Weekend Wins Propel No. 1 Findlay Prep to 4-0

If the Findlay Prep (NV) basketball squad was looking ahead to their Thanksgiving weekend trip to Peoria, Illinois they kept it a well concealed secret.  Instead, they walked away with two blowout victories at the home-based Henderson International gymnasium. 

On Friday, November 20 the Findlay Prep Pilots eventually shook off a pesky Princeton Country Day School 122-90, while Saturday was more of a dominant effort thumping IMG Academy 113-50. Now standing at 4-0 in the beginning stages of the high school basketball season, Findlay Prep hits the road for the first time in the Tournament of Champions in the state of Illinois.

The competition promises to be a little more challenging, as Findlay Prep clashes with traditional powers Carbondale Brehm Prep (IL) and Quality Education Academy (NC) at the Washington Community High School, November 26-28. 

Heading into this tournament, a great sign for the Pilots has been the emergence of junior guard Jabari Brown. The steady Brown averaged 23 points per game in the weekend victories, as he has clearly developed into one of the teams top shooters. 

Duplicating Brown's effort during this two-game span was backcourt mate Cory Joseph.  Joseph, one of the best senior point guards in the nation, stuffed the stat sheet thoroughly averaging 24.5 points per game, six assists, six rebounds, and 4.5 steals. Joseph, who has narrowed his list of colleges to Connecticut, Villanova, Texas, Minnesota, and UNLV, has been the calming influence this team needed heading into the season.

Not to be outdone, senior center/power forward Tristan Thompson (Texas signee) played like a man among boys averaging a double-double of 22.5 points per game with 10.5 rebounds per game. While this trio grabbed the headlines this weekend, Findlay Prep continues to get major contributions from the entire roster. 

Junior guard Nick Johnson continues to be a viable scoring source and a walking human highlight reel, as he may be quietly one of the most spectacular dunkers in the nation.  

Fellow underclassmen Winston Shepard, Nigel Williams-Goss, Dekeeba Battee Aston, Marko Petrovic, and Henry Uwadiae continue to develop doing all the little things that may not receive public notoriety but go a long way to helping a team win a championship. 

No player knows this more than senior forward Godwin Okonji, who regularly flies under the radar, but his intangibles that he brings to the team are unmatched. Whether its hard-nosed defense, securing important rebound opportunities, diving on the floor for loose balls, or just being a leader, Okonji takes the trophy in this category. 

All this and more will be needed if Findlay Prep hopes to leave Peoria, Illinois still undefeated and perched atop the high school basketball national rankings. Every game for Findlay Prep opponents is their chance to gain national prominence, and you can bet the Pilots will be facing a hostile environment as its human nature for a crowd to support the underdog. Happy Thanksgiving and let the games begin!