GPS Basketball’s super 20 players, five things we learned from Grammar v Terrace in Round 3
Meet the 20 top players from GPS Basketball’s third round as the premiership race ramps up following Toowoomba Grammar and Gregory Terrace wins.
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A star was born at The Southport School with 2.01m Year 10 Samuel Geu racking up five blocks on Toowoomba Grammar School’s way to a spectacular 78-75 triumph over competition benchmark Southport.
Kabe Cicolini’s young squad, built of primarily year 10 and 11’s rallied and strung stops together in the final moments to get over the line.
In a seesawing affair, where TGS were down double digits on various occasions, free throws down the stretch, offensive rebounds, and the one percenters proved the difference.
Cicolini said “after getting three wins a season over the last few years, starting 3-0 sets a great platform to build on and have a great season.”
“We have a really young group, rotating one senior. The next 12-24 months is pretty exciting and hopefully a new normal for us,” he said.
In other matches, GT defeated BGS 94-74, Chuchie beat Nudgee 93-63 while IGS triumphed 84-68 over BBC.
THE SUPER 20 FROM ROUND THREE
Fletcher Doyle (Ipswich Grammar School)
Doyle is a very talented player and IGS’ main go to guy. He hit a couple of big shots at crucial times. He was great on defence too.
James Pearson (Ipswich Grammar School)
Pearson had 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists, with only one turnover.
He led from the front, got his teammates involved, attacked the rim and got to the free throw line on the back of an aggressive showing.
Tristan Afamasaga (Ipswich Grammar School)
The Year 10 young gun played 14 minutes for IGS. He was extremely effective and when coming on in the last quarter, he looked right at home.
Afamasaga, who plays 10As and First V, is filling a role and developing nicely. He’s one for the future.
Samuel Geu (Toowoomba Grammar School)
Power forward Samuel Geu, a towering Year 10 standing at 6’7, was elit for TGS.
Although he struggled scoring in the halfcourt, he picked up a ton of offensive rebounds, went 12 from 13 from the strike and had five blocks in key moments of the game.
One of his clutch swats came with seven seconds to go, sealing the win.
Kabe Cicolini said for a grade 10 to churn that out and be that reliable on the defensive end was massive.
Tawana Ngorima (Toowoomba Grammar School)
Sixth man Tawana Ngorima has had a really positive start to the season, blowing the competition away with his effectiveness.
He was a beast going up against the two starting guards from the QLD U18 North team—putting it to them and forcing some tough decisions. Indeed it was a cracking effort from a 15-year-old.
He’s been a surprise package for TGS, allowing them to play a couple of different line ups—His malleability allows them to stay in games when they go to the bench.
James Nugent (Toowoomba Grammar School)
Vice-captain James Nugent was huge down the stretch for TGS. He made some clutch free throws and guarded TSS’ primary scorers. Nugent was another glass eater, securing a crucial rebound in the game’s dying moments.
Ben Tweedy (The Southport School)
Tweedy, a young gun in the North U18 State Team, was TSS’ best and fairest.
Tweedy is a fierce little competitor whose basketball IQ is off the charts. He’s a difference maker, really bright, and understands all aspects of the game.
TSS First V head coach Anthony Petrie says Petrie, Year 11, has been great for the group, “he just competes and drives the group.”
His father Neal coaches the Rockhampton Rockets NBL1 team.
Jaylen Pitman (The Southport School)
Pitman, who was selected in the U17’s Australian squad, is one of the most “elite on ball defenders” that coach Anthony Petire has come across in a fair while.
He predicts what the offense does, busts through screens, is brilliant finishing at the rim, and excellent sliding his feet.
Caleb Cronn, Quinn Lambert and Kurt Siwek (Churchie)
Caleb Cronn went for 24 and Quinn Lambert 19, while Kurt Siwek threw in 14 on Churchie’s way to a convincing 93-63 victory over Nudgee at home.
Churchie head coach Drew Summerfield was very proud of the effort, saying the boys are starting to make strides forward and learning to play together.
“We did a great job maintaining contact with their sharp shooter, forcing him to go two from 11 from behind the arc.”
“The intensity was high from the start which was great to see. Our transition started to cook, we found open shooters early and then heated up from behind the arc, going four straight from deep to send us up 24 points at half time,” he said.
Stat leaders
Points: Caleb Cronn 24, Quinn Lambert 19, Kurt Siwek 14. Rebounds: Edward Storen 9, Kurt Siwek 7, Isaac Cordell 7. Steals: Mackenzie Jolly 4.
Emerson Juhasz (Brisbane Boys’ College)
BBC’s top scorer Emerson Juhasz hit some brilliant baskets, and finished off some very tough buckets. Unfortunately, IGS executed their game plan and didn’t allow BBC to capitalise on any momentum.
Jared Gluch (Brisbane Boys’ College)
Captain Jared Gluch rebounded well and was a great team player. He was involved in everything and finished well around the rim.
