Hoopfest: Friday

BENTON, KY.- The Bill Keightley Marshall County Hoopfest began Friday night with a heavyweight battle between Oak Hill Academy and Duncanwood. Both Doron Lamb's defensive and offensive play was pivotal in the Oak Hill victory.

Oak Hill Academy 69, Duncanwood 57

Despite losing Keith Gallon midway through the first quarter with an ankle injury, Oak Hill stretched it out to a comfortable double digit lead early in the third quarter. Struggling to make an outside shot and defend Oak Hill's guards, Duncanville never threatened to turn the tables.

Doron Lamb- The 2010 four-star shooting guard is known more for his scoring, but it was his stellar defense on Shawn Williams that turned the game in favor for Oak Hill. Williams started out on fire against Glenn Bryant who was giving Williams too much room to work with. But then Oak Hill coach Steve Smith switched Lamb onto Smith during the middle part of the game. Lamb got into Williams, taking away his three-point shot and then cutting him off on the dribble with defensive support from his big men.

Lamb also hit some big shots, scoring 14 points on 5-11 shooting, 2-3 from behind the arc. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out an assist. You wouldn't classify Lamb as a great athlete or a pure shooter, but he has length for his position and is a crafty scorer, who will also score points at the high major level.

Baye Moussa Kieta- The 2010 Senegal big man who is headed to Syracuse, came up big for Oak Hill in the absence of Gallon. While hunting their shots, the Oak Hill guards didn't look inclined to throw the ball inside anyway, so the trade of offensive minded Gallon for the defensive minded Kieta was a positive swap. Kieta only took one shot, but he had a team high 12 rebounds, blocked four shots and altered a number of other shots.

Lamont Jones- Leading Oak Hill in scoring with 17 points, Jones also led them in shot attempts with 20, seven of which went in. Jones is strong with the basketball and can get his shot off most anytime, but he has a lot to learn about shot selection at Virginia Tech. Playing with a single focus on scoring the ball, Jones didn't come up with an assist and had four turnovers.

Pe'Shon Howard- Kieta was the frontline x-factor off the bench for Oak Hill, and Howard was the backcourt x-factor. Howard played almost 20 minutes and did a superb job of running the point for Oak Hill. He forced only one shot and dished out four assists to zero turnovers and scored eight points on 3-6 shooting. Howard played this same stabilizing role off the bench for Team Breakdown during the Reebok Summer Championships. And he just might just be meant for this type of role at the high major level. Right now he is playing with strength and smarts.

Glenn Bryant- The pogo stick big man did what he does best- rebound and play with energy. He snagged 11 rebounds, blocked three shots and scored ten points on 3-3 shooting from the field and 4-7 from the line. Bryant also found success guarding Roger Franklin after struggling against Williams. Franklin operates inside the three-point line and is not as much of a threat to attack the basket with the dribble. Bryant's length created problems for him.

Shawn Williams- The Texas bound small forward scored 22 points for Duncanville on 6-16 shooting 4-8 from the arc and 6-8 from the line. All four three-pointers came in the first half. He also had seven rebounds. Williams has a great shooting stroke, a feel for passing the ball and the ability to put it on the floor. The question right now is whether or not he will develop the strength and explosiveness to make plays off the dribble at Texas or just be primarily a wing shooter. At this stage Williams has to over commit on the dribble to beat the first man and then finds himself hung up in the lane taking difficult shots, hoping to draw a foul.

Roger Franklin- The Oklahoma State signee grabbed nine rebounds but struggled mightily from the floor, shooting 6-24 for 13 points. Pour shot selection was his down fall. In fact players on both teams played like they might not ever touch the ball again once they got it.

Perry Jones- The 2010 five-star prospect committed to Baylor utilized his length and athleticism on the boards, tallying a game high 14 rebounds. His scoring game is still a work in progress against other big bodies, but Jones was the highest level prospect on the court.

Reger Dowell- Struggled on Friday offensively and defensively, scoring six points on 3-13 shooting. It wasn't a good shooting night for Travis Ford's two signees with a combined 9-37 from the field.

St. Benedict's 72, Jackson Provine 56

Tristan Thompson- The 2010 top ten prospect headed to Texas had a solid outing, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Thompson shot 6-11 from both the field and the line. Offensively, Thompson still has a ways to go in figuring out how he will score at the next level. There is no doubt he will pick up points in transition and with his offensive rebounding, but he must improve his shooting range and/or his strength around the basket in order to be a scorer in the half court. What was most impressive about his play Friday night was his low post defense. In the second half when Provine was intent on getting the ball inside, Thompson's length and active feet made it nearly impossible.

Lamar Patterson- The Pittsburgh signee came off the bench to play the four position for St. Benedict's and produced 10 points on 4-8 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Don't be surprised if Patterson bulks up at Pittsburgh and plays as a skilled and strong but undersized four man.

Tamir Jackson- Jackson struggled with foul trouble through much of the game, but did manage nine points on 4-7 shooting. A crafty midrange scorer with a knack for seeking out the body of his defender, Jackson will put up points at Rice despite his marginal athleticism.

Myck Kabongo- An impressive looking 2011 point guard, Kabongo has a feel for the game and can make plays at a high rate of speed. He scored 11 points Friday night, but I don't expect him to be a big scorer at the next level. At least right now he is a marginal shooter and doesn't elevate that well at the rim. What he will be, however, is a pesky defender and extremely high level ball handler who can run a team and score in spots.

Memphis Briarcrest 53, Chicago Homewood-Flossmoor 45

Leslie McDonald- The North Carolina signee began the game attacking offensively, but then cooled off somewhat as the game progressed. He scored 13 points on 5-14 shooting, 1-5 from three and grabbed a game high ten rebounds. He also had three assists to three turnovers. Look for McDonald to contribute at North Carolina in a similar way as Marcus Ginyard and Bobby Frasor.

Johnny Williams- The George Mason signee scored a game high 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Greg Wooten- The unsigned point guard ended with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and five turnovers.