Vernon Carey corralled a rebound, dribbled from baseline to baseline with his head up and his eyes burning, and finessed a simple lay in during a shorthanded University School’s thorough 75-49 victory over a youth-laden LaSalle team in South Florida on Monday night.
The play, simple and routine though it was, was a sheer embodiment of the unprecedented and very much unrivaled attributes the country’s most unique threat has to offer.
On a guard-laden floor, the 6-foot-10 Carey was able to put forth the type of every-tool talent that’s become prioritized at the ensuing level, forever altering the landscape of expectations and limitations of behemoths of a wide-ranging skill set.
Juwon Howard and Glen Rice, both former NBA stars, were on hand to see such a performance. The presence of both was a portent of when the game featured back to the rim, bulldozing, and bullying Centers who boasted more grit than skill.
With his physically imposing and overpowering ferocity, Carey has an almost unheard of blend of imposing style and polished all around game. The result has been an aesthetic and electrifying display on one of the country’s biggest stages.
With key pieces Scottie Barnes and Jace Howard each sidelined last night, Carey poured in a game-best 25 points on the full arsenal of outside shots, 15-18 footers, drives, and emphatic above the rim finishes. He whizzed passes similar to a point guard. He shuffled his feet readily on the perimeter and guarded significantly smaller guys without the slightest tinge of difficulty.
While under Kevin Boyle during his memorable stay at Montverde Academy, Ben Simmons epitomized the position-less mentality, operating from the 1-5 seamlessly. Now dazzling at Carey’s future hardwood destination, Duke, Zion Williamson has been a revelation for his mind-boggling athleticism and undaunted ability at 285 pounds.
Never before, however, has there been a physical freak with an oil smooth offensive game like the left-handed Carey’s. He’s capable of overpowering foes and bullying defenders to the rim like a 1990s NBA Center. His efficiency, as most recently evidenced by a 35-point (on a scalding 15-for-19 FG) performance at City of Palms, is cranked up despite his knack for stepping out and shooting the mid-range jumper or sticking a 3-pointer.
Few bigs who don’t score it primarily on putbacks, dunks, and point blank finishes are capable of mirroring such high percentages.
“I think Vernon likes to pass, he’s a willing passer and that sets the tone for the rest of the team,” said University School head coach Jimmy Carr.
“We have really good forwards. Taylor Hendricks, for only a freshman, he’d be starting on almost any other team around. And Jalil Beaubrun off the bench. They all key off Vernon. Practice is intense. He’s been terrific and he’s been very good scoring the ball. If he keeps working, with the way today’s game is, with the way he’s able to step away from the basket, he’s got a huge upside.”
Part of the soft spoken Carey’s evolution has been seizing the leadership reins. He’s carried the scoring mantle. He’s shouldered the burden of focal point.
“He’s really working on his leadership,” explained Carr. “Next year, Duke needs him to play right away. With the guys they are going to be losing, I think he’s going to do that.”
It’s no secret, Carey’s father, Vernon Carey Sr., is forever etched in Miami football lore. A former offensive lineman at the University of Miami, Carey authored an eight-year stay with the Miami Dolphins. He never tried to persuade his son to football, however, and baseball was actually Carey Jr.’s first labor of love.
“I tried basketball just to try it out and see what it was all about,” Carey recalled, tracing his mind back to a fourth grade travel team.
Duke’s approach to Carey and the style enforced by the Blue Devils ultimately solidified his decision last month.
“Me being a position-less player and the way they run, the recruiting class coming in, those were the biggest factors in my decision,” Carey Jr. said.
The depth, as evidenced in last night’s victory, has been one of the bigger factors in U-School’s ascension of the national totem poll. The Sharks are slated for a monstrous matchup against Sunrise Christian (KS) on January 25th, with ESPN2 in the building.
Roger McFarlane was active all night with his surges to the rim. The aforementioned Beaubrun, with his big 6-foot-7 frame, showed potential as a supplementary finisher and shot-blocker. David Perez, a transfer via Riviera Prep, was effective running the offense and slicing his way to the rim.
Coached by a known Miami skill development ace in Derrick De La Grana, LaSalle is rife with youthful talent. Sophomore Emilio Ramirez scored 21 points, displaying a deft handle and all three levels’ scoring acumen throughout.
