LuHi heads to Arby’s Classic Chip
The number one ranked program on Long Island went down to Tennessee to compete in the Arby’s Classic this week. LuHi is currently 3-0 so far with dominant wins over Tampa Catholic, Amarillo Texas and Tennessee High School. They’ve been able to outscore their opponents by 91 points through the first three games and will now take on the Berkmar Patriots from Georgia at 6:30 tonight.
While we locally know how good this program is LuHi has been boosting up their national profile for several years now. Head Coach John Buck has set a high standard for the team, he demands defense and gets them all to buy into their roles. He understands how to utilize his roster’s talents and wants them to continue to improve throughout the season.
In their first matchup the Crusaders took a 19-point half time lead against Tennessee and ended up winning by 40. They were dominant in all facets of the game especially defensively which impressed several scouts in the building. New 6’6” SG James Johns Jr ‘23 has been a terrific addition for LuHi and lead all scorers with 20 points. Point Guard Jayden Reid ‘23 had 19 points, 6 assists and 8 steals while his Providence bound back court mate Jayden Pierre ‘22 added 16.
Game two the Crusaders took on Tampa Catholic where New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox attended school. LuHi was dominant once again in an 85-54 victory where they held their opponent to 28% shooting. Reid and Pierre combined for 29 points while Johns Jr lead all scorers again with 20 points and 8 rebounds. We also have to mention 6’9 SB Finley Sheridan ‘23 who played well and 6’10” F Amdy Ndiaye ‘23 who had 15 & 8.
The third matchup featured Amarillo Texas who put up a good fight in the first half before ultimately losing 62-42. LuHi once again playing phenomenal team defense held their opponent to less than 35% from the field. Johns Jr was fantastic scoring from all over the floor finishing with 27 points. They also got another strong 18-point performance from Jayden Pierre who has been a terrific playmaker all tournament.
Long Island Lutheran will look to capture the Arby’s Classic Championship tonight against a tough Berkmar team. The team has done an excellent job representing Georgia and handling their side of the bracket. Unfortunately for them they will be competing against one of the deepest and most talented rosters in the country. We believe the game to be a little tighter but expect the Crusaders to come home with the title.