by Alex Schwartz

It is time to continue my coverage of the final weekend of the 2010 Prime Time Shootout. Below is a recap of the first three games on Sunday afternoon at the Sun National Bank Center. Have a look.

The Pennington School (NJ) vs. Albany Academy (NY)
Chandler Fraser-Pauls '11 (pictured), a 6'0 point guard, came out of the gates on fire, scoring 10 points in the first quarter, including a buzzer beating three, to give The Pennington School a 19-14 lead at the end of one. Anthony Gaffney '11, a 6'2 shooting guard, chipped in with four assists in the first eight minutes for TPS, while 6'1 combo guard Nolan Hart '10 and 6'7 power forward David Benocs '11 were the main catalysts for Albany Academy to start the game. Hart and Benocs would be the main players for the Cadets for the whole game, and besides some help from guard Jelani Currie '12, that duo had to do it all. Hart, though he took a lot of shots, finished with 20 points and Most Outstanding Player honors, while Benocs added 14 points. It was not enough though, as Pennington won 65-48, outscoring Academy 22-9 in the fourth quarter.

For TPS, Chandler Fraser-Pauls cooled down after his big first quarter, but still had 20 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds (1 offensive), and just 1 turnover. A good athlete with a high basketball IQ, Fraser-Pauls will likely need to distribute more at the next level and cut down on the shots a bit, but he looks to be a low Division I prospect. Also scoring 20 points for Pennington en route to MOP honors was North Carolina State football-signee Dontae Johnson '10. A 6'3 small forward who plays safety on the gridiron, Johnson was 7/11 (58.3%) from the field and 6/8 (75%) at the stripe and also had 8 boards (4 offensive). New Hampshire football-signee Harold Spears '10, a 6'5 small forward, had an impressive stat line of 15 points, 7 rebounds (2 offensive), 6 steals, and 5 assists. Anthony Gaffney wound up with 10 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds (1 offensive) in the victory, making it four players in double-digits for the Red Raiders.

Once Nolan Hart develops more of a feel of when to distribute and when to create for himself or shoot he will become an even better player. The senior guard is talented and has a good stroke from beyond the arc. He was 4/4 at the line and had 4 rebounds (2 offensive) to go along with his 20 points. Benocs has great size and works hard in the post and could be a low DI player, likely in the Ivy League or Patriot League. His 14 points came on 7/11 (58.3%) shooting and he also grabbed 6 rebounds (2 offensive).

Oak Ridge Military Academy (NC) vs. Nichols School (NY)
The first eight minutes of the game were all Oak Ridge Military Academy and it appeared that the Cadets would coast to a victory, just as it looked like on paper that they would. Virginia-bound 6'8 power forward Will Regan '10 (pictured on left) would not let that happen though, as Nichols School stormed back in the second quarter. Oak Ridge led 23-12 after one, but was outscored 23-11 in the second and Nichols held a 35-34 lead at the intermission.

Entering the fourth, Oak Ridge held a three-point lead, but Nichols once again fought back behind the play of its star big man and actually led by four with under 100 seconds to go. The Empire State team held a 58-55 lead with under 25 seconds to play and it looked like the team would be able to pull the upset, but it was not to be.

Oak Ridge's Jacob Lawson '11, a 6'8 power forward, soared down the baseline for a huge dunk and was fouled in the process. He hit the free throw to tie the game with 16.7 left. At the other end, Regan had a good look on the low block, but he shot was blocked by Xavier-bound 6'5 small forward Jay Canty '10 (pictured on right below). An outlet pass came to Cal football-signee Chris McCain '10 and the 6'6 wing pulled up for a mid-range jumper the swished through the netting as time expired, giving Oak Ridge a come-from-behind 60-58 win. The Nichols coach was livid that no foul was called on Canty's block of Regan.

Will Regan, named Most Outstanding Player, had a double-double for Nichols, finishing with 22 points (9/17 FG, 52.9%) and 10 rebounds (2 offensive). Regan added 4 blocks and 1 steal to the stat line. He is a hard working 4 man who can step out and shoot the ball if needed. Regan runs the floor well and has an above-average handle for a player his size. The upstate star is a nice get for Tony Bennett at UVA. Stan Wier '12, a 6'3 sophomore guard, looks like he could be a nice player down the road. He has a good frame, plays hard, and does not back down. Also, Ronald Canestro '10, a 6'0 shooting guard, should be a DIII player due to his outside shooting ability.

For Oak Ridge, it was three-headed attack that led the team to victory. Jay Canty had 14 points and 4 rebounds (1 offensive) despite not having his finest game. The future Musketeer's shot was not falling—he was 4/11 (36.4%) from the field, 0/2 on threes, and 6/12 (50%) at the line—and he had three turnovers. Nonetheless, he came up with the big block, got the line a lot, and is a nice pickup for Chris Mack. Canty is a quality athlete who can also shoot the rock, even though that aspect of his game did not show on this day. Also with 14 points was 6'2 guard Asad Lamot '10, who was named MOP. Lamot was 6/12 (50%) on field goals, including 2/3 (66.7%) from deep. He also had 2 steals and 1 assist and may well end up as a DI player. If Chris McCain was not such a good football player, he likely could have been playing Division I hoops, maybe at the mid-major level if he had focused on hardwood game. The future Golden Bear had 13 points on 6/9 shooting (66.7%), including the game-winner. McCain also grabbed 7 boards (2 offensive). He has a great frame that is well suited for a defensive end/linebacker, which is what he plays on the gridiron.

