Towering 7-3 teammates fuel Findlay tourney win
MONTVERDE — Bol Bol, a 7-foot, 3-inch basketball phenomenon, elbowed his way into scoring position near the rim and looked toward the foul line.
He locked eyes with the only guy in the building who doesn’t have to look up to him and waited for the pass to arrive.
Connor Vanover, who also towers above opponents at 7-3, flicked what looked almost like a free throw attempt to a spot just right of the goal that only his teammate could reach to. Bol stretched over a helpless defender nearly a foot shorter to snatch the pass and effortlessly drop the ball into the rim for a basket that helped Findlay Prep of Nevada roll to a 91-83 quarterfinal victory vs. Abington, Pa., on Thursday at the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament.
The high-low entry play is a favorite for Bol and Vanover, two of the tallest teammates in basketball history at any level. Against even stellar high school competition they can make things unfair at times.
“When we’re together it’s easy,” Bol said with a smile afterward when asked if he prefers playing alongside of Vanover or splitting playing time at center for a team ranked No. 4 nationally by FloHoops.
The luxury of putting two 7-footers on the floor at the same time separates Findlay from even college and NBA teams.
Bol’s famous father, the late Manute Bol, played one of his NBA seasons as a 7-foot-7 shot-blocker on a team that also had 7-4 Ralph Sampson — but that colossal duo didn’t play at the same time.
“It’s hard to play two 7-footers at he same time unless they can move,” Pilots coach Paul Washington said. “These guys both can move.”
Bol, an Oregon signee with a 7-foot-8 wingspan, is ranked among the nation’s elite senior prospects. But Vanover, a Memphis recruit, got the start at center on Thursday and dominated on the defensive end early as Findlay ran out to a 19-0 lead.
Vanover had four rebounds, four blocked shots and two assists in the first five minutes and 40 seconds before going to the bench as Bol checked in for his turn.
Bol deftly hit a short baseline jumper on his first touch to give his team a 31-5 advantage. No long after that he caught a pass near the same spot and took a dropstep and one dribble before stretching over a defender to flush a dunk few humans could have accomplished. He finished with 17 points, six rebounds, three dunks and a blocked shot in less than 18 minutes of playing time.
Vanover had 10 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three assists in 19 minutes.
“That was definitely the most talented team we’ve faced,” said eighth-year Abington head coach Charles Grasty. “It was a fun challenge.”
Tournament host and favorite Montverde Academy (26-0) coasted to a 90-38 victory over Villages Charter (15-3) in front of a packed-house crowd.
The national No. 1 Eagles had 11 dunks. That included a highlight reel rebound flush by Duke signee R.J. Barrett, who skied above the rim to grab a missed try by a teammate and left the backboard shaking with his finish.
Barrett scored 24 points despite sitting out much of the blowout.
Montverde’s semifinal opponent tonight will be three-time defending Louisiana state champion Madison Prep (18-5) of Baton Rouge, which won 73-61 vs. Florida’s reigning Class 2A champ, Miami Christian.
Findlay will face another national top 10 team, undefeated Shadow Mountain of Arizona, in the 6 p.m. semifinal.
Shadow Mountain (16-0) ran away from Florida 4A state champ Fort Lauderdale Westminster Academy (15-6) in the third quarter of a 99-72 victory. Jaelen House, a 6-2 junior guard, led a deep, quick team with 25 points in the win.
The Matadors, coached by alum and former NBA guard Mike Bibby, have no player taller than 6-5 but are not short on talent. Their roster includes five college prospects who moved in from out of state following Shadow Mountain’s third state title run in four seasons.
Josh Marte scored 14 points and bounced back from a hard fall to lead defending state champ Osceola to a 53-44 road win over Kissimmee rival Gateway.
Jaduhkiss Soto added 12 points as the Kowboys (16-5, 6-0) remained undefeated in 9A district play.
Osceola built a 34-22 lead at halftime and appeared to be on cruise control until Marte tumbled to the floor early in the third period. He was removed for observation and the Panthers (13-4, 4-3) closed the gap to seven.
Early in the fourth quarter Jonel Aponte dropped a pair of 3-pointers and Tyreek Robinson hit a floater in the lane as the Panthers cut the lead to one at 40-39. But Marte returned to the game and Osceola forced four quick turnovers to go on a 12-0 run and lift the lead back to double digits.
“I thought we just got a little lackadaisical on defense when Josh went down,” Kowboys coach Nate Alexander said. “Our bread and butter is our pressure defense and Josh certainly gave us a spark when he returned.” Oak Ridge boys basketball coach
said this on Monday: “Our toughest competition is each other in practice.”
You could argue that point, given its challenging schedule, but it’s definitely true this week for the Super 16 No. 1 Pioneers (17-3). Oak Ridge is in the midst of a 10-day break between games. Only it’s not much of a break because Reece’s team practices at 5 a.m. on most school days.
“The guys are way more focused (early in the morning),” Reece said. “Less distractions, less excuses.”
The early alarm bell frees players up for study hall and individual workouts in the gym after school.
After playing 10 out-of-state opponents in a 13-game stretch that ended Jan. 13, Oak Ridge finishes its regular season with six consecutive Metro Conference opponents — starting with a game at Lake Nona on Tuesday night.
Orlando Christian Prep’s rugged schedule continues with two upcoming games against area teams that, like the Warriors, won state championships last season.
The Warriors (12-8) host defending Class 6A state champ Leesburg (18-1) today and plays at Osceola, one week later.