Before the I-95 Elite High School Challenge, I told you that the Patterson-Lincoln game would be the highlight of the event. After a 71-66 overtime win for Lincoln that pitted two great scorers against each other, I can confirm that my assumption was correct.
Aquille Carr had 36 points for Patterson, and sophomore sensation Isaiah Whitehead had 25 points for Lincoln, but it was Whitehead who won out in the end. Patterson’s Shakir Brown hit a game-tying three pointer with eight seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, but Whitehead and Lincoln took care of business on defense in the extra period.
This was an instant classic; a very high-paced game with each team leaving it all on the court.
Recruiting Notes
Aquille Carr, Point Guard, Patterson
Everything you’ve heard about Aquille Carr, as crazy as it all sounds, is pretty much true. Although he’s only 5’6″, he knows how to use his height to his advantage, getting to the foul line often (he shot 20 free throws in the game). His moves off the dribble are incredible, and he exploits the smallest spaces inside the paint. His leadership ability was something I came away impressed with, and his passion for the game is unquestionable. He forces play very often, however, and really needs to improve his outside shot. This season, he’s only made one of 22 three-point attempts. Georgetown head coach John Thompson III was at the event, and it’s almost inevitable that he came away being impressed with Carr.
Isaiah Whitehead, Guard, Lincoln
As well as Aquille Carr played, Isaiah Whitehead played better. He only scored 25 points to Carr’s 36, but his defense was top-notch, he knocked down the outside shot, and always knew the right time to pass the ball when a double or triple team presented itself. A 6’4″ sophomore, Whitehead has great size, but moves as well as a shorter guard and can handle the ball. The only holes in his game that I could really pick out was that he did not move extremely well off the ball, and tended to take the occasional play off early in the game.
Myrek Fowlkes, Guard/Forward, Patterson
Fowlkes is Patterson’s other All-Metro performer; Carr’s running mate. He flashes a nice outside shot and good defensive awareness, along with a versatile offensive game where he is just as strong inside as out. I’d like to see him get a bit quicker off the dribble and improve his drive-and-kick game on offense. If Fowlkes can clean up his game a little bit, he should fit in well at a solid mid-major.
Ethan Telfair, Point Guard, Lincoln
While he’s not nearly as heralded as his older brother Sebastian was during his time at Lincoln, I really liked Ethan’s game. He did not get on the scoresheet, but I still came away very impressed. The junior point guard was given a tough assignment covering Aquille Carr, and although the 36 points would suggest otherwise, he did a very good job. He denied Carr the ball often, and the points that Patterson’s point guard did score mostly came when Telfair was out of the game or when others were on Carr. Telfair ran the Lincoln offense well and has solid crossover moves. He needs to become a better scoring threat and improve his left hand, but I believe he could be a very efficient college point guard at the lower levels.
Not A Bad Loss
Lincoln is the consensus top team in New York City, so a tough overtime loss for Patterson should not be considered a failure. The hometown Clippers played a great four quarters of basketball, and really showed what they were made of in the fourth. The referees were very nit-picky with fouls in the paint, and Patterson center Shakir Brown was hurt by the calls, fouling out early in the crucial overtime period.
It’s unfair to say that any public school in Baltimore will be able to beat Patterson unless they catch them on a bad night. The Clippers may drop a couple more games this season against tough opposition, but they probably have the most talent of any team in the Charm City area. This event was a great way to showcase that talent, and you can be sure that the tough early-season competition will prepare them well for the Baltimore City League season.
UPDATE: I will post a few video clips from the game later on. Stay tuned. A big BSR thanks goes to Gatheru Gitau for photo and video from the two games.
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Edgar Walker is a staff writer for BSR, focusing on high school sports and the Ravens. Follow him on Twitter.
Check out all of BSR’s high school coverage here.