Outside of his game tying and-one dunk plus free throw, Jacob Lawson did not have a great game. The junior big man struggled ton control his emotions on the floor and had just 5 points and 3 rebounds. He was 2/4 (50%) from the field and 1/1 at the stripe, with both of his misses coming from outside the arc, which is not a part of his game at this point. Lawson did have 3 blocks, 2 steals, and 1 assist, but his 5 turnovers is alarming. The athletic and physical 4 has a shot to play high-major ball, but he is not yet a finished product. North Carolina State-commit Joseph Uchebo '12, a 6'11 center, had a very good game in relatively limited minutes. The sophomore post player had 8 points (4/8 FG, 50%), and 6 rebounds (1 offensive). An intriguing physical specimen due to his size and frame at such a young age, Uchebo has a shot to be extremely good down the road.

Half Hollow Hills West (NY) vs. Christ the King (NY)
It might not have had an ending as good as the previous game, but the New York showdown might have been the best game of the day nonetheless. Featuring two of the top two teams in the Empire State, one from New York City (Christ the King) and one from Long Island (Half Hollow Hills West), this was much bigger than a basketball game. It was about state bragging rights, a claim to #1 in the state, and the battle of city vs. suburbs.

Hills West led 16-10 after the first quarter, but then the game took a drastic swing. After picking up two fouls in the first 3:30 of the game, Tennessee-bound McDonald's All-American 6'8 power forward Tobias Harris '10 (pictured on right below) was tagged with his fourth just 39 seconds into the second period. With the team's star player looking on from the bench, the Colts struggled through the second quarter and trailed 34-33 at the break. With Harris out of the game, 6'7 center Dominykas Milka '10 of CTK was fantastic down low, showing throughout the game that he is worthy of Division I looks.

With To. Harris back in the game in the third quarter, he teamed with the rest of the Hills West trio, 5'8 point guard Tavon Sledge '11 and 6'7 small forward Tyler Harris '12, to give the team the lead back, 54-47, entering the fourth quarter. The future Volunteer blocked a number of shots on defense and had some easy buckets at the other end, as Sledge ran the offense quite well. Harris' presence the pain created major problems for the Royals guards trying to get the bucket, as he blocked a number of shots, especially from 6'0 point guard Corey Edwards '11, who struggled on this day.

With 6:21 left in the fourth quarter, To. Harris was called for his fourth foul and he then fouled out with 1:53 left. Despite the Burger Boy missing much of the game, CTK could not take advantage and lost 73-69. Tyler Harris hit one of two free throws in the final seconds to ice the game and Tavon Sledge was fantastic at the point from start to finish to lead HHHW to the win.

The Most Outstanding Player for Christ the King was 6'4 shooting guard Omar Calhoun '12 (pictured on left), who had a game-high 24 points. He only shot 7/20 (35%) from the field and 1/4 (25%) on threes, but his poor percentage was partially due to having to carry his team as a number of players really struggled. Calhoun's 11 rebounds tied for a game high, and he had a ridiculous 9 offensive boards which was tops in the game. Despite being 6'4, Calhoun crashed the glass hard on offense and used his hops to help him come up with that high total of offensive boards, which was one of the most impressive statistics of the weekend. Dominykas Milka wound up with 13 points on 5/9 (55.6%) shooting from the field and 3/6 (50%) at the line. The big man also grabbed 11 boards, 7 of which were offensive, meaning that two Royals had double-doubles of points and rebounds.

CTK's Maurice Barrow '10, a 6'4 small forward with a great frame, is certainly not a afraid to shoot the ball. Barrow needs to cut down on the shot attempts, especially as he really struggled in the first half. The senior did pick it up in the last 10 minutes of so and ended with 18 points on 8/21 (38.1%) shooting, going 0/2 beyond the arc and 2/2 at the line. Barrow also had 9 rebounds (4 offensive), one shy of making it three CTK players with a double-double. Corey Edwards went just 3/14 (21.4%) from the field and was 0/5 beyond the arc, but he did make 2/3 at the line and finished with 8 points. Although Edwards' scoring ability was limited on Sunday, he found other ways to contribute, showing why he is being recruited at the high-major level. Edwards had 7 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, and just 1 turnover.

For Hills West, Tavon Sledge was the star of the game. The diminutive junior point guard had 23 points, 4 rebounds (1 offensive), and 4 assists. Sledge went 7/14 (50%) on field goals and 9/12 (75%) on free throws. His play down the stretch was key, as he was able to draw fouls and effectively run the show. Sledge showed no fear going to the cup despite his size, evidence by his game-high number of free throw attempts. Sledge was named co-MOP with Tobias Harris, who had 19 points, 7 blocks, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. The elder Harris was an impressive 8/11 (72.7%) from the field, including a couple nice dunks. In addition he went 3/4 (75%) at the line. Harris did have 5 turnovers, including three that came on offensive fouls, but his play was solid nonetheless. Tyler Harris had 12 points, 8 rebounds (2 offensive), 2 assists, and 2 blocks, shooting 4/9 (44.4%) from the field, 1/2 (50%) on threes, and 3/4 (75%) at the line. Overall, it was a good game for the less hyped and younger of the Harris brothers.

Note- photo of Fraser-Pauls is from http://teamnjabc.com/, photos of Regan, Canty, and To. Harris are from http://scouthoops.scout.com/, photo of Calhoun is from http://www.nypost.com/