Kecoughtan won the
Peninsula district tournament in a #1 vs #2 showdown against top-seeded Phoebus.
The Warriors Jezreel Dejesus was the tournament's MVP and he was one of many
potential college prospects in the Peninsula district.
Kecoughtan
Jezreel Dejesus (6-foot-2) - skill wise, Dejesus is the best
player in the Peninisula District. He exploded for 32 in the tournament opener
against Woodside, then scored 27 and 24 points in the semi's and championship game. That's
an average of 27 points per game. He has good court awareness and
survey's the floor when pushing the ball upcourt. He's an excellent ball-handler and
his pull-up jumper is money inside of 15-feet. He used his
short jumper several times against Phoebus and Hampton. Dejesus is able to penetrate
and create scoring opportunities and he can play either backcourt position effectively.
He was hands down the best player at the
tournament.
Kecoughtan Dimitri
Batten (6-foot-4) -Batten has already committed
to Old Dominion so it's no surprise he is one of the top players in the
district. Batten has been a 4-year starter with Heritage and Kecoughtan. He
finished with 14 points against Hampton and added 10 points, eight rebounds and
five assists against Phoebus. Not a great outside shooter, Dimitri still led the
Peninsula district in scoring. His average went down when Dejesus joined the
team in January but he is still playing excellent basketball on both ends.
Batten is an intense defender who challenges every shot. This will be
his first appearance in the Eastern Region playoff.
Phoebus
Dashawn Stitt (6-foot-7) -
led the Phantoms with 15 points and two treys in the championship game loss
to Kecoughtan. Stitt (6-foot-7) had 12 points and nine rebounds against
Hampton. Long and thin, Stitt has the perimeter skills to play on the outside and
he shows enough athleticism for his teammates to attempt two alley-oops. He
can score on the move, and he shoots the three with confidence. Stitt also gives a
good effort on the defensive end as he is an above average shot-blocker and he's
not afraid to battle for position. He will play the wing in college and
Charlotte was one of the schools who might come calling.
Phoebus
Brian Darden (6-foot-1) - Phoebus plays everyone on their bench, and
they expect everyone has to contribute. Still, the Phantoms need Brian Darden to
play well if they expect to beat good teams. Darden had only four points in the
21-point loss to Kecoughtan. Darden is the star player in the Phantoms team
concept. He made game-winning treys at the end of both Kecoughtan games to help
Phoebus sweep the regular season matchup. Darden exudes confidence and is
described by Phantom coach James Daniels as a combo guard because of his scoring
ability. He has unlimited range and plays in an offense that encourages him to
shoot when open.
Phoebus Breon Key (6-foot-2) - Key had
a big three to help Phoebus get by Denbigh and he scored 22 points in the win
over Bethel while adding four rebounds and two steals. Key played football
during the fall but he has a future in college basketball. He makes
intelligent basketball plays and can dominate a game without scoring a ton of
points. There's a lot to like about Key; he can shoot the three, run the point,
and he plays in-your-face defense. I would like to see more of his face-up game
but he is a player to keep your eye on.
Hampton Sean
Johnson
(6-foot-2) - the best dunk of the tournament came from the 6-foot-2 Johnson
who threw down a one-handed stuff over Dimitri Batten who is usually the one
dunking over opponents. Johnson scored 17 points for the Crabbers against
Kecoughtan making shots from three-point range and inside the paint. Sean, who
played for Boo Williams II AAU last year, is very strong and athletic and has
the look of a football running back. His strength allowed him to convert a layup
while getting fouled in the Kecoughtan game. He has improved his perimeter game
since last year and has become a legitimate 3-point threat. Johnson averaged 17
points on the year and scored in double figures every game. He is getting some
DII looks.
Hampton Anthony Barber (6-foot-2) -
the freshman sensation is a scoring point guard who is already drawing recruiting interest after averaging over
16 ppg for the Hampton Crabbers. Barber scored 21 and 13 in
the two tournament games and he had 32 points in an earlier game against
Bethel. He's a slasher who gets to the rim and finishes. Because of his frequent
drives to the paint, Barber spends a lot of time at the free throw line. He is
mature beyond his years as a basketball player and he should continue to grow
and develop. Barber didn't attempt any three-pointers and I would like to see
his jumpshot in game situations. He will spend the spring and summer
playing for the Boo Williams 15-under team and will likely be one
of Hampton roads top prospects by the time he reaches his senior
year.
