Triad Pro-Am 7/19 Recap

It was another interesting night at the Triad Pro-Am, as all three games came down to the wire. The final game featured seven Deacs in action, which provided plenty of entertainment for the fans in attendance.

Click through for the details from Thursday night's action!

Thanks to SamuraiFoochs for covering the write-up of the first game

The first match-up of the night featured the team with Travis McKie, Andre Washington, and Madison Jones going up against the Holcomb-Faye defending champion team who also featured David Weaver and Reyshawn Terry (UNC). The Deacs were really in trouble early before storming back and keeping it close for the rest of the game. It looked as if the Deacs just couldn't get over the hump and take the lead, but eventually they did. The game ended up going into overtime, at which point the HF team really took over because McKie and Washington had both fouled out. In the end, the HF team pulled out the 76-68 victory (though the margin was pushed by a 2 at the buzzer for the HF team). At one point, Dre and Weaver exchanged posterizations, which was rather satisfying.

Travis's jumper remained smooth, as he finished with 23 points and 8 rebounds. The only possible negative I really noticed is Travis seemed to have some trouble finishing inside. In fairness though, a lot of his misses inside rolled off of an incredibly unkind rim.

Andre Washington seemed to be less of a presence from my perspective, at least early on, but he absolutely finished strong, with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He remained aggressive and was active on both ends of the floor. The only bad thing is that at one point he missed 2 free throws late that would have tied the game.

Madison Jones continued really surprising me as well. He ended up with 4 points, 6 assists, and 2 rebounds. More importantly perhaps (to me anyway), the latecomer to the class really was disruptive on the defensive end and showed a lot of hustle. I really really like this kid. He is not a high-scoring guard, but that's something he can develop over the next few years.

All in all it was a great game by the Deacs that they just couldn't finish. Honestly, it seems that the Holcomb-Faye title run could be in trouble with teams like the ones we're seeing this year at the Pro-Am.

The final game of the day featured what appear to be the best two teams in the league after two nights of the Pro-Am. From a Wake Forest perspective, this game pitted CJ Harris, Devin Thomas and Arnaud Moto against Chase Fischer, Codi Miller-McIntyre, Daniel Green & Aaron Rountree.

The team led by Chase Fischer got out to a 21-7 lead early on and it looked like the game might get out of control. However, CJ Harris methodically led his team back to eventually take the lead in the 2nd half, which they did not surrender. As Wake fans have become accustomed to, Harris repeatedly got to the rim in the 2nd half and finished 14-14 from the FT line. The final score was 69-64, advantage Harris, Moto & Thomas. WFU player-by-player recaps below:

CJ Harris - In addition to his free throw efficiency explained above, CJ exhibited his fantastic footwork in the lane and long range shot to the tune of 26 points. By now we know what CJ is going to bring to the table night in and night out, so there are no real surprises here. He'll be one of the best players in the ACC next year, just as he was last year.

Devin Thomas - Thomas was hampered by foul trouble for most of the game, so his minutes were limited. However, it was fun to watch him battle with Daniel Green on the blocks when they were both in the game. The two really went at it. On a couple different occasions Thomas exhibited his quick drop step, leading to nice finishes around the rim. He is a fairly polished player on the blocks for a freshman, so it will be exciting to have a low post scoring threat that the coaching staff can continue to develop. The Deacs haven't had a potential low post threat like Thomas since Eric Williams roamed the blocks. Thomas finished with 11 points and 8 boards.

Arnaud Moto - Moto was the most improved player on the night. After settling for too many jumpshots on Monday, Arnaud attacked the basket continuously in the second half, using his strength and 7'0 wingspan to finish at the rim in traffic numerous times. He did connect on a couple jumpers and finished the game with 17 points and 6 rebounds in the win. The only negative I drew from Moto today was that he was a little loose with his dribble at times. Overall, it was a great effort from him tonight though.

Chase Fischer - Again tonight it was apparent that Fischer wants to prove that he is not just a shooter. While he did connect on a couple 3's, he spent much more time driving to the basket and dishing to teammates. After a very strong first half, he was quiet in the second to finish with 16 points and 3 assists. Like Green, Fischer has gained significant strength that will serve him well throughout next season.

Daniel Green - Green continued to prove that he is a different player than last year. Like Thomas, he also spent too many minutes on the bench with foul trouble. However, while in the game he grabbed rebounds out of his area and used his strength to score many buckets around the rim. On two occasions he challenged Thomas at the rim, converting both and drawing the foul. His transformation from last season continues to amaze and it is looking more and more like he will play a significant role going forward. DG finished the game with 16 points and 9 rebounds.

Codi Miller-McIntyre - Codi again got out to a hot start, hitting a three in Harris' face to begin the game. His jumper has great form and he shoots a high percentage from both outside and mid-range. After the hot start, CJ did his best to hold Codi down and was effective for the most part. As the D turned up, Codi did a good job finding his teammates and ended up with 10 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds. He also had the highlight of the night as he converted a beautiful pass from Rountree into a tomahawk slam. We'll have the video up tomorrow.

Aaron Rountree - Once again, Rountree's numbers on the stat sheet do not really do his game justice. He finished with just 4 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and a couple blocks, but again made a lot of hustle plays all over the floor. His court vision is definitely his best attribute, as he threaded the needle for layups on a couple of very impressive passes. The next step is developing a consistent jumpshot to open up his passing lanes a bit more.

Overall it was another great night at the Triad Pro-Am to entertain us in the dog-days of summer. We'll be back at it Monday for more coverage. Be sure to look out for the video of the action from tonight, as we got a ton of clips from the finale!