So here we are. The meat of Bounce’s (sadly) hypothetical SAC Holiday Tournament for 2020.
With COVID-19 ravaging our plans all year, this tournament’s absence is a tough one for many fans. So Bounce is back with a look at how the boys tournament would have played out, at least in my mind.
For everyone’s sanity, there is no way that I am going to try and project quarantine situations because had this tournament been played, undoubtedly at least one would pop up. So instead, since we are pretending, we will pretend there is no pandemic in play for 2020’s hypothetical SAC Holiday Tournament.
The games listed are how the tournament would have actually been seeded using the mid-December Sagarin rankings that were used last season.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 28
#8 North Side beats #9 Wayne: Not very long ago, North was the dominant force in this tournament, winning five of them in a row. But over the last two years, the Legends have been one-and-done in the annual event. That changes in our scenario, as Coach Gary Andrews’ team is showing signs of life this season, with its top five scorers all underclassmen. Both of these teams are underranked in terms of this seeding, with the Generals also showing some spunk under Coach Byron Pickens. In this matchup, the two teams battle back and forth through the first two quarters, but North freshman Brauntae Johnson erupts in the second half and finishes with 28 points in his first-ever SAC Tournament contest as the Legends win by double digits.
#10 South Side beats #7 Northrop: The team with the biggest beef in the seeding is South Side, which is a better squad than its bottom-feeder No. 10 rank gives it credit for. These two met earlier in December, with South winning by double digits. In our hypothetical, Northrop gets 22 from Khamani Smith, but it is the balanced effort of the Archers that is the difference. Ashton Johnson, Austin Jordan and Derek Ruch all finish in double digits as South moves on.
#5 Bishop Luers beats #4 Concordia Lutheran: A pair of teams that raised some eyebrows when it came to our hypothetical seeding based on Sagarin Ratings, neither had much of a good sample size to make an accurate reading. In this one, the Thompson brothers of Nick and Naylon are just too much, combining for 34 points as the Knights cruise past the Cadets to advance.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29
#3 Snider beats #6 Bishop Dwenger: Apart from a season-opening rout at the hands of Homestead, Coach Matt Kostoff’s team has been fairly solid over the early part of this year, making this Day 2 boys opener more intriguing than many would believe. While the Saints are able to stymie a youthful Snider team through much of the first two-plus quarters, the Panthers are able to pressure the ball and get some transition buckets, opening things up. In the end, it is Snider that advances, but by just eight points, with Karson Jenkins leading all scorers with 22.
#1 Homestead beats #8 North Side: The Legends come out with something to prove and take a quick 7-2 lead, but it is all Spartans after that. Luke Goode and Fletcher Loyer combine to his nine three-pointers and attempts by North to speed up the game only result in easier points scored by the Spartans. Goode and Loyer each finish with 26, while Andrew Leeper adds 13.
#2 Carroll beats #10 South Side: Nearly unblemished entering our hypothetical SAC Holiday Tournament, the Chargers take to the court for the first time in the event and get off to a sluggish start. South Side holds the lead after the first quarter and is within two at the break. However, after half it is the Jalen Jackson v. Ashton Johnson show. The two juniors match each other score for score and put on a true show for the fans in attendance. Both finish north of 30 points, but it is the Chargers that advance by seven.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30
#1 Homestead beats #5 Bishop Luers: Another rematch from an early regular-season matchup, Homestead drops 88 on Bishop Luers, slightly lower than it scored in a 94-56 win over the Knights on Dec. 18. Homestead coach Chris Johnson is liberal with his reserves in the second half to rest his standouts for the evening championship game. Senior Kaleb Kolpien scores 12 points in his highest output of the year to date. Naylon Thompson drops 19 in a losing effort for Bishop Luers.
#2 Carroll beats #3 Snider: A lot of energy in the gym at Wayne for this one, as Snider comes in having lost to the Chargers in last year’s final. While a new main cast, the Panthers have not forgotten how it felt watching Carroll cut down the nets. Snider comes out fast and spirited and looks to push the tempo. Meanwhile, Carroll is patient and looks for opportunities in the half court. Ryan Preston hits a trio of threes in the first half to open up the Panthers’ defense, then Jalen Jackson goes to work on good feeds on the baseline for easy buckets. While Snider keeps within striking distance for most of the game, it is Carroll that advances with a 10-point win.
THE FINALS
Amidst the newest rumblings of newbies Carroll and Homestead taking over the SAC, the two longtime rivals meet for the first time in the SAC Holiday Tournament title game. The question in pregame permeates through the gym – can Carroll slow down the offensive attack of Homestead led by Goode and Loyer?
The game starts off well for the Chargers, with Goode and Loyer a tad off through the first quarter and a half. But a 9-0 run over the final 1:25 of the second quarter – all threes – gives Homestead an 11-point halftime lead.
Carroll is able to bring the game within single digits in the first few minutes of the third, but Jalen Jackson picks up a third foul on a charge taken by Quinn Harmon turns the momentum again. Homestead ends the third quarter scoring 11 of the next 13 points and cruises to its second SAC Holiday Tournament in three years.
Fans of Homestead leave happy, those of Carroll are dejected, while longtime SAC fans grumble about the last three tournament titles being won by Carroll and Homestead.
#1 HOMESTEAD 69, #2 CARROLL 54
OTH ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Luke Goode, Homestead
Fletcher Loyer, Homestead
Jalen Jackson, Carroll
Ashton Johnson, South Side
Karson Jenkins, Snider
Naylon Thompson, Bishop Luers
These opinions represent those of Bounce and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Bounce on Twitter at Bounce_OTH
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