Triton Regional Features Three Ranked Teams
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Featuring three teams ranked in the top 10, Saturday's Triton Regional may be one of the most highly-contested in the state.[[In-content Ad]]"After watching tape the other night, I went to bed and told my wife, 'This regional is really good,'" Triton coach Jason Groves said. "(Fort Wayne) Blackhawk is probably actually better than No. 9, because they play good competition. It's just going to be an impressive regional."
Groves' No. 3 Triton Trojans (22-2) square off with the ninth-ranked Blackhawk Braves (16-7) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, following the No. 1 Bowman Academy Eagles (20-1) and Pioneer Panthers (12-10) 10:30 a.m. contest. The championship game will be played at 7:30 p.m.
Against Blackhawk, Triton will have to deal with a team featuring a Michigan State recruit in 6-foot-7 senior Russell Byrd and his 23.2 points and 9.5 rebounds a game, but that's not all. Blackhawk also features 6-foot-8 senior Seth Kisler, who is averaging 17.7 points on 58 percent shooting.
"They're probably the team with the best duo in the regional with Kisler and Byrd," Groves said of Blackhawk. "Those two present some real matchup concerns. They both play extremely hard and just come out and get after you."
Of Blackhawk's seven losses, five were against teams in Class 3A or 4A, and another came against Class 2A No. 8 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
"They've lost to some good competition," Groves said.
In fact Blackhawk hasn't lost in its last nine games, it's last setback coming on Jan. 30 at Bethany Christian.
Making the Braves so tough is their ability to play in the half-court, as well as being equally efficient in an up-and-down game.
"They play better in a fast pace," Groves said. "Byrd is such a tough matchup because he's great in the open court by either driving to the basket or pulling up for a three."
Averaging 63 points a game, Blackhawk has found an ability to get the ball in the rack, but Triton is also averaging 60 points a game, but may want to lower that number a bit.
"We're definitely not going to be able to let them get out and score," Groves said. "That doesn't mean we won't try to run a little bit, but we're going to have to be careful."
To keep the pace, Groves will look to senior point guard Ben Montalbano, who averages 7.5 assists a game.
Along with maintaining the pace, Montalbano will also need to maintain the poise of his team, which is facing an emotional Blackhawk squad.
"They get emotionally invested in the game," Groves said about the Braves. "We're going to have to keep our focus on the things that are important."
Controlling emotions during the Blackhawk game may be important, but if Triton and Bowman each get morning wins, a matchup between the first and third-ranked teams would be quasi-explosive in the 7:30 p.m. championship.
After Triton dismissed Bowman 60-58 in last year's regional championship, the Eagles filed a complaint with the IHSAA over officiating, setting up tension between the two.
Bowman's only lost this season was against Class 3A's Culver Military Academy 59-56 on Feb. 11, but averaging a state-best 85 points a game, the Eagles have been a tough out.
After beginning the season at 15-0, Triton then lost two of three, but have regained their footing, winning their last five contests.
During their tough stretch, Triton was playing without leading scorer Griffyn Carpenter who suffered his second concussion of the year during a practice.
Since then, Carpenter's been working to get back into form, and appears to have done that, averaging 17.7 points a game.
"Griffyn's getting his legs under him and getting more into the flow," Groves said. "Each game, he's getting better."
Triton's 6-foot-4 freshman Clay Yeo has also been getting better with each game, boosting his season scoring average to 10.1 points and 3.9 rebounds.
"He's been important to our success," Groves said about Yeo. "The last eight or 10 games, he's been in double-digit scoring in every game except for one. He's really stepped up. Early in the season, sometimes he'd go through spells where you wouldn't notice him out there. Now, he's playing more complete games."
And against the quality Triton will see at the regional, Yeo and some other guys will have to step up.
"We're going to have to have a person who doesn't average 15 a game, but will step up and do that," Groves said.
Featuring three teams ranked in the top 10, Saturday's Triton Regional may be one of the most highly-contested in the state.[[In-content Ad]]"After watching tape the other night, I went to bed and told my wife, 'This regional is really good,'" Triton coach Jason Groves said. "(Fort Wayne) Blackhawk is probably actually better than No. 9, because they play good competition. It's just going to be an impressive regional."
Groves' No. 3 Triton Trojans (22-2) square off with the ninth-ranked Blackhawk Braves (16-7) at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, following the No. 1 Bowman Academy Eagles (20-1) and Pioneer Panthers (12-10) 10:30 a.m. contest. The championship game will be played at 7:30 p.m.
Against Blackhawk, Triton will have to deal with a team featuring a Michigan State recruit in 6-foot-7 senior Russell Byrd and his 23.2 points and 9.5 rebounds a game, but that's not all. Blackhawk also features 6-foot-8 senior Seth Kisler, who is averaging 17.7 points on 58 percent shooting.
"They're probably the team with the best duo in the regional with Kisler and Byrd," Groves said of Blackhawk. "Those two present some real matchup concerns. They both play extremely hard and just come out and get after you."
Of Blackhawk's seven losses, five were against teams in Class 3A or 4A, and another came against Class 2A No. 8 Fort Wayne Bishop Luers.
"They've lost to some good competition," Groves said.
In fact Blackhawk hasn't lost in its last nine games, it's last setback coming on Jan. 30 at Bethany Christian.
Making the Braves so tough is their ability to play in the half-court, as well as being equally efficient in an up-and-down game.
"They play better in a fast pace," Groves said. "Byrd is such a tough matchup because he's great in the open court by either driving to the basket or pulling up for a three."
Averaging 63 points a game, Blackhawk has found an ability to get the ball in the rack, but Triton is also averaging 60 points a game, but may want to lower that number a bit.
"We're definitely not going to be able to let them get out and score," Groves said. "That doesn't mean we won't try to run a little bit, but we're going to have to be careful."
To keep the pace, Groves will look to senior point guard Ben Montalbano, who averages 7.5 assists a game.
Along with maintaining the pace, Montalbano will also need to maintain the poise of his team, which is facing an emotional Blackhawk squad.
"They get emotionally invested in the game," Groves said about the Braves. "We're going to have to keep our focus on the things that are important."
Controlling emotions during the Blackhawk game may be important, but if Triton and Bowman each get morning wins, a matchup between the first and third-ranked teams would be quasi-explosive in the 7:30 p.m. championship.
After Triton dismissed Bowman 60-58 in last year's regional championship, the Eagles filed a complaint with the IHSAA over officiating, setting up tension between the two.
Bowman's only lost this season was against Class 3A's Culver Military Academy 59-56 on Feb. 11, but averaging a state-best 85 points a game, the Eagles have been a tough out.
After beginning the season at 15-0, Triton then lost two of three, but have regained their footing, winning their last five contests.
During their tough stretch, Triton was playing without leading scorer Griffyn Carpenter who suffered his second concussion of the year during a practice.
Since then, Carpenter's been working to get back into form, and appears to have done that, averaging 17.7 points a game.
"Griffyn's getting his legs under him and getting more into the flow," Groves said. "Each game, he's getting better."
Triton's 6-foot-4 freshman Clay Yeo has also been getting better with each game, boosting his season scoring average to 10.1 points and 3.9 rebounds.
"He's been important to our success," Groves said about Yeo. "The last eight or 10 games, he's been in double-digit scoring in every game except for one. He's really stepped up. Early in the season, sometimes he'd go through spells where you wouldn't notice him out there. Now, he's playing more complete games."
And against the quality Triton will see at the regional, Yeo and some other guys will have to step up.
"We're going to have to have a person who doesn't average 15 a game, but will step up and do that," Groves said.
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