It was my first look at Northwest freshmen Justin Baker and Michael Jones. Plus I wanted to see how Lonnie McElwain was developing. I've very familiar with the Ben Davis roster. One surprising thing was the fact that Harry Wills didn't start for Ben Davis. I didn't hear a reason why that was the case.
Early on things were pretty sloppy. There were a lot of turnovers especially off the dribble. It seemed like everyone had a hard time keeping a good handle on the basketball. Justin Baker, 5'9" PG Northwest, had a nice start though. He showed great quickness by getting to the basket early. He had a couple of really nice finishes in traffic. Northwest led after 1 by the score of 16-12.
Ben Davis really started to play better in the second quarter. David Quarles, 6'5" SF 2011, led the way for BD. He had 17 points at the half and I believe 13 of those were in the second quarter. He is really good in transition although he is not a high flyer. BD led 40-31 at the half.
Ben Davis looked like they were going to pull away in the third quarter. They really controlled the game although they didn't convert a couple of easy shots. Ben Davis did open a 57-44 lead after 3 quarters, but it could have been more.
The fourth quarter was more of the same to start. The Ben Davis lead reached 16 before Northwest stagged a late comeback. Baker was getting into the lane and creating for others. Larry Banks, 6'4" SF 2011 Northwest, hit a couple of 3's along with a couple of free-throws. The athleticism of Derrick Henderson, 6'4" PF 2011, caused some turnovers and he got a couple of buckets in the paint. All of a sudden it was 75-74 BD with 1 minute left. Baker ended up committing a charging violation when Northwest had an opportunity to tie the game. Ben Davis held on for the 77-74 win.
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Harry Wills 6'2" CG Ben Davis 2012 Although he didn't start and at times he seemed out of the game mentally, Wills still had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Wills is a super athlete and he showed that off on a few drives. He also has really good body control that allows him to finish a lot of plays against contact. His shooting is still a weakness, but it is improving. Wills needs to handle the ball better to be a point guard at the next level.
Justin Baker 5'9" PG Northwest 2014 Baker is lightning quick kinda of like Ronnie Johnson. I'm not sure that he is quite that quick but they are close. Baker is crafty with the ball and usually sees the floor well. His biggest weakness much like Wills is his outside shooting and his shot selection while taking those outside shots. His form doesn't look great and I had him as being 1-8 from 3.
David Quarles 6'5" SF Ben Davis 2011 Quarles had a nice game overall. It wasn't quite as good as it looks in the box score because he did have a handful of turnovers and was shaky with the ball at times. He does score well in transition and when penetrating to the basket. His shooting is pretty average. Quarles is a D2/NAIA/JC prospect.
Larry Banks 6'4 SF Northwest 2011 Banks is listed as a SF on the roster and he plays a SF position on offense but I always go by what the player can guard. Going by that, I would list him as a PF. He shoots it well especially off of the catch. Thick body that should be able to guard a lot of PF's at the D2/NAIA level.
Brian Reeves 6'6" PF Northwest 2011 Reeves is a little bit more athletic than Banks but doesn't have the perimeter skills that Banks has. I think he could be a good prospect for a lot of D2/NAIA programs that are looking for rebounders/shot blockers.
Lonnie McElwain 6'9" C Northwest 2011 McElwain didn't play much at all. He is very, very skinny and that hurts him. He runs the floor pretty well and had a couple of nice blocks. Other than that, he didn't do much. D2/NAIA prospect.
Michael Jones 6'4" SG Northwest 2014 Jones is very athletic and long especially for a freshmen. I didn't get a chance to watch him too closely plus he didn't play major minutes. He probably played about 10 minutes.
Derrick Henderson 6'4" PF Northwest 2011 Henderson is a super athlete. He can absolutely fly. He finished well in transition and contested a lot of shots while also rebounding and being super active. He is a NAIA/Junior College prospect for programs that need athletes.
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