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Tyler
Griffey PF Lafayette (MO) Class of 2009 (Illinois)
Griffey has put in a lot of work in the weight room and it is
starting to pay off. He now has the ability to bang down
low and push back against thicker defenders. The game
started off a bit rocky for him as he air balled a 3 point shot
and got 2 early fouls in the first quarter. This got him
frustrated. Once he got back into the lineup in the second
half Tyler got rolling. He had a combination of nice
mid-range jump shots and athletic moves around the hoop,
including showing a smooth drop step. His skill level in
the post was the most impressive part of his game. He got
to the line a good amount in the second part of the game.
In the 4th quarter the Illinois signee took OVER! He got
the ball where he wanted on the floor and put the ball in the
hoop consistently in the 4th period. On the defensive end
Griffey came up with two key block shots down the stretch.
Griffey's signature moment of his senior campaign though came
when the game was tied and his team had the ball. CBC knew
he was getting it, the crowd knew he was going to get it, and
Tyler knew he was going to get it. Griffey got the ball at
the top of the key, got it into the free throw line and rose for
the shot. It was money with 2.3 seconds left and would
prove to be the game winner. He is the least heralded of
the 2009 Illini Class, but might prove to be the most important
for the Illini's success. The top 50 player nationally
will give Bruce Weber a versatile big that can complement the
other wing and guard commitments. Griffey had 26 points on
this night by my count.
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Bradley Beal SG Chaminade (MO) Class of 2011
Beal has become one of the hottest names in the nation
recently. He has received several big time offers over the
past several months. Those coaches were on hand this night
to see the highly touted sophomore. There were assistant
coaches from Kansas, Florida, Missouri, and SLU lined up at mid
court to make sure that Beal knew they were there.
Illinois assistant coach Jay Price was in attendance as
well. Beal felt the pressure early on. He was held
scoreless in the first quarter and had trouble controlling his
handle. A defensive block at the 6:03 mark in the 2nd half
got him into the game. After that Beal showed great athleticism
on an and-1. He started getting to the line and gaining
confidence. Transition is where Beal strives as he showed
quality finishing ability. In the second half the soph
showed creativity off the dribble and a better handle in traffic
than in the first half. He did have several turnovers on
the night. Rumor was his jump shot was the best asset in
Beal's offensive repertoire, but on this night it was not going
down. It did have height and good rotation on it
though. Defensively, Chaminade was in a zone most of the
game so it was hard to judge his on ball ability. After a rocky start Beal finished with a strong
game. In the 20 point range by my count. By the way,
Beal dropped 52 on Friday night in the 3rd place game at the
Pattonville Tournament. He is a potential top 35-40 player
in the Class of 2011.
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