Lafayette Jeff Semi-State Preview

 

The opening game pits the third best offense in 3A in Marion against the third best defense in 3A with Griffith. Marion is led by a three-headed monster who are all capable of going off on a given night. Reggie Jones is one of the more intriguing players in the state; a 6'5 wing that can hit from the outside, pass, and sky for acrobatic slams. Vijay Blackmon, son of head coach James Blackmon, is a slashing guard that has quickness and an ability to finish against much larger players. Tim Leavell is a sweet shooting lefty that makes 45% of his shots behind the arc.

 

 

Jordan Smith provides the Giants with an undersized forward who does all the dirty work and averages just a hair under ten points per outing. These four combine for 63 of the 73 points that Marion averages per game. While scoring is hard to find beyond these four players, it has been a proven formula for Marion this year, and they can go on a 10-0 spurt in the blink of an eye.

 

 

Facing Marion is last year's 3A state runner-up, Griffith. The Panthers are led by the Murphy twins, Anthony and Tremell. The Murphys are both 6'5 forwards that can play inside or out and are extremely athletic. They combined for 29 points in last year's state championship game.

 

 

Anthony Quintero is also back for Griffith, and he provides them with a reliable outside shooter. The senior guard knocked down big shots in last year's semistate round and hit four triples in the state championship game last season. Martin Schiele, a transfer from Bowman Academy, provides them with another stabilizing force in the backcourt and a playmaker who can also knock down shots.

 

 

Griffith is looking to get to their second straight 3A title game, while Marion is trying to make their first state finals appearance since 2008, when they lost to Brownsburg in the 4A state championship.

 

 

The nightcap is the 4A semistate, where an even more interesting contrast of styles will take place. The state's second ranked defense among all classes, Warsaw, squares off against the top ten offense of McCutcheon.

 

 

Warsaw hadn't given up more than 53 points in a game all season until the regional semifinal, where South Bend Riley put up 74, albeit in double overtime. The Tigers are led by a pair of talented guards in senior Paul Marandet and junior Kyle Mangas. Marandet is a physical, athletic guard that gets a lot of his points from the free throw line. Mangas has really made an impression during a breakout junior season. He is scoring about 20 points per game. His numbers would be much higher if not for the deliberate pace that Warsaw plays.

 

 

The Tigers' defense isn't just a product of their slow play on offense. They did a number in the regional final on Crown Point and their two stars, Grant Gelon and Sasha Stefanovic. Warsaw will look to limit possessions and make their opponent work for any sliver of space.

 

 

McCutcheon, on the other hand, has a surplus of playmakers, led by their fantastic sophomore Robert Phinisee. The point guard already holds offers from Purdue and Indiana, and with his play this season, it's easy to see why. Phinisee is averaging 19 points, 6.5 assists, and over three steals a game.

 

 

It's far from a one-man show for the Mavericks, as there are three others averaging double figures. Darnell Butler is an athletic forward that can make plays off the bounce. He can prove to be a difficult matchup, as he's equally comfortable playing in the paint or on the perimeter. An uptempo offense is only as good as its shooters, and McCutcheon has two great ones in juniors Eddy Collins and Haden Deaton. Both are above 40% from deep on the season. Deaton provides much of the energy and toughness for McCutcheon.

 

 

Charles Phinisee is the glue guy for the Mavs. Although he plays a forward spot at just 6'1, the senior is an active presence on the glass and plays much bigger than his size.

 

 

Warsaw is looking to make it back to the state finals for the first time since 2010, when then-junior Nic Moore and the Tigers fell to North Central. McCutcheon is trying to make their maiden voyage to the state championship game, having fallen short in four previous semistate trips.