On Tuesday night at Mt. Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx, the athletic St. Raymond Ravens took on the taller All Hallows Gaels. The Ravens got out to a great start early and rode it to the score of 25-23 at the half. The Gaels played their best basketball leading into the half and looked poised to take control in the second half but Daniel Dingle of St. Ray’s cleaned up in the second half in the post and on the boards to secure a big win for the Ravens.
Below are reviews for several players that competed in the All Hallows vs. St. Raymond game on Tuesday night.
Alvarado stays a-step-ahead of his defender
Michael Alvarado G Sr. All Hallow - Alvarado is a quiet but effective leader. The combination of an explosive first step and quickness along with his size and power creates for one tough guard to defend. Alvarado chose to drive to the basket with his right-hand on many trips down the floor. This will cause defenders to guard him easily by forcing him to his left. At 6’1″ he is much more of a scoring guard than a point guard, although he played a very composed and steady game while at the point. He denies the ball well on defense but reached for the ball on several occasions. Alvarado hit his first 3-pointer with 4 minutes to go in the game, but took mostly good shots off ball reversals. Alvarado showed that he is comfortable shooting the ball off the catch and that he can get to the basket. A pull-up game will pay great dividends to Alvarado because of his ability to slice through the defense. He was very unselfish with the ball; he got his teammates involved but everyone knew that he had to take the game over for All Hallows to win.
- Okoro has an extremely high ceiling
Nkeurwem “Kerwin” Okoro F So. St. Raymond - The role of a skilled, high-motor player was on display by Okoro against All Hallows tonight. He ran the fastbreak with ease and finished with both hands as well. The 6’4″ forward showcased great hands and was hyperactive around the basket. Rebounding and blocking shots became natural to Okoro as the game went on. The sophomore also had a few nifty passes on the fastbreak that led to baskets. At this stage, Okoro might be looked at as a forward, but watching him play tonight might prove otherwise. His ability to finish at the basket and run the floor along with a fantastic work ethic may produce a very good shooting guard at the next level.
Dingle creates many mis-match problems for opponents, even as a sophomore
Daniel Dingle F So. St. Raymond - As a sophomore, Dingle plays a very mature style of ball. Standing in at 6’5″, Dingle showed tonight that he can wreak havoc in the post because of his disciplined attitude on the floor. He has great size and strength that he uses to box-out opponents on a consistent basis. When the forward gets a rebound on defense, he takes his time and gets the ball to a guard instead of rushing the play and possibly committing a turnover in the process. This action showed a lot of poise and understanding of the game. Dingle displayed an array of fundamental post moves. Currently, the drop-step is his go-to move. He did a great job of sealing off his man along with using his arms to swing around and lay the ball up. The big man can finish with both hands and showed an uncanny ability to grab boards on the offensive-end. Simply put, Dingle bullied whoever was guarding him tonight to the tone of 16 points and 18 rebounds.
Brooks attacks the basket with ease
Devin Brooks G Jr. St.Raymond - Brooks is an ultra-quick guard who showed a good feel for the game and passed the ball well. He was very unselfish; he found teammates cutting to the basket on the fastbreak consistently tonight. Brooks took good shots and got St. Ray’s into their offense when they slowed the ball down. He showed good body control on layups and more importantly proved that he can pull up and hit a jump shot instead of going all the way to the basket.
