Meyers midweek report
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Rivals.com four-star prospect Aaron Bright has yet to gain the full respect of scouts and high-major coaches, but the talented 2010 prospect led his Bellevue (Wash.) team to a championship in the Maxpreps Holiday Classic in San Diego. That championship game and other tournament finals are recapped in this edition of Meyer's Midweek Report.
Maxpreps Holiday Classic
Two well-coached and hard-playing squads in Bellevue (Wash.) and Rialto (Calif.) Eisenhower locked horns in the final of the Maxpreps Holiday Classic. Led by the 18 points of tournament MVP Aaron Bright, Bellevue outlasted Eisenhower 58-54. Just as important as his scoring, Bright's defense held Creighton signee and fan favorite Andrew Bock to only nine points after he had lit up Jeremy Tyler's squad for 26 points the night before.
Put Bright and Bock in the same category as prospects who will be doubted because of height or size. But the fact is that both are high-major-level winners. Creighton has something special in Bock, and whichever high-major steps up with an offer and gets Bright will be very glad it did.
Third-place finisher Bishop O'Dowd sports a couple of impressive freshmen whose names need to be locked away for future reference. Brandon Ashley, a 6-foot-6 power forward, is likely to grow several more inches and is a potential elite prospect. Besides having length and athleticism, Ashley finishes at an impressive level for a freshman and has an instinct for positioning and getting to the basketball.
Ashley's freshman partner Richard Longruss is also 6-6, but he is more of a perimeter player with an impressive handle and feel for passing the ball.
T-Mobile Invitational
Indianapolis Lawrence North took home the championship of the T-Mobile Invitational in Muncie, Ind., by holding elite post prospect Derrick Favors of South Atlanta to 12 points and 10 rebounds. The combination of a Lawrence North large frontline and foul trouble kept Favors in check. In his previous game, Favors went off against Duncanville (Texas) for 30 points – hitting all 12 of his shots from the field − and 21 rebounds.
Only 30 minutes before his Seattle Garfield's consolation game against Duncanville, 2011 elite prospect Anthony Wroten Jr. received word that a Seattle judge's injunction against his ineligibility ruling would allow him to play. Although a little rusty by Rivals.com Brian Snow's account, Wroten led his squad to a one-point upset win. He finished with a healthy 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Les Schwab Invitational
In an all Los Angeles final at the Les Schwab Invitational in Oregon, Dominguez took down Fairfax 58-56. Dominguez's Myron Green scored the last of his 22 points on a winning goaltending call against Renardo Sidney. Sidney, a top 10 prospect, scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the game and was named tournament MVP.
Big Numbers
• Western Kentucky signee Jordan Swing had a big game on New Year's Eve. He led his Vestavia Hills (Ala.) squad to a two-point win over defending 6A state champion Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Hillcrest with a 37-point effort.
• Vanderbilt signee John Jenkins continued his scoring barrage. In a tournament final, Jenkins put up 34 points against Memphis (Tenn.) Harding Academy's box-and-one defense to lead Gallatin (Tenn.) Station Camp to the victory.
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