Hillel of Miami defeated Yavneh 62-48 Monday afternoon in the Tier 2 Final at the Red Sarachek Yeshiva University Tournament in New York. The loss concludes the Bulldogs record at 19-12.
After relying strictly on defense to win two straight pressure packed thrillers in New York City, the Bulldogs finally succumbed to the lack of a consistent offensive attack Monday. The loss was a somewhat disappointing conclusion to a super encouraging tournament in which a star Senior went out playing his best and a plethora of young talent was on display. Hillel stormed out of the gates to a 6-2 advantage before Junior Jordan Prescott fueled a 7-0 uprising to build a three point lead. During that run, Prescott scored both inside and outside while eclipsing the 1,000 point career mark with a left wing three pointer. Freshman Adam Karnett capped the run with the steal at halfcourt resulting in a layup that is at least a once per game tradition. It seemed at that point that it would be a game of runs as Hillel responded with their own 9-2 run. The Bulldogs trailed 17-16 after a period as the teams barely missed in that opening stanza. Both squads shot over 70% but the turnover bug plagued Yavneh 7 times early on. A 13-2 Hillel outburst to begin the second period served as the game’s deciding run as Hillel continued to maintain 70+% shooting while Yavneh cooled off. Karnett acrobatically swooped to the hoop with contact to cut the lead to 31-22 but an 11 point halftime deficit had mainly turnovers to blame. As the offense bogged down for the second period and turnovers reached double digits, the trusty defense was not so air tight on this afternoon. Jacob Ammar got loose for 2 of his 5 three point field goals to create the separation that put the Bulldogs championship hopes in serious peril.
Yavneh gave themselves a shot to begin the third period with a defensive effort that had created so many third quarter runs this season. Hillel was forced into 6 turnovers on their initial 7 possessions in the second half but the Bulldogs just could not throw the ball in the ocean. Senior Elan Kogutt, who had been nothing short of electric in his previous three games, was playing harder than ever. He was diving on the floor and taking it strong to the hoop with a passion unmatched in his career but the shots were rimming out and the referees were providing no great assistance during some physical play at the rim. Kogutt was not the only one playing hard as Junior Jake Greif took some difficult charges and had a great ending to the third period. In addition to the charges, Greif connected on a free throw and pilfered a ball at 3/4 court for a breakaway opportunity. Even the Frenetic Freshman got into the charge taking action as he walked into a pushoff himself. As it was, though, the Bulldogs had an 11 point mountain still to climb for the final chapter of the season. The Bulldogs threw everything but the kitchen sink at Hillel but could not make any headway offensively. Finally, the walls caved in as Ammar got hot from the corner for three more triples. The dream was coming to an end but there was no quit in the mighty Bulldogs. Even down 53-36 with 2:57 to play in their season, Yavneh pulled out one last gasp effort going with their fast-paced “Grinnell Run and Gun” package. Hillel looked gassed after less than a minute as the three pointers finally began to fall but it was too little too late. Had the game gone another 5 minutes it is very possible the Bulldogs could have struck some fear into the Hurricanes. The magic had run out but the Red and Black had much to be proud of. Prescott led Yavneh with 17 points with Kogutt adding 12. Karnett recorded 9 points to give the Big Three 38 in their final act together.
Elan Kogutt finished his career Monday with 1738 points (2nd all-time) and 644 rebounds (3rd all-time). Known for his patented baseline jumper and Dr. J lefty finishes, Kogutt picked a great weekend to play his best basketball as he put the team on his back. Fellow Senior Zev Klein played valuable minutes at Sarachek, and as he did all season long, exhibited tremendous hustle combined with an ability to find the ball at all times. This athletic JV call-up lived up to his athletic billing and will surely be a two sport superstar in Israel next year. Shimi Wolk finished his four year career with the game’s last basket and now shares the distinguished record of top shooting % (1-1) all time by any player at the YU Tournament. Wolk was a soldier for four years in The Program and ends a string of Wolk players…for now. While this was not the ending that any of the Seniors drew up, they have so much to be proud of and will forever be great alumni.
From heartbreak comes hope, and Yavneh has some serious upside to look forward to for next year. The current Junior class finally will become the leaders of the pack. Jordan Prescott will work his way up from 8th place in scoring (1014) and 3rd place in assists (280). He is an electric player that will have his year to be “THE man”, which could be scary for Bulldog opponents. Jake Greif will look to add a refined offensive attack to his dominating defensive skills and Ben Romaner serves as a wild card looking to build on late season improvements. Kevin Sulski burst onto the scene in his first year as a full-time starter and could become even more of a force if he eliminates his high turnover numbers. Sophomore Josh H Lynn showed more than just flashes of greatness by winning games with his knock-down shooting and clutch play. The quiet performance in New York should be a slight bump in the road if he commits himself to greatness in the off-season. It is impossible to imagine how good Freshman sensations Adam Karnett and Itai Guttman will be after their first full off-seasons as Bulldog players. Karnett has offensive skills that will take him to great heights and Guttman will grow out of The Frenetic Freshman to become a premier post player on a national level. Sam Kleinman has a future at either guard position with his ability to handle the ball, find open teammates, and cut to the basket. Kleinman should be an impact player in his Sophomore season without question. Adam Steinbrecher will look to parlay his late game proficiency as his minutes increase and the competition gets tougher. A strong incoming Freshman class combined with transitioning JV players headlined by Sophomore Joseph Kaufman and Freshman David Rudomin could make this team scary. Will the Juniors become the leaders they can be? Will Prescott become the nation’s elite scoring sensation? Will Karnett score 500 points next season en route to being the second scorer that the team will need? Will the tri-post attack of Yavneh finally live up to expectations? Will the team come together, win 25 games, and be a Tier 1 contender at Sarachek next year?
ONLY TIME WILL TELL!!!!!!!!!
The Kennel Report, concluding its seventh season, is written by…
Zack Pollack M&M