Double Overtime…First to three points wins. The stage is set for top prospect AJ Lawson. Lawson receives a pass, takes one dribble to his right, steps back and bangs in the game winning three. 85-84 Team White. Captain Clutch is back at it.

Upperclassmen Game

 

High quality offence, tough defence, top players making plays, physicality and double OT. What more could you ask for in an upperclassmen top prospects game?

The two Jevon’s dominated the first half. Jevon Westcarth for Team White and Jevon Brown for Team Black.

Westcarth, the 6’6 sniper was unstoppable. He was making it rain threes as he hit all four of his attempts. He ended with 16 of his team’s 26 in the first half.

Brown was able to affect the game on both ends of the floor. Changing shots and coming away with steals allowed him to control the tempo on offense.

Brown scored from all over the court and also made a shot from deep. Brown finished the half with seven points and four rebounds but his team were down 26-24.

J. B’s performance this weekend earned him an offer from UPEI. All three coaches were in attendance and convinced he could be a program changer and develop into a lead guard.

The Upperclassmen Showcase game continued…

Both teams hit a second and third gear in the second half raising as the game remained close.

Isaiah Cromwell-Wright was a complete bulldog putting Team White on his back after Team Black took and held the lead for almost the entire second half.

The physical guard started taking everything to the basket hard and inviting contact. Not only was he getting it done offensively but also got into his man and played him tight which led to many clutch stops and steals. Cromwell-Wright scored all of his 24 points in the second half.

Another big part of the scoring for Team White came from 6’3 guard Kobey Lam. Lam was able to knock down his favourite mid-range and perimeter shots including a clutch three in the corner to give his team the lead late in the second half.

For Team Black offensively it was a mix of Taryn Todd and Dean Andrade. Both players posses elite playmaking ability and score the ball efficiently making them an excellent backcourt.

Team Black’s Kaosi Ezeagu was simply a defensive piece. He’s everything you want in a player defending the rim. Throughout the game Ezeagu was yelling out instructions and communicating with the rest of his team. All game he made sure there was no easy interior finishes and swatted away any weak attempts near the rim.

In the final six seconds of regulation, Todd and Team Black were down by three. Todd received an inbound pass, went left and nailed a step back three at the buzzer to send the game into OT.

The team exchanged buckets but neither could pull away. Consequently, the upperclassmen game headed into double OT where the first team to three points wins.

Todd immediately drives to the basket and finishes with his left but because it was only a two, it left the door open for Team White and AJ Lawson’s heroics.

AJ LAWSON aka "Captain Clutch" drops the game winning shot for Team White. #GameSpeaks #MaximizePotential pic.twitter.com/tVn2enQhva

— NorthPoleHoops (@NPHShowcase) June 26, 2017

Lawson wasn’t playing up to his ability all game but he’s Captain Clutch for a reason. He showed up in the biggest moment of the game and got his team the win.

Isaiah Cromwell-Wright was named MVP of the upperclassmen game due to his relentless effort and being able to will Team White back into the game. He truly took over the game in the second half and even made two clutch free throws near the end of regulation that should’ve iced the game.

Top Performers

 

Team White

Isaiah Cromwell-Wright (2018): 24 points | 4 rebounds | 3 assists

Jevon Westcarth (2018): 24 points | 2 rebounds

AJ Lawson (2019): 12 points | 4 rebounds

Kobey Lam (2019): 12 points

Team Black

Jevon Brown (2017): 18 points | 5 rebounds | 4 assists

Taryn Todd (2020): 11 points | 4 rebounds | 2 assists

Kaosi Ezeagu (2019): 8 points | 7 rebounds

Dean Andrade (2017): 11 points | 7 rebounds

 

Underclassmen Game

 

Team White’s duo of Galdo Tutu and Amani Barnes proved too much to handle for Team Black.

Tutu, the 6’4 slasher was on a level all by himself. The point forward got to the rim with ease every time he got the ball and finished consistently.

Tutu’s fluid game makes it look effortless because of the way he uses his great handle to get by defenders and attack the basket. He finished the first half with a solid stat line of 18 points and five rebounds.

Barnes also got into the game early on by being a beast on the glass and hitting his outside jumpers. His length and high IQ both help him be an elite rebounder.

The bright spot for Team Black in the first half was Marc Barbosa. The 6’5 forward has a gorgeous shooting stroke. He showed on multiple occasions he can hit his jumper from range and from the elbow. Barbosa scored nine in the first half with his team trailing 30-18.

The second half was the same story for Team White. Tutu continued to prove himself as an elite finisher and Barnes added to his rebounding numbers.

The underclassmen game finished 54-44 for Team White with Barnes earning a double double.

However, it was Tutu that deservedly walked away with MVP honours. He dominated and controlled the game from start to finish. He never allowed Team Black to believe they had a chance to come back because of his ability to score almost every time he got into the lane.

The "silent assassin" (Galdo Tutu) scored 23 pts, 5 rbs. MVP status @ the Toronto @NPHShowcase 🔥🔥 #GameSpeaks pic.twitter.com/dR6KLQwN6Q

— NPH (@NorthPoleHoops) June 25, 2017

Top Performers

 

Team White

Galdo Tutu (2021): 23 points | 5 rebounds | 2 assists

Amani Barnes (2019): 11 points | 15 rebounds | 2 assists

Gabe Rossette (2020): 6 points | 5 rebounds | 2 assists

Team Black

Marc Barbosa (2020): 17 points | 4 rebounds

Jason Baffour (2020): 8 points | 6 rebounds

Yohann-Axel Sam (2021): 6 points | 7 rebounds