Game Analysis: Kalamazoo Hackett earns emphatic win over Watervliet at Kalamazoo College

KALAMAZOO - Kalamazoo College hosted a pair of intriguing games Saturday, with some of southwest Michigan’s best players and teams taking the court.

Watervliet and Kalamazoo Hackett played first - both with lofty expectations in Division 3. Hackett won 73-51 after jumping out to a big first-quarter lead and dominating the final four minutes.

Hackett utilized a mostly balanced scoring attack which could put them in contention for a long postseason run. Watervliet will still have to figure out a third and fourth scorer, but they battled after a slow start.

Kalamazoo Hackett MVP: Elijah Brooks (6-2, So.)

He looked like a man amongst boys despite being an underclassman. Brooks hit 3-pointers, but his real strength was punishing defenders on his way to the basket. He displayed great poise and rarely missed while showcasing acrobatics to score through traffic. He looks like the real deal and a future college recruit.

Watervliet MVP: Jacob Pleyer (6-3, Jr.)

Almost every basketball fan in the area knows of Pleyer, who will definitely play college basketball. He will likely score a lot of points this season, but it might not always look pretty or be efficient with few other scoring options on the team. He was routinely triple-teamed in this matchup. That will likely be a common theme throughout the season.

Here’s an analytical breakdown of both teams:

Kalamazoo Hackett

Hackett utilized a balanced scoring attack with four players reaching at least 13 points. Senior guard Jude Coffman (5-11) scored a scrappy 13 points, as he was always around the ball. Talented junior point guard David Verduzco (5-11) scored 13 points while also running an efficient offense. Brooks led the way with a game-high 18 points, using his mix of size and skill to punish Watervliet defenders. Center Lukas Husovsky (6-6) scored 14 points, rarely missing in the paint. This team has seven or eight really solid players, which should bode well come March when they look for a Breslin push.

Watervliet

Pleyer started out very slowly, scoring just two points in the first half, but he emerged to help lead Watervliet on a run late in the game. He finished with 17 points, including a nice break-away dunk. He’s going to have to put up 25-30 most nights. Emmett Williams (6-4) scored 11 points as an outside shooter with a smooth shot and great length. Point guard Caleb Jewell (5-10) added nine points and was a steadying presence on both ends of the court. Watervliet is a young, inexperienced team that should improve as the season progresses and they build more chemistry.