Bethel
Aaron Bacote (6-foot-5) - while Barber was the best freshman at
the Peninsula District tournament, Aaron Bacote won the award for best sophomore. Bacote
is a scorer more than a shooter as he gets his points
in transition, driving to the basket, and jumpers from outside the lane as witnessed by his
four treys and 25-point effort in the quarterfinal win over Menchville. He came down
and made a pull-up three against Phoebus finishing with 17 points
and nine rebounds. Aaron didn't seem comfortable playing the point position
with the Boo Williams 15-under AAU team and he plays better
when looking for his offense--shooting guard will be his natural position. Bacote is
very athletic and he has a good understanding of game situations. He knows
when he needs to be more aggressive to create his own shots and when he
needs to get his teammates involve.
Bethel Joe Goodwin
(6-foot-6) - one of the surprise players was Bethel's Joe Goodwin who averaged
almost 20 points in the two tournament games. He had 17 second half points
against Menchville and 11 third quarter points to help Bethel erase a 14-point
deficit against Phoebus. Goodwin is a banger down low who gets his points via
layups and stickbacks. He scored four baskets while being fouled but missed all
four free throw attempts. He finished the Phoebus game 1-6 from the free throw
line so he needs to improve in that area. Goodwin had only three rebounds but he
boxes out well and has shown rebounding prowess in the past. He's still a bit
raw overall but definitely has college potential.
Others
Phoebus Kyle Saunders (5-foot-9) - Saunders is
an excellent shooter from long range but he showed a different facet of his game
by driving the paint and making layups in traffic. Saunders played for Boo
Williams II last summer.
Woodside Kevin Wiggins (6-foot-6) - Wiggins
looks about 6-foot-8 with his seventies fro, and he was the top low-post scorer
in the district. He is physical and has good moves near the basket. A shoulder
injury last year slowed down his recruiting but Virginia State is one school
Wiggins may end up playing for.
This post was edited on 2/21 2:14 PM by wgarlick
Peninsula district tournament in a #1 vs #2 showdown against top-seeded Phoebus.
The Warriors Jezreel Dejesus was the tournament's MVP and he was one of many
potential college prospects in the Peninsula district.
Kecoughtan
Jezreel Dejesus (6-foot-2) - skill wise, Dejesus is the best
player in the Peninisula District. He exploded for 32 in the tournament opener
against Woodside, then scored 27 and 24 points in the semi's and championship game. That's
an average of 27 points per game. He has good court awareness and
survey's the floor when pushing the ball upcourt. He's an excellent ball-handler and
his pull-up jumper is money inside of 15-feet. He used his
short jumper several times against Phoebus and Hampton. Dejesus is able to penetrate
and create scoring opportunities and he can play either backcourt position effectively.
He was hands down the best player at the
tournament.
Kecoughtan Dimitri
Batten (6-foot-4) -Batten has already committed
to Old Dominion so it's no surprise he is one of the top players in the
district. Batten has been a 4-year starter with Heritage and Kecoughtan. He
finished with 14 points against Hampton and added 10 points, eight rebounds and
five assists against Phoebus. Not a great outside shooter, Dimitri still led the
Peninsula district in scoring. His average went down when Dejesus joined the
team in January but he is still playing excellent basketball on both ends.
Batten is an intense defender who challenges every shot. This will be
his first appearance in the Eastern Region playoff.
Phoebus
Dashawn Stitt (6-foot-7) -
led the Phantoms with 15 points and two treys in the championship game loss
to Kecoughtan. Stitt (6-foot-7) had 12 points and nine rebounds against
Hampton. Long and thin, Stitt has the perimeter skills to play on the outside and
he shows enough athleticism for his teammates to attempt two alley-oops. He
can score on the move, and he shoots the three with confidence. Stitt also gives a
good effort on the defensive end as he is an above average shot-blocker and he's
not afraid to battle for position. He will play the wing in college and
Charlotte was one of the schools who might come calling.
