Chris Livingston, Oak Hill knocked out of GEICO Nationals in first round
The first battle between two future SEC foes didn’t go in Kentucky’s favor, but there will be a chance at redemption.
On Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the 2022 GEICO Nationals, Wildcat commit Chris Livingston saw his Oak Hill Academy (VA) squad knocked out of the tournament at the hands of Arkansas commit Jordan Walsh and Link Academy. Livingston finished with a solid overall outing for Oak Hill in the 81-67 loss, posting 12 points on 5-13 shooting, including a 1-3 mark from distance, to go along with five rebounds, one assist, two steals, two blocks, and one turnover while playing all 32 minutes.
Livingston finishes his high school career with a 31-9 record at Oak Hill after spending his first three years at his hometown program, Buchtel High School in Akron, OH. The five-star wing will arrive on Kentucky’s campus this summer in preparation for his freshman season as a Wildcat.
Oak Hill went down early against Link, trailing 11-1 before finding their footing. Link would still win the opening quarter 27-14, but Oak Hill held them to just seven points in the second frame, trailing 34-33 heading into the halftime break. Unfortunately for Oak Hill, Walsh took over in the second half as Link ultimately ran away with the win in the fourth quarter.
Livingston was at his best in the first half, dropping nine points, two rebounds, and two blocks while looking comfortable getting to his spots. His hands were incredibly active on defense, he moved well without the ball, and he knocked down a beautiful catch-and-shoot jumper. Livingston looked like the best player on the floor early on.
However, his second-half effort was not nearly as productive. Outside of burying a deep triple with his team trailing late, Livingston appeared a bit hesitant driving to the rim against a stout Link defense. He had a jumper blocked by Walsh and failed to score beyond the aforementioned 3-pointer over the second half of action.
Overall, it was a solid outing from Livingston, who was a few made free throws away from possibly winning MVP of the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game earlier in the week. There has been plenty to like from the imposing 6-foot-7 slasher over the last several days, but his second half against Link left some to be desired.
Walsh, who will join the Razorbacks this summer alongside a slew of top-ranked commits for Arkansas, was the star of the contest, popping off for 23 points in just 21 minutes as he dealt with early foul trouble. He was up to nine points in the opening four minutes before picking up a second foul that kept him on the bench for the majority of the first half. He shot 9-10 from the floor, including several impressive dunks while making his only 3-point attempt, in addition to his eight rebounds and seven assists with just two turnovers.
Walsh got the best of Livingston this time around, but the two will certainly meet again in the 2022-23 season during the SEC slate. While this was the final high school game for Livingston, it won’t be your last chance to watch him before he arrives in Lexington. He’ll participate in both the Jordan Brand Classic and Iverson Classic, which will take place in April.
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