Hoops Grades: App State MBB vs. Warren Wilson

Garrett Wold, Sports Reporter

November 8, 2017

Sophomore Guard O’Showen Williams going up for the dunk against Warren Wilson Owls at the Convocation Center. The Mountaineers won 126-71.

After every men and women’s basketball games, The Appalachian will be breaking down the Mountaineers positions for grades

Game: App State men vs. Warren Wilson (Exhibition)

Final Score: App 126 Warren Wilson 71

Guards: A-

There was a lot of attention on the guards coming into the Warren Wilson exhibition, specifically on sophomore O’Showen Williams and freshman Justin Forrest. Both made their debuts for App State and both played extremely well. Forrest was the floor general, playing strong on both sides of the court; however, he seemed to have a problem handling the ball, giving up six turnovers total. Williams came off the bench in a big way, commanding the floor and finding ways to generate offense whether it was scoring inside, outside, or throwing one of his team high eight assists. Junior Ronshad Shabazz led the team with 23 points and four assists.

Forwards: A

App State owes a lot to their forwards in this game, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Juniors Bennett Holley and Tyrell Johnson both pocketed two blocks and combined for 10 defensive rebounds. Holley had an impressive game in his own right, coming off the bench late in the second half and doing it all on both sides of the court. Johnson led the team in rebounds at 12, including an impressive eight rebounds on the defensive side of the ball. If tonight was any indication for the rest of the season, the forwards are looking like some of the best two way players on the team this year.

Junior Guard Ronshad Shabazz shooting a mid-range jump shot against Warren Wilson Owls at the Convocation Center. The Mountaineers won 126-71.

Centers: B

Most of Warren Wilson’s offense was centered around shots outside the three-point line, meaning not a lot of action for the big men in the paint. Despite the lack of defensive of attention, senior Griffin Kinney and redshirt junior Jake Wilson split time under the rim and did a good job respectively. While the first half was slow in the rebounding category, App out rebounded Warren Wilson 71-35 and proved the dominate force in the paint. The two also combined for 12 points and three assists, meaning a slow but overall respectable performance from the center position.

Player of the game: O’Showen Williams

Williams came off the bench ready to make an impact on the game. He passed the ball to his teammates, found ways to score himself and was the undeniable floor general for App State. In his debut game for App, Williams showed his versatility as an offensive force and a defensive presence and gave hope to a lot of fans out there about the upcoming season.

Overall team grade: A+

It’s hard to not give an A to a team that set a new program scoring record. App looked strong in their season debut, shared the ball well and played hard-nosed defense. While there seemed to be an issue keeping the ball and a small rebounding problem in the first half, App did a lot of things right. The new additions are fitting in with the veterans and the team seems to play together very well. With the first official game of the season coming up soon, there is a lot to be excited about for Mountaineer basketball fans.

Story By: Garrett Wold, Intern Sports Reporter

Photos By: Lindsay Vaughn

Donate to The Appalachian

$6435

$10000

Contributed

Our Goal

We hope you appreciate this article! Before you move on, our student staff wanted to ask if you would consider supporting The Appalachian's award-winning journalism. We are celebrating our 90th anniversary of The Appalachian in October 2024!

We receive funding from the university, which helps us to compensate our students for the work they do for The Appalachian. However, the bulk of our operational expenses — from printing and website hosting to training and entering our work into competitions — is dependent upon advertising revenue and donations. We cannot exist without the financial and educational support of our fellow departments on campus, our local and regional businesses, and donations of money and time from alumni, parents, subscribers and friends.

Our journalism is produced to serve the public interest, both on campus and within the community. From anywhere in the world, readers can access our paywall-free journalism, through our website, through our email newsletter, and through our social media channels. Our supporters help to keep us editorially independent, user-friendly, and accessible to everyone.

If you can, please consider supporting us with a financial gift from $10. We appreciate your consideration and support of student journalism at Appalachian State University. If you prefer to make a tax-deductible donation, or if you would prefer to make a recurring monthly gift, please give to The Appalachian Student News Fund through the university here: https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1727/cg20/form.aspx?sid=1727&gid=2&pgid=392&cid=1011&dids=418.15&bledit=1&sort=1.

About the Contributor