Number 1 vs. number 2 in 4A for the state of Indiana. Merrillville is number 1 in the coaches' poll and number 2 in the AP poll while Munster is number 1 in the AP poll and number 2 in the coaches' poll. It was my first time seeing Munster this season.
The stands were packed midway through the first quarter of the junior varsity game. Shoulder to shoulder and people already trying places to stand. The first quarter was back and forth with both teams showing very little nerves. Senior Joe Crisman got off to a quick start for Munster scoring 6 in the quarter. Brandon Clark hit a couple of deep 3's for Merrillville. I thought Clark would be a key for Merrillville winning the game. If he could play well and hit shots from the outside then Merrillville would have a good chance to win.
Munster took a slim 17-16 lead to the second quarter. Ricky Carbajal had a huge second quarter for Munster. Carbajal scored 9 points in the quarter and 13 points in the first half. Brian Stolarz joined Carbajal in dominating Merrillville in the paint. Stolarz had 6 second quarter points all in the paint. Munster enjoyed a 34-29 lead at halftime.
The Carbajal and Stolarz show continued in the third quarter. They would score 18 of the 21 Munster points in the quarter. Merillville had no answer for the senior duo. Jeremiah Jones was finally able to get on track in the quarter for Merrillville though. Jones scored 8 points in the quarter to keep the game close. Munster opened up a 55-44 lead going to the final period despite Jones' effort.
The second and third quarters were all Carbajal and Stolarz but the fourth quarter was dominated by Crisman. The Loyola-bound senior scored 14 of his game high 25 points in the fourth quarter. He knocked down pressure free-throws and scored a couple of buckets in the paint to stop the Merrillville rally. Jones hit a 3 with 2 minutes left to cut the Munster lead to 66-60 but the game would never get any closer than that. Munster would ice the game from the free-throw line and win 75-64.
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Joe Crisman 6'4 SG 2011 Munster
Crisman was solid all game. He is handling the ball much better than I have seen him in the past. Good spot up shooter that will knock down shots so if he can put the ball on the floor he will be a good offensive weapon at Loyola. His defense on Jeremiah Jones was very good. He didn't let Jones get many good looks when Munster was man to man. They did play some zone. He should be a very good role player for Loyola.
Ricky Carbajal 6'6 PF 2011 Munster
Carbajal has a big time motor. He runs the floor well. He jumps pretty well and is tough. His offensive game is pretty much all rebound putbacks. If he had a little bit more of an offensive game he would be a LM prospect (if he had not signed with Quincy in the fall). At the D2 level, he should be very good immediately.
Jeremiah Jones 6'3 SG 2011 Merrillville
Jones did not have his best game. He struggled to get open when Crisman was guarding him. Jones doesn't use screens very well at this point and Crisman pushed him away from the screen a few times. Jones also couldn't beat Crisman off the dribble very easily. He basically proved that he was not a HM player with the way that Crisman was able to shut him down.
Brian Stolarz 6'4 PF 2011 Munster
Stolarz had a very good game. He played within himself and took advantage of matchups. He would go inside against smaller defenders and if Edward Seay was on him he would go to the perimeter and look to take him off the dribble. A face-up PF at the D2 level is a good fit for Stolarz. He will be able to take some 4's off the dribble and can hit spot up 3's. He's strong enough to battle slightly taller opponents in the paint.
Brandon Clark 6'0 PG 2011 Merrillville
I thought Clark was going to have a big game after he hit two 3's in the first few minutes but he struggled after that. He did pick up the defensive intensity in the second half and played well on that end. He can play at the D2 level but I like him more for the NAIA/D3 level.
Mike Schlotman 6'1 PG 2013 Munster
Schlotman is a steady point guard especially for a sophomore. He doesn't have great quickness but he wasn't bothered much by the full court defensive pressure that Merrillville applied. Definitely a player to watch over the next few years for LM/D2/NAIA programs.
Christian Young 6'2 SG 2011 Munster
Young is a pretty good athlete and has some skill to go with it. Munster doesn't look for him to score much but he looks to be a pretty good shooter. He had a couple of nice blocks where he showed off his athleticism. He could be a nice player at the NAIA/D3 level.
Josh Hogan 6'3 SF 2011 Merrillville
Hogan put the ball on the floor more tonight and he handled it with confidence. He plays with a high motor and defends well. I like him for the NAIA/D3 level.
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