Newman's boys basketball team is facing a tall task, both literally and figuratively, on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
The Comets (17-0) will venture out of conference play to tangle with Rockridge (16-0) in the marquee game of the Manny's Pizza Shootout. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m., and is the last of seven games to be played that day at Mount Carroll Middle School. <\/p>\n
The Rockets are the unanimous No. 1 team in the latest Associated Press Class 2A poll, while the Comets check in at No. 4. <\/p>\n
\"This will be a great measuring stick for us,\" Newman coach Ray Sharp said. \"Sometimes we tend to get a little stagnant in practice, and having a game like this coming up is great motivation to keep improving. We have some lofty goals we want to accomplish, and if we are to do that, we'll see a team like Rockridge in the supersectional.\" <\/p>\n
Sharp has scouted Rockridge three times this season, including Jan. 4 at the Galesburg Shootout. The Rockets knocked off Rockford East 63-60 that night. <\/p>\n
\"Their five starters are all really, really good,\" Sharp said. \"They can all hurt you in a lot of ways.\" <\/p>\n
Leading the way for the Rockets is 6-foot-8 senior center Ethan Happ, a Wisconsin recruit. He averages 31 points and 13 rebounds per game. <\/p>\n
\"He has the ball skills of a guard, but he can score down low,\" Sharp said. \"When they feed the ball into him, we'll have to double down, and that's going to put a lot of pressure on our other players. We need to play great team defense.\" <\/p>\n
Rockridge's second option is Brian Heath, a 6-4 junior wing who averages 23 points and eight boards a game. <\/p>\n
\"He's just so athletic,\" Sharp said. \"He can dunk the ball any way you want it, but there's more to his game than that.\" <\/p>\n
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BBK: Comets, Rockets to battle Saturday<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Newman's boys basketball team is facing a tall task, both literally and figuratively, on Saturday night. Continue reading