It was a tough day at the Breslin for Michigan class of 2011 commitment Carlton Brundidge and class of 2010 recruiting target Isaiah Sykes. Both of their teams lost semifinal match-ups convincingly and could never really get their games going. A scouting report on Brundidge and Sykes is after the jump.
Carlton Brundidge vs. Ann Arbor Huron
22 points on 6 of 19 (0-5 3pt) shooting, 10-14 FT, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, 4 steals
Huron bothered Southfield with their length and athleticism throughout the entire game. Southfield had trouble breaking Huron’s press and when they did break it, they usually settled for poor shots. Huron got out to a huge 20+ point lead by halftime and kept Southfield at bay throughout the second half. Final score: Huron 76, Southfield 64.
Brundidge showed flashes of greatness including a couple nice finishes and a beautiful behind the back dribble in transition. Unfortunately he also missed a number of bunnies and also some crucial free throws. We’ve scouted and filmed Brundidge before, so you know the gist of his game: taking the ball to the rack.
Watching some of his previous performances on film, it was clear that he had to ability to hit the perimeter jump shot. That was not the case today as he went 0-5 from three point range and really couldn’t get anything going more than 5 feet from the hoop.
The one thing that he certainly demonstrated today was toughness. Brundidge took some hard knocks during the game. First he was thrown to the ground on a hard foul and appear to injure his back. Later he also appeared to tweak his lower leg. Brundidge continued to fight through the pain and continue to play, despite struggling and playing hurt.
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Isaiah Sykes vs. Kalamazoo Central
16 points on 6 of 12 shooting, 4-5 FT, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 turnovers, 3 steals
Denby managed to hang with Kalamazoo Central for a while but in the end Central was just too much, winning easily by a score of 68-49. Dayton commitment Devin Oliver and junior T.J. Buchanan dominated the game, combining for 41 points on 16 of 25 shooting.
We posted a scouting report and video of Sykes earlier this week and it was clear that his game hasn’t changed. He loves to get in the lane, he is always looking to pass the ball, and he doesn’t shoot the ball.
It was a bit harder for Sykes to make some of his nifty passes against Central’s swarming defense, which explains the 6 turnovers to 3 assists. His teammates also struggled to finish several good looks. In the second half Central sagged 4 or 5 feet off of Sykes on the perimeter, daring him to shoot, but he never fired up a perimeter jump shot. Sykes was better on free throws today (4-5) but the fact that he doesn’t even take jump shots almost makes me more nervous than an ugly jump shot.
Sykes definitely did not influence the game on the defensive end. Defense in the PSL isn’t always the number one priority but it was clear that Sykes is going to need major work to become a solid defender at the next level. Sykes’ handle is also a little loose. He had the ball poked away from him a couple times and while his handle is solid for a 6-foot-5 player, anyone proclaiming that he’s a point guard right now is way off.
There’s a lot to like about Sykes and his abilities coupled with his size, at least 6-foot-5 and listed at 6-foot-6 in the program, and length make him a very intriguing but certainly not flawless prospect. His recruitment should pick up momentum quickly now that his season is over. John Beilein was watching the Denby wing once again so he is definitely interested.
Today’s action… Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell (‘12 PG) and Cody Zeller (‘11 PF/C) will be playing for an Indiana state championship today. Ferrell’s Park Tudor squad tips at 12:45 pm (ET) and Zeller’s Washington team plays at 6 pm. Contributor Josh Houchin is planning to attend and film some more video which we will have posted ASAP. You can also stream the games here.
DCD and Amir Williams (‘11 C) will be in action in the Michigan class B finals at 8pm tonight (full MHSAA schedule). The game will be tape delayed on Fox Sports at 11pm.
In other news… Ernie Zeigler is in talks with Central Michigan about a 4 year contract extension. This should be good news in terms of Trey Zeigler’s recruitment.
