Coombs, Oriakhi power BABC win
By looking at most of the major scouting services on the web, you may not have noticed Jamal Coombs and Alex Oriakhi. But the Albany City Rocks became all too aware of the underrated Tilton School duo after they combined for 50 points and 22 rebounds in the Boston Amateur Basketball Club's 88-70 win over the City Rocks yesterday in the first round of the 2008 Boston Shootout at the Case Center at Boston University.
Albany cut a 26-point deficit to 7 with nine minutes left, but BABC (52-1) pulled away and advanced to today's semifinal.
"We got a little conservative," said BABC coach Leo Papile. "We got too conservative offensively, and we lost our rhythm. First half, the ball was moving. Second half, we got stagnant, so it's a double-edged sword because we get so many points off our defense."
Coombs (6 feet 7 inches) finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 of his team's 18 steals, while the 6-9 Oriakhi had 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks. It marked the first game of the season in Boston for Papile's club, a reason he thinks his two stars don't get the recognition they deserve.
There is someone who's noticed, however. Coombs and Oriakhi have both committed to Connecticut for the 2009-10 season. The two have been teammates on the BABC for four years, and both look forward to sharing the court for four more.
"Connecticut was one of the schools I wanted to go to the most," said Oriakhi. "Then when they took both of us, I was even more happy because we'd be together for another four years."
Coombs, a Dorchester native, led BABC with 18 first-half points, sending his team into the break with a commanding 48-24 lead. He scored 10 of his team's last 16 points to help secure the win.
"I don't think people understand what a complete player [Coombs] is," said Papile. "He's a four-man who can shoot the long ball, so his versatility is his number one attribute.
"People question his ability around the country," added Papile. "He doesn't seem to get that much national respect. To me, there's one thing that counts, the scoreboard. And he's a winner. He's won an awful lot of games for us."
The lack of national attention hasn't gone unnoticed by Coombs. But as the team's leading rebounder and highest percentage 3-point shooter, he knows he gets plenty of respect close to home.
"I brought it up to my coach, and he said, 'Don't worry about it, we'll see who's making money in the future,' " Coombs said.
Oriakhi's low-post presence is more than powerful, and will become even tougher to stop if he improves his footwork.
"We're trying to combine his footwork with his strength, his velocity, and his explosion," said Papile. "He looks like a grown man. He's just the kind of guy that will do well at a program like Connecticut."
