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Devon Hall at the 2012 Nike EYBL in Hampton |
On Tuesday night, Benedictine’s Cadets (Richmond, VA) played host to Cape Henry Collegiate’s Dolphins (Virginia Beach, VA) in a match-up of two teams ranked in the top four in the latest VISAA state rankings. In what felt like a playoff atmosphere, the no. 4 Dolphins defeated the no. 2 Cadets, 72-64.
Devon Hall , Cape Henry’s 6’5″ senior point guard and University of Virginia recruit, had 20 points, eight rebounds, and at least seven assists in the winning effort.
Hall impressed from the start, making three of his first four shots, including two 3s. He finished with nine points and two assists in the opening quarter, boosting his team to a 20-16 lead.
The Dolphins (14-2) started the second with a 10-2 run thanks to junior wing James Paige, who scored seven points in the second and finished with 23 in the game. Benedictine rallied to cut the lead to four, 37-33, but Hall beat the buzzer with a jumper that put Cape Henry up by six at the half.
In the third, Hall came through in the clutch once again, draining one from beyond the arc as time expired to give his team a 57-50 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The future Cavalier scored five points and dished out three assists in the third.
Benedictine had some chances to make it really interesting, but in the end Cape Henry pulled away and captured the 8-point win. Hall hit two free throws in the final minutes to help seal the game.
This is the third time I have seen Hall play in person. The first was on the AAU circuit and the second at UVa’s Elite Camp last summer. This was the best I have seen him play, and he certainly looked like a 4-star level recruit against a solid Cadets squad.
When Hall takes the court, you know you will get a smart, savvy player who is a skilled passer and playmaker. Hall does a great job of setting up his teammates and finding the open man. His scoring has been inconsistent, but he was on target Tuesday night. Here are the highlights:
Video Note**: Hall is no. 3 in red. The first portion of the video is of him scoring, beginning with an “And 1.” The second portion is of Hall’s assists on the night.
Hall’s game is as a playmaker, floor general, and all-around contributor. Being a more consistent scorer, both in terms of knocking down the outside shot and finishing around the basket, appears to be the biggest area of development moving forward. He showed on Tuesday night he has the ability to do those things. The main question is if he can do those things consistently.
Also from Cape Henry, I have been impressed with the 6’4 1/2″ Paige and 6’5 1/2″ wing Chris Clarke. Paige, a class of 2014 prospect, has an offer from High Point. He may not be a major college prospect (though I could easily see mid-major), but he plays fearless and can score inside and outside. He’s also an excellent rebounder, coming away with 11 boards on Tuesday night.
Clarke is a slasher with terrific athletic ability. He’s a quick riser and good finisher around the basket, and with his quickness and overall athleticism he could be a lockdown defender on the college level. Clarke, a class of 2015 prospect, attended UVa’s Elite Camp last year. I think he has major college talent.
Crespi Wins Thriller
Crespi (Encino, CA) senior point guard London Perrantes had 32 points in a win over St. Francis. He had 21 in the next game against Chaminade, but the Celts lost by three. Before the loss, the Celts had reeled off seven straight wins.
Crespi got back in the win column in style. Down 80-79 to Loyola with three seconds left in overtime, Carter Gallo drained a 3-pointer to give his team a 2-point victory. Follow this link to see the video, which made SportsCenter’s Tuesday Top Plays.
Perrantes had 24 points in the win. The Celts improve to 14-6 overall and 4-1 in the Mission League.
Future Point Guard Target?
According to Sportsxpressonline.com, UVa is keeping tabs on Federico Mussini, a point guard out of Italy. Mussini made a name for himself last April, when he scored 21 points in the Jordan Brand Classic International Game.
Mussini, who will turn 17 in March, presumably would be a member of the class of 2014 but that is not confirmed. Check out the Sports Xpress piece by clicking here.