Phoebus
Brian Darden (6-foot-1) - Phoebus plays everyone on their bench, and
they expect everyone has to contribute. Still, the Phantoms need Brian Darden to
play well if they expect to beat good teams. Darden had only four points in the
21-point loss to Kecoughtan. Darden is the star player in the Phantoms team
concept. He made game-winning treys at the end of both Kecoughtan games to help
Phoebus sweep the regular season matchup. Darden exudes confidence and is
described by Phantom coach James Daniels as a combo guard because of his scoring
ability. He has unlimited range and plays in an offense that encourages him to
shoot when open.
Phoebus Breon Key (6-foot-2) - Key had
a big three to help Phoebus get by Denbigh and he scored 22 points in the win
over Bethel while adding four rebounds and two steals. Key played football
during the fall but he has a future in college basketball. He makes
intelligent basketball plays and can dominate a game without scoring a ton of
points. There's a lot to like about Key; he can shoot the three, run the point,
and he plays in-your-face defense. I would like to see more of his face-up game
but he is a player to keep your eye on.
Hampton Sean
Johnson
(6-foot-2) - the best dunk of the tournament came from the 6-foot-2 Johnson
who threw down a one-handed stuff over Dimitri Batten who is usually the one
dunking over opponents. Johnson scored 17 points for the Crabbers against
Kecoughtan making shots from three-point range and inside the paint. Sean, who
played for Boo Williams II AAU last year, is very strong and athletic and has
the look of a football running back. His strength allowed him to convert a layup
while getting fouled in the Kecoughtan game. He has improved his perimeter game
since last year and has become a legitimate 3-point threat. Johnson averaged 17
points on the year and scored in double figures every game. He is getting some
DII looks.
Hampton Anthony Barber (6-foot-2) -
the freshman sensation is a scoring point guard who is already drawing recruiting interest after averaging over
16 ppg for the Hampton Crabbers. Barber scored 21 and 13 in
the two tournament games and he had 32 points in an earlier game against
Bethel. He's a slasher who gets to the rim and finishes. Because of his frequent
drives to the paint, Barber spends a lot of time at the free throw line. He is
mature beyond his years as a basketball player and he should continue to grow
and develop. Barber didn't attempt any three-pointers and I would like to see
his jumpshot in game situations. He will spend the spring and summer
playing for the Boo Williams 15-under team and will likely be one
of Hampton roads top prospects by the time he reaches his senior
year.
Bethel
Aaron Bacote (6-foot-5) - while Barber was the best freshman at
the Peninsula District tournament, Aaron Bacote won the award for best sophomore. Bacote
is a scorer more than a shooter as he gets his points
in transition, driving to the basket, and jumpers from outside the lane as witnessed by his
four treys and 25-point effort in the quarterfinal win over Menchville. He came down
and made a pull-up three against Phoebus finishing with 17 points
and nine rebounds. Aaron didn't seem comfortable playing the point position
with the Boo Williams 15-under AAU team and he plays better
when looking for his offense--shooting guard will be his natural position. Bacote is
very athletic and he has a good understanding of game situations. He knows
when he needs to be more aggressive to create his own shots and when he
needs to get his teammates involve.
Bethel Joe Goodwin
(6-foot-6) - one of the surprise players was Bethel's Joe Goodwin who averaged
almost 20 points in the two tournament games. He had 17 second half points
against Menchville and 11 third quarter points to help Bethel erase a 14-point
deficit against Phoebus. Goodwin is a banger down low who gets his points via
layups and stickbacks. He scored four baskets while being fouled but missed all
four free throw attempts. He finished the Phoebus game 1-6 from the free throw
line so he needs to improve in that area. Goodwin had only three rebounds but he
boxes out well and has shown rebounding prowess in the past. He's still a bit
raw overall but definitely has college potential.
Others
Phoebus Kyle Saunders (5-foot-9) - Saunders is
an excellent shooter from long range but he showed a different facet of his game
by driving the paint and making layups in traffic. Saunders played for Boo
Williams II last summer.
Woodside Kevin Wiggins (6-foot-6) - Wiggins
looks about 6-foot-8 with his seventies fro, and he was the top low-post scorer
in the district. He is physical and has good moves near the basket. A shoulder
injury last year slowed down his recruiting but Virginia State is one school
Wiggins may end up playing for.
This post was edited on 2/21 2:14 PM by wgarlick