Lebron Brooks (Brisbane Grammar School)
Grammar has a good one in Lebron Brooks. With a crisp jump shot and safe handles, Brooks was the go-to on Saturday.
He was captivating with elite decision making, ball security and out of this world efficiency from the field.
Lachlan Curtin (Brisbane Grammar School)
You had to be there to see Curtin carve up on the boards. Terrace had all the height, but Curtin had all the heart. A first half double-double doesn’t do his efforts justice.
Nazar Angallo (Gregory Terrace)
Angallo, as captain, led the team from the front. He was tireless on defence and took accountability if there was ever a chance he could have executed better. He caught fire from deep.
Phoenix Trego (Gregory Terrace)
Phoenix Trego or Phoenix’s Chris Paul? There was no shortage of flashy passes from Trego. What a show he put on. Trego will need to deliver once more if Terrace are to take it to BSHS in round four.
Tama Tuhi (Gregory Terrace)
Tuhi found his groove after early struggles. He deserves his spot on this list, bouncing back excellently to impact the game profoundly.
Nate Scott, Joaquin Tulloch and Mladen Markovic (Nudgee College)
Nate Scott had 23 points for the game but had to work hard against some very physical defence.
Joaquin Tulloch continued to test the Churchie defensive wall with a hard fought 11 points while Mladen Markovic filled it up from the three and the middle with 10 points and some strong finishes.
5 THINGS WE LEARNED FROM THE GT V BGS CLASH
GT’s Two-way wizard
Nazar Angallo was instrumental on both sides of the ball on Saturday—a defensive menace and a scorer in every meaning of the word.
Angallo’s clamps on defence tightened when the game was on the line, giving BGS’ primary scorers no room to breathe. He was a brick wall to get past, sliding his feet and battling screens to apply immense pressure.
GT earned some much needed stops on the back of Angallo’s harassing defence.
On attack, he was lights out. He utilised his natural athleticism to run the floor— converting plenty of fast break opportunities, burning off defenders and catching them sleeping.
His smooth stroke from behind the arc delivered Terrace a few crucial buckets to erase the deficit and storm ahead.
No Lead is Safe
It’s safe to say that no lead, no matter how big, is safe in this competition. It can be chased down on the back of effort plays.
This was the case with Terrace battling through first half adversity, where at one stage they were down 16.
Curtin and Brooks were trading buckets as BGS surged ahead. But, it was a much needed halftime debrief that saw Mathew Hamilton- Smith’s boys erase that lead and turn the game on its head to triumph 94-74.
Hamilton-Smith made plenty of references to overcoming the adversity presented to his troops throughout the game, and it was vice captain Tama Tuhi who demonstrated this winning-attitude.
Tuhi couldn’t get it going in the first half, but like all good players, found a way to impact the game without scoring.
This scoring drought didn’t last long as the talent quickly got out of the rut in the second half.
From encouragement and energy off the bench, to running the floor in transition, Tuhi was the turning point for the boys in red and black.
Lebron ‘James’ Brooks
Shot creator is the word that comes to mind.
Lebron Brooks has a way of finding his spots, getting to them no matter what, and executing with great efficiency.
With a trademark clap of the hands after every made bucket, Brooks was clapping all game on Saturday as he got hotter and hotter from the field.
It was a genuine clinic from Brooks as he spearheaded BGS’ 10- run after their poor start which saw them go down 6-0 within the first minute.
He thrives on confidence. Once he saw one shot go down, it was only a matter of time until he was in double digits and making tough shot after tough shot.
He has an abundance of tricks up his sleeve. A crafty euro-step, a smooth baseline jump shot and superb balance when coming off screens and getting off high percentage shots. And of course he has the range in his arsenal.
Brooks was brilliant.
BGS’ Board Eater
BGS superstar Lachlan Curtin was attacking the glass all game on Saturday. He swung all the momentum his team’s way with incredible offensive rebounding and countless second-chance points.
With the help of Lebron Brooks, Curtin captivated the supporters looking on as the underdogs struck ahead 16 points over Terrace.
He was an absolute animal, boxing out players with a significant height advantage. With a bunch of heart, aggression and hunger to capitalise on loose rebounding opportunities, Curtin racked up double digits in the rebounding category before the half.
He’s not the tallest, but he was playing like Orlando Magic’s Shaquille O’Neal of the 2000s.
Curtin’s courage on the glass made coach Dan George “super proud.”
The Flash
Flashy passes and sharp shooting from Phoenix Trego highlighted his team’s second half surge on Saturday—Terrace catching fire in a thrilling 36-point-swing.
You had to be there to watch Trego dish out some ridiculous dimes. His eyes were fixated one way, while sending a bullet pass in the opposite direction. Indeed it was jaw dropping stuff.
He got it going beyond the arc as well with some very timely threes. He feeds off the intensity and atmosphere of big moments. When GT needed him, he was there in abundance, setting up his teammates, moving the ball, and cashing in treys from deep.
ROUND 3
BSHS v GT
TSS v ACGS
IGS v BGS
BBC v NC
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