Florida Gators recruit helps Hamilton Heights surge past Thon Maker
A trio of Canadians on a multinational team from Tennessee helped defeat a multinational team from Canada.
That’s how the Signature Series of the Culligan City of Palms Classic finished Tuesday night at Bishop Verot High School’s John J. Nevins Gymnasium, where Chattanooga Hamilton Heights Christian Academy defeated Orangewood (Ontario) Athlete Institute 58-53.
Thon Maker, a 7-foot-1 player for Athlete Institute, scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, making 3-of-6 3-point field goal attempts.
“It’s not about us stopping one individual,” said Hamilton Heights coach Zach Ferrell, whose team improved to 12-2. Athlete Institute fell to 9-8. “It was all about the team.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who hails from Hamilton, Ontario, and moved south to Hamilton Heights, led his team with 18 points, five rebounds, four steals and four assists. A junior guard whose grandparents grew up in Antigua, he verbally committed to the University of Florida.
“He brings to us an incredible leadership and a calm demeanor,” Hamilton Heights coach Zach Ferrell said. “He makes big plays when big plays are needed. He’s a very unselfish player. He’s going down trying to find somebody, but if we need him to make a play, he makes a play. He just shows amazing leadership.”
Ferrell, 27, has assembled a program that recruits internationally. The high school has just 70 students. About 30 of them come from other countries. There are two Americans, four Nigerians, one Romanian and the three Canadians on the team’s roster.
Some of his players are from the Muslim faith, Ferrell said. They are taught Christian scripture at the school but so far none have publicly taken on the Christian faith because, Ferrell said, there would be repercussions back home.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, also from Canada and regarded as a top 70 player in the nation, scored 17 points while fellow Canadian Therren Shelton-Szmidt finished with 11.
“They’re all good players,” said Athlete Institute coach Brandon Lesovsky, who has players from five countries on his team. “We knew them. We knew what they were going to do. And they made plays.”
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Jacksonville Potter’s House 71, Westchester (Pa.) Westtown 58
The Lions raced out a 10-3 lead in the first two minutes of the game and never looked back in claiming third place in the Classic’s Signature Series.
The matchup featured two of the most coveted prep big men in the country. Senior center Udoka Azubuike finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds while holding Westtown junior center Mohammed Bamba in check. Bamba finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.
“I have played against a lot of big time players so it wasn’t any different,” Azubuike said. “I have played against him before. I just went out there and played my game.”
Westtown trailed by nine points entering the fourth quarter but never drew any closer. Brandon Randolph led the Moose with 17 points.
Potter’s House never trailed in the game. Mike McDougal finished with 11 points for the Lions while Ricquail Smoot and DJ Russell each chipped in 10.
“The last game we played we didn’t really play the right way,” Azubuike said of his team’s effort in a loss on Sunday. “We had the mindset going in of dominating and winning (Tuesday).”