I Have Seen Jesus

And his name is Tavon Sledge.

I've been going to high school football and basketball games for about 12 years now. I don't miss championship games, as a rule. And in my life, I've had the pleasure of seeing several of the best LI players during that time - Troy Bowe, Chris Rooney, AJ Price, and even Kenny Anderson (when he played in NYC).

When I headed to the Half Hollow Hills West-Bay Shore game last weekend, I went expecting to be wowed by Tobias Harris, who is currently rated anywhere from #4 to #8 in America (really, the first time we've had a player of that caliber and with that hype since I've been going to these games). Tobias was averaging a double-double for the year (about 25 points and 14 rebounds a game), and Half Hollow Hills West was undefeated and sitting pretty in the #21 spot on USA Today's Top 25 Basketball teams.

I had seen Harris play two years ago, and wasn't impressed, necessarily. He had a good game, but I thought he looked rigid and not fluid. But, he was 6'8 and he wasn't relegated to being under the basket (like most 6'8 kids find themselves on LI), so there was potential. Clearly, he realized that potential. He slimmed down and led his public school team to a great season.

As I had been poring over the boxscores, I kept reading about this other kid, Tavon Sledge, who played the point guard position. Great stats for this junior. so I was definitely looking forward to checking out the game.

What I wasn't expecting was the electrifying performance Sledge put on. It started in warmups, where the 5'9 Sledge began throwing down dunk after dunk. Once the game started, he continued to impress the crowd, eventually even pulling the Bay Shore fans to root for him. He had four spectacular dunks in the game - which was downright impressive - but even more impressive were the things that most casual fans might overlook: his incredibly fast foot speed, especially with the ball; his quick hands on defense (he poked away a ball in what may have been the best steal I've ever seen); and his fearlessness.

Hills West blew Bay Shore away, doubling up the score 96-48. After the game, a friend asked how Sledge's jump shot was, and I had to say, I didn't have any clue -- I didn't recall him shooting a jumper the whole game. I didn't recall him having to shoot one. Literally, if he squared up to shoot and the defender reacted, Sledge was by him.

Based on that performance, I was expecting great things on Wednesday evening, when Hills played the #2 seed, Longwood. I've been impressed with Longwood for years -- the coach seems to be a class act, and they consistently put a good team on the floor, valuing unselfish play. There is never a real "star" for Longwood. This year, they had one - Darien Davis - who may not have been the gravity-defier that Sledge was, but certainly matched him in quickness and ball-handling.

Nevertheless, Longwood had struggled to beat Lindenhurst, and one of Longwood's best players was out with a broken foot. I confidently proclaimed that Hills West would easily win by 20+ points.

In warmups, Sledge showcased his air show for the crowd ... unlike the Bay Shore crowd, though, these fans had no respect for him or Hills West. That wouldn't change all game. (He's the second dunk in the first video below, and he's the last player dunking in the second video).





The game was intense. Hills came out flat, trying too hard, while Longwood embraced the "we're just happy to be here" attitude. Three-pointers flew fast and furious. You could sense the frustration (and, to some degree, the fear) in Hills players, as they watched their undefeated season implode. Each time they made a dent in Longwood's armor, Longwood came back stronger.

After one quarter, Hills led by one point. At halftime and after the third quarter, Longwood held a 3-point lead. Longwood never went up more than 6, keeping Hills around, but the spirit was fading.

On one play, with Longwood up by 1, Hills poked the ball away and Sledge broke down the court, getting the pass. Both sides stood, anticipating the dunk. Sledge, though, perhaps thought better of attempting a dunk (and perhaps missing, especially in such a tight game), and got caught in between, essentially laying the ball on the rim. It rolled off, and Longwood recovered. A long pass downcourt and a 3-point shot later, and Longwood was now up by 4.

Hills turned the corner in the fourth quarter, finally finding the rhythm, and taking a lead on back-to-back three pointers by Tobias Harris and his younger brother, Tyler. Sledge, who had 18 points in the first half (not necessarily shooting more than usual; but, in truth, he was the only player consistently making his shots), turned into more of a point guard in the second half, scoring only 6 points (mostly on free throws) and running the offense. Hills prevailed in the game by 8, but the game felt closer than that. Scarier still, one has to wonder how the game would've played out if Longwood's injured player had been available to play.

Sledge found the going a little tougher, but - to answer my friend's inquiry, yes, he has a jumper! He had 10 fieldgoals in the game, and I'd estimate at least 7 were mid-range jumpers, in the 12-17 foot range. He has a slightly slower delivery than I'd like, but it's not a deal-breaker, mostly because he'll rarely have defenders that close to him (since he can go around them with ease) - that fear and respect for his quickness enables him to have a slower release.

I don't know that he has 3-point range -- hitting only 8 all year; and he doesn't get to the foul line often (or, he does, and just doesn't shoot particularly well). But he has lightning-quick feet, good court vision and physical attributes that simply can't be taught - there's no way a 5'9 guard should be able to grab rebounds with the vigor he does.

There's a lot of pressure put on these kids, I think. Tobias Harris has been followed on a national scale since his sophomore year, and he's routinely booed and ridiculed at every game. He gets too emotional for my liking, but I understand the frustration and the release. Sledge, conversely, reminds me of Barry Sanders -- he comes to play, wows you, and goes about his business. He doesn't get overly excited, doesn't get overly caught up in the game. He seems to stay focused.

Of course, he's also only a junior. (Did you hear that? That was the sound of 25 Suffolk County high school coaches moaning as they realize they'll have to face him again next year (although, the trainers and ace bandage manufacturers are grateful they'll still have jobs -- next year promises many more sprained ankles while defenders try to keep up with him)). He still has a year to garner national attention (and suffer through bloggers claiming they saw Jesus when they saw him play).

Tobias didn't disappoint in the two games I saw -- He scored 46 points and 20+ rebounds and played methodically and machine-like. When he wanted to score, he did. It was simple. He's worthy of the hype, but his game is workman-like. Sledge scored 45 in those same two games, along with at least 7-8 jaw-dropping plays. I don't know where Sledge will end up (I'll be astonished if it's not an upper echelon Division I school, but you never know), but I can honestly say, on a high school level, I've never been more blown away by a player than I was with Tavon Sledge.