Game Takes: Greencastle 60, Sullivan 50

Sullivan started out well early, and after Greencastle narrowed the initial gap, the rest of the game was Greencastle would surge, Sullivan would catch up.  In the fourth quarter, Greencastle led by as many as 12, and Sullivan could not close that gap any lower than eight.

• Every scoring burst, Brody Whitaker would have a couple of baskets, and a couple of times each quarter, he just went and got a bucket.  He scores at all levels, and that was on display vs. Sullivan.  He finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds.
  • He caught at the elbow, faced, put up a fake, and as his defender bit, he stepped back into a 3pter.  He missed it, but it's obvious it wasn't just something he threw out there.
  • He finished the game as Greencastle's all-time leading scorer.  1,552 was the record.  Whitaker will be great at Marian, but his shot making would translate into the D2 level for sure. 
• On paper Sullivan has more scoring options, more balance, looking to play at a faster pace.  Randy Kelley, their top player, spent the early portion of the game getting others involved, even though he mostly plays off the ball.  
  • His talents started to show more when he was handling in transition.  He is a natural point guard, and he is their go to.  He finished with 20 points.
• First look at  Sullivan's transfers from Illinois, Braden Flanagan and Jackson Hills.  
  • Flanagan is Sullivan's point guard, and he does a good job of it.  It does take Kelley off the ball more, where I think he shines.  Flanagan is also a good shooter.  Most of his looks were created by Kelley, but they did run some isolation for him.
  • Hills is mostly entrenched around the basket, and he struggled to convert over Cade Plew--Plew 3" taller.  He works and likely rebounds well, but not only was he battling Plew, he was dealing with Whitaker and Nick Sutherlin.  Whitaker is more athletic than Hills.  Sutherlin is more athletic than Whitaker.
• Greencastle does have other options, primarily Sutherlin and Plew.  The ball is in Sutherlin's hands when Whitaker is coming off screens, and he can hit an open shot, which happens as much attention is paid to Whitaker.  Plew is decently skilled facing the basket.  Most of it was dribbling into hand offs, and he's a good rim run read in the half court.