Cap Classic produces good and bad

Ron Bailey, Publisher

Games both entertaining and not so.

April 20, 2011 – The Capital Classic’s 38th iteration was put together in relative short fashion, though by its execution you couldn’t tell, as Robert Geoghan, original founder of the event, his staff and site host Show Place Arena did an excellent job. Hats off to that crew, including event coordinator/manager Pam Chvotkin, who professionally accommodated all in attendance while also managing operations.

The actual games were a mixed bag from a competitive standpoint; it wasn’t a matter of talent available, but actual play.

First the not so good, the US All Stars 136-115 Capital All Stars drubbing. This game’s fourth quarter score of 106-74, a US All Stars advantage, says it all.

Eight US All Stars – a team of high school standouts from locales outside of the District-Maryland-Virginia area – scored in double figures, led by Clemson-bound Devon Coleman (19 points, two boards) and eventual MVP and future West Virginia Mountaineer Jabarie Hinds (19 points, five rebounds, two dimes). A trio of guys dropped 16 points: Myles Mack (Rutgers), Kelvin Amayo (undecided) and Dorian Finney-Smith (Va Tech, who also corralled nine rebounds).

Jabari Hinds, guarded by Treveon Graham, on the move.

Transition offense and the lack of its related defense doomed the Capital All Stars, as did another factor. “A game like this is an all star game where you have 12 other good players around you” noted Johnson. “Everybody is used to being the man on his team. So a game like this its going to be games like this – high scoring up and own. It’s going to be hard”.

“They passed. They definitely came out more as a team” opined Capital All Star Devin Gallman (five points, three rebounds), before later adding “In the first half, we were definitely slow on defense”.

The Capital All Stars – populated by guys from the area – got 18 points, 10 rebounds and three rebounds from Treveon Graham, who is headed to Virginia Commonwealth. Johnosn, a future Villanova Wildcat, dropped 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Marcus Thornton, who will be a William and Mary student athlete, contributed 15 points and four rebounds.

If the main game was somewhat underwhelming from a competitive standpoint, the first contest wasn’t: Despite being down 20 with 4:27 to go in the third quarter – the fruits being on a backend of a 24-8 run – the DC All Stars battled to within three at the games final 3:43 mark.

How did they do it?

Full court defense was the key, as DC All Stars head coach Rob Nickens was heard telling his team “Get up. Get up”, meaning pick up full court man and pressure the ball. His team forced 23 turnovers for the game, many during this period.

Unfortunately, the Suburban All Stars had an answer in Prince Okoroh; up just four with 1:53 to go, Okoroh, who is headed to Howard on a full academic scholarship yet will also hoop, dropped in a jumper, then hit a three pointer, immediately afterward converting a lay up. The final score was 104-97, with Okoroh’s team prevailing.

Prince Okoroh getting it done.

Okoroh finished with 16 points, five rebounds, two steals and MVP honors, while Andrew Gaines led the team in scoring with 17 points. Brandon Ford, also a future Howard student-athlete, poured in 15 points, and Malcolm Miller, headed to Holy Cross, chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds. Karl Ziegler contributed 12 points and six rebounds.

The District All Stars got 16 points from Delaware-bound Larry Savage (plus four rebounds), and 16 points, three boards and a pair of assists from Malcolm Clarke. Future Rice student-athlete Julian DeBose finished with 15 points, while Tyler Hubbard, bound for Loyola next year, tallied 11 points and three caroms. Ryan McNeill-Moses led all rebounders with 11, while also dropping 10 points and five assists.

Clarke summed his District All Star team’s play: “We just worked hard in the end. At the half, we were down by three, and we came out, weren’t really playing, and so they went up by 20. So fourth quarter, we worked a little bit harder than we did before, and got the game down to what, five or four points. But they took it all”.