was kept mostly quiet, thanks in part to strong defense from Thompson. He’s incredibly skinny, but his athleticism shows itself in flashes where you can see why he would be a nice catch for a team willing to spend some time on him.

Sr. C Keith Gallon – 6-9, 290 lbs. – Signed to Oklahoma
18 points on 5-of-12 shooting, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnovers, 3 fouls in 32 minutes
Gallon continued to frustrate fans Sunday. Most of what I wrote Saturday holds true in Gallon’s case, as he continues to do his best Antoine Walker impression.

Jr. G Pe’Shon Howard – 6-2, 200 lbs. – Undeclared
19 points on 5-of-9 shooting, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls in 32 minutes
Howard has received interest from the blue bloods of college basketball, and it was easy to see why. The junior was probably the best player in the second half for the Warriors and finished with a team-leading 19 points. His powerful frame got into the lane with regularity, but he was smart enough to know to pass away when trapped by the Findlay zone. Howard also had to deal with running point guard while Bradley was guarding teammate Lamont Jones, and he handled the additional responsibilities well. He’ll be the star for Oak Hill next year, barring a high-profile transfer. And that’s not a bad thing.

Sr. G Lamont Jones – 6-0, 190 lbs. – Undeclared
16 points on 7-of-22, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 turnover, 4 fouls in 31 minutes
The top undeclared senior in this tournament, “MoMo” Jones dominated St. Benedict’s on Saturday but struggled Sunday. Bradley’s superb defense had a lot to do with that. Still, that shooting percentage is ugly, and while I still believe he could be a solid D1 starting point guard, I’m not quite as enthusiastic at this point.

Jr. C Baye Moussa Keita – 6-11, 205 lbs. – Committed to Syracuse
0 points on 0-of-1 shooting, 1 block, 1 foul in 3 minutes
Keita did nothing even remotely memorable in his time Sunday, but a player of his athleticism, height and length always has some potential.

Jr. G Doron Lamb – 6-4, 185 lbs. – Undeclared
5 points on 0-of-5 shooting, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 5 fouls in 27 minutes
Lamb once again failed to impress. A friend of mine seeing him for the first time was shocked to find out the smooth wing was considered perhaps Oak Hill’s top NBA prospect. He seemed to melt as a result of the Findlay zone defense.