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Counterpoint at Tuesday night's Garfield/Inglemoor game, played at Garfield's temporary home, Old Lincoln High.
At the P.A., a white man with a white beard in a black sportcoat with a voice like a KING-FM DJ. Think James Lipton.
Behind us, a black woman with a Garfield purple track jacket that said "Class of '77", with a voice like an airhorn. Think Wanda Sykes.
Lipton: "Welcome to Garfield's gym..well, ersatz Garfield."
Sykes: "This ain't the gym, the gym is in the hood."
All eyes were on the matchup between Garfield freshman phenom Tony Wroten (below, left), and Nevada-bound Inglemoor senior Mark McLaughlin (below, right), the 16th-ranked shooting guard in the country.
Wroten won the game, and he had the most spectacular plays. He also scored more points--25, to McLaughlin's 17.
Still, McLaughlin's the better player, for now.
"He looks like he's been playing high school basketball for four years," as our friend put it. Wroten couldn't stay in front of McLaughlin, though McLaughlin seemed to be able to stay in front of Wroten. But, the fact that a guy who, as we learned tonight, just turned 14 can play with a Division I recruit is pretty amazing.
Lipton on Garfield's defense: "Nice pass by Inglemoor."
Sykes on Garfield's defense: "I don't know what's happenin' but they bad."
Garfield did start out playing some atrocious defense, and they pretty much kept playing atrocious defense, but their offense was more than enough to make up for it.
And by offense I mean, mostly, Tony Wroten.
The first time Wroten touched the ball, he drove to the hoop and scored. The second time he touched the ball, he drove to the hoop and scored. If he gets the ball on the weak side, he's nearly unstoppable. Later, he drained a few jumpers.
He had no dunks but he produced many gasps with his passing. My favorite--late in the game, with the Bulldogs holding a lead and Inglemoor pressuring to get a steal, Wroten whipped a pass one-handed, from the top of the key, to a guy standing all alone underneath the basket. Amazing.
What's starting to stand out about Wroten, for me, is how preternaturally smart he is. When Inglemoor was streaking for a buzzer-beater attempt at the end of the first half, Wroten cut off the sideline but was sure to hold his position with his hands up so there was no chance the ref would call a foul.
When Garfield was holding on to a late game lead, he--the 14-year-old--was the one cautioning teammates to take care of the ball.
Garfield's next game is Friday in the Oregon/Washington challenge in Portland. Their next Seattle game is January 4 (that's a Friday) at Roosevelt. Be there.
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