NIBC Day Two Top Performers: Mark Mitchell, Dillon Mitchell, Aden Holloway, and more
Day two of the NIBC featured a pair of blowouts by Montverde and IMG, but there was still plenty of good basketball being played in La Porte, Indiana.
Sunrise Christian takes down Wasatch Academy
While it was the Gradey Dick and Scotty Middleton show on day one of the NIBC for Sunrise Christian (KS), a new top performer emerged on day two: Mark Mitchell. The Duke commit is best as a slasher and gets to the rim with ease. Defenders might want to watch their head when he drives to the basket because he will dunk on you without thinking twice. He’s also versatile enough to guard the perimeter, handle the rock, and knock down the mid-range jumper. He finished with a team-high 21 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Gradey Dick struggled a bit to put the ball on the hole in Friday but still managed to walk away with a quiet 16 points, four rebounds, and four steals.
Heading into this game, if you asked me to predict the top performers for Wasatch Academy (UT), I would say Roddy Gayle Jr. (Ohio State) and Chris Bunch (Syracuse). However, it was the duo of Willie Lightfoot and Keba Keita who challenged Sunrise the most. Lightfoot is an absolute dog on the court, and his energy is unyielding and contagious. He’s extremely animated on the court, coaching up his teammates, and being the ultimate leader for this Wasatch squad. The Bowling Green commit might be a bit undersized at 6-foot, but he makes up for it with his heart. Speaking of undersized but making up for it with other attributes is Keba Keita. At 6-foot-8 playing the center position, you can’t help but wish he was a few inches taller. However, Keita is a man-child. Packed with muscle, he still manages to get up and down the court well and is not afraid of anything or anyone. He will challenge you at the rim without hesitation, ending the situation with either a blocked or altered shot. Limited a bit offensively, but he still managed to do his job well, showed off his soft touch and finished with 14 points on 6-of-6 from the field, while also grabbing 13 boards.
FINAL – Sunrise Christian: 64, Wasatch Academy: 50
Montverde gets the easy win over Bishop Walsh
During the first half of this matchup, it was the Dillon Mitchell show. The Texas signee was really able to show off his athleticism, throwing down some incredible put-back and fast-break dunks, and finished the half with 14 points. He sat most of the second half, as he had already put his stamp on this one. I was also really impressed with how he got after it on the defensive end.
Vincent Iwuchukwu also had an impactful game. He usually doesn’t do a whole lot offensively on this deep Montverde team, but his teammates gave him plenty of opportunity in this one. He finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and three blocks. The USC signee did an incredible job of talking on defense, encouraging his teammates, and keeping them involved.
Malik Reneau had himself a double-double for Montverde. The Florida signee finished with 13 points and a team-high `11 boards.
FINAL – Montverde Academy: 78, Bishop Walsh: 45
IMG blows out Legacy Early College
In an absolute blowout, IMG Academy (FL) had very little difficulty putting away Legacy Early College (SC). At halftime, IMG had a lead of 48 to 16. It was obvious that Legacy was unmatched, and the majority of the team rolled over and gave up as IMG squad’s grabbed the easy win.
Memphis signee Noah Batchelor led the way for his IMG squad, scoring a total of 21 points on an impressive 4-of-6 from three-point land.
FINAL – IMG Academy: 80, Legacy Early College: 43
The hometown team of La Lumiere defeats Oak Hill
In the final game of the evening, the hometown team of La Lumiere (IN) drew in a crowd as they took on Oak Hill (VA) on ESPN2.
The first half was an offensive struggle – for both teams. Oak Hill went into halftime with a field goal percentage of 34% and a whopping 0-of-8 from three. La Lumiere shot it a bit better at 43% from the field and knocked in 5 of their 12 three-point attempts.
Aden Holloway caught fire in the first half, scoring 16 points on 5-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from three.
Things improved somewhat during the second half, but it was still up and down. There were times were Oak Hill showed a glimpse of a comeback, but La Lu shut it down quickly and was finally able to pull away in the last few minutes of regulation.
Holloway only took one field goal attempt in the second half but was able to get to the free-throw line and finish with a team-high 22 points. Michigan State’s newest commit, Jeremy Fears finished with 12 points and eight assists but had a much bigger impact on the game than just what the stats show. Notre Dame bound guard JJ Starling also scored 12 points in the win.
FINAL – La Lumiere: 70, Oak Hill: 56