Delks Shine in State Tourney

2005 prospects Reginald Delk and Richard Delk of Jackson Northside (Tenn.) High School made a statement in their lopsided victory over Jamont Gordon and his Gencliff High School team out of Nashville in the first round of the state tournament Thursday night.

The Delks came out of the gate with a chip on their shoulders, ready to show they can play with one of the best players in the country in Jamont Gordon. They did not just play with him. They both individually outplayed Gordon in their 77 to 55 victory. The game was out of reach by the end of the first quarter as Northside was up 29 to 9.

6-foot-4 Reginald Delk led the way with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. He shot 8 of 15 from the field with 4 of 8 from behind the arc.

6-foot-5 Richard Delk had 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks. He shot 7-13 from the field with 3 of 8 from behind the arc.

The 6-foot-4 Gordon, who began the game miserably by missing his first 7 attempts from the field and his first 6 attempts from the line, had 18 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. He ended the night shooting 8 of 22 from the field and only 2 of 10 from the line.

Northside overwhelmed Glencliff from the opening tip with a disciplined and unselfish, yet up tempo attack. Northside was simply much better in every aspect of the game.

Gordon, as noted by Rob Lewis of VolQuest.com, displayed glimpses of brilliance, but he also fell into the undisciplined style of play of his team as a whole. The game boldly underscored the importance of Gordon playing in a more disciplined program, such as Oak Hill, his senior year.

The Delks, despite their extremely slender frames, played an aggressive and even somewhat physical style of in your face basketball. They played with intensity and extreme skill.

It is difficult not to talk of them as one entity. Along with the fact that the twins look almost identical, just think of their uncle Tony Delk, they play almost identical.

Reginald has the reputation as the better shooter, scorer, and player, and Richard has the reputation as the better ball handler and defender. On this night, however, it was difficult to tell the two apart. Richard was stroking jumpers along with his brother, and Reginald was wreaking havoc defensively on the top of the zone with steals and blocked shots.

The Delks have adamantly stated that they are going to play together in college, leading many in the recruiting business, including myself, to believe they will not get any high major offers. After watching them play the other night, I am convinced they are both high major talents. Most schools would be hard pressed to find a better back court tandem than the Delks, with Richard at the point and Reginald at the shooting guard.

They do need to put on weight, but they are coming up in the same mold as their uncle Tony Delk, who I watched play on the same court in the state tournament when he was a senior in high school.

The Delks play in the state finals against nationally ranked White Station High School tonight.

Northside team defeated Bradley Central 61 to 58 in the semifinals last night.

Reginald scored 14 points and grabbed 6 boards. Richard scored 13 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.