NHSHF: McNamara vs. Martin Luther King
When it comes to Bishop McNamara facing Martin Luther King on Sunday (2p EST), it's a National High School Hoops Festival, DMV vs. Philly tilt! Game analysis is below.
For general NHSHF event info, check out flyer at this article's end.
Bishop McNamara (MD)
Skinny: The Mustangs are big and skilled. Just ask assistant coach Brian Inge.
“I would say this team is on the most talented McNamara teams in the last 15 years, top to bottom” opined Inge. “With that being said, we’re really young, but our guys have a lot of experience, been in big games last year, a baptism of fire so to speak”.
Schemes: Expect McNamara to play inside-out on offense, given their size, but don’t assume that means slow, as Inge indicated “We don’t want to slow down, we are not afraid to run with anyone”.
Defensively, the Mustangs want to “Just make teams run their offense”, since “we have guards that can pressure and enjoy rim protection”.
A few players of note: McNamara’s lead horse is senior Jamir Moultrie, a 6’1”, 185 pound guard headed to LaSalle. Moultrie, is on track to become the school’s all-time leading scorer, yet has learned to mix his offense and setting the table for others. He’s a force.
Makhi Mitchell, McNamara’s 6’8”, 240 pound sophomore forward is becoming a nationally known entity, with Georgetown, Cincinnati, Rutgers and Virginia Tech having offered. A guy capable of facing up – where he drives or shoots from midrange – also rebounds and runs the floor. He’s a talent.
As a companion to Moultrie, sophomore guard Jon McGriff stands as an emerging floor leader, one that has learned to play north and south, further enhancing his effectiveness. Kent State has tendered him a scholarship opportunity.
X-factor: Makhel Mitchell, Makhi’s twin brother has impressed Inge, given “He looks really good and will surprise some people. Makhel is probably our best defender, talks the most. Scores around the rim, shoots from midrange and passes well out of the high post”.
The Mitchell Brothers have expressed they will play together in college. Consequently, the same schools have offered each.
Sophomore, 6’5”, 220 pound forward Brandon Joyner has a multifaceted role for McNamara, akin to the NBA’s Draymond Green, according to Inge, as the sophomore rebounds, scores in the paint/midrange, shoots, handles the rock, defends, battles and plays with energy and effort.
Losing 20 pounds between this and last year, something Inge correctly noted as rare, has done nothing but enhance Joyner’s impact and team standing.
VS.
Martin Luther King (PA)
Skinny: When you think of Philly teams, toughness comes to mind. It’s what the City of Brotherly Love hangs its hat on. The Martin Luther King Cougars have that, and under head coach Sean Colson, they represent much more.
“We’re very versatile” said Colson in summing his team. Given the infusion of new transfers “We have to get them to play together” he continued, “but we’re very versatile”.
Schemes: “On offense, I’m going to run plays, run a lot of sets. We try and execute” said Colson of his team’s offensive attack, which includes the fast break game. Given his NBA point guard and national grassroots experience with Under Armour, Colson knows a lot of basketball and teaches it to his kids. As he put it “I mix all the stuff I know…We don’t do one thing”.
That multifaceted approach extends to stopping people also, and includes “up in your face defense”, in addition to mixing zones and traps.
A few players of note: Transfer power forward Elijah Kiah-el (6’7”, 220 pounds) could be the Cougars’ best player, a front court performer who rebounds well and fits into MLK’s versatility ethos. He is a threat with and without the ball in his hands.
Offer-wise, things are just picking up for Kiah-el, a senior, who Colson pledges “will be a D-1 player”. St. Joe’s and Monmouth are on the early list of schools showing him love.
Another transfer and impact guy is senior forward Jaquan Arrington (6’5”, 220 pounds), who Colson also sees as a Division I player and thinks can do multiple things on the court. Presently he doesn’t have much interest, but that should change.
X-factor: Though Colson the former floor general believes that position is the most important, he didn’t hesitate to indicate Will McNair is the guy who can propel his team to new heights. A center standing 6’9” and weighing 250 pounds, McNair can score yet is inconsistent.
With his size and skills, McNair could dominate, making the game easier for teammates. As Colson noted “When he plays like an animal, our game goes up”.
