At Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, the West squad defeated the East 124-116 in the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic on Friday night. Brian Bowen and Lonnie Walker Jr. finished as co-MVPs.
Bowen, who still has not made his college decision, finished with 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
Walker, the 6-foot-5 guard who’ll play his ball next year at the University of Miami, had 19 points, including seven in a row in a key stretch.
I knew what I could do and Im beyond ecstatic that Im here, Walker said after the game. Meeting Michael Jordan, being able to pick Ray Allens brain, so many things here contribute to my motivation and wanting to give my all to this game.
Arizona signee DeAndre Ayton from Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the West team.
Mitchell Robinson, a Western Kentucky signee, had 15 points, scoring 11 in the game’s first four minutes. He did not miss a shot in the first half, and his many thunderous dunks came courtesy of some sweet passing by point guards extraordinaire Quade Green and Trevon Duval.
Green, a Philadelphia product who will run the point for the Kentucky Wildcats next year, dished out 10 assists.
As usual, the game was lots of fun, but in order to see what these young fellas are really all about, you have to sit in on the closed practice sessions, where every player on the roster, at one point or another, drew gasps in proving why they stand head and shoulders above the majority of the high school class of 2017.
Missing The Top Dog
Michael Porter Jr., considered the top overall American prospect in the class of 2017, didnt play in this year’s Jordan Brand Classic due to injury. Last year, Lonzo Ball was inexplicably not invited, and in 2015, Ben Simmons didnt play as well.
Oh, Canada!
Canadas Addison Patterson had 25 points and eight rebounds in the Blue Teams 126-83 win over Red in the Global game. The 6-foot-6 wing is only a high school freshman.
Matador D
Kimani Lawrence, an Arizona State signee from the New Hampton (Mass.) School, scored 27 points in 21 minutes as his Blue team lost 170-152 in the Jordan Brand Classic Regional game.
Keith Williams of Brooklyn’s Bishop Loughlin, who is headed to Cincinnati, led the Red team with 25 points.
Isaiah Washington, aka “Jelly Fam Dimes“, was the crowd favorite with 20 points, 15 assists and a second-half spin move that made you wanna slap your grandma!.
