Daishen Nix leads Trinity to easy win in Las Vegas tournament
The best player on the floor made one basket in the first half.
But points don’t even begin to tell the story.
Trinity point guard Daishen Nix had eight assists in the first half alone to lead the Thunder to a 71-27 first-round victory over Basic in the Las Vegas Prep Championship on Wednesday at Las Vegas High.
“A lot of people think he’s all about him, and he isn’t,” Trinity coach Greg Lockridge said. “He’s all about his team. This was his attempt to get his team going.”
Nix, who has developed into one of the top players in the junior class, finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, three steals and a blocked shot.
Trinity led 46-16 at halftime, so the only intrigue was how many assists Nix might end up with. And the game’s biggest disappointment might have come when Jose Cuello’s 3-pointer rimmed out with about five minutes to play. Had it gone in, it would have completed a triple double for Nix, who checked out of the game moments later.
“Guys know when they run the lane, they’re going to get the ball,” Lockridge said. “And if they didn’t know, they know now. We tell them, ‘Spacing, run the lane. We’ve got the best passer in high school basketball.”
Nix has made huge strides since arriving at Trinity from Alaska as a freshman. Lockridge said his point guard was overmatched at times that season, but that’s not the case anymore.
“I would tell him, ‘They’re not better than you, they’re bigger and stronger than you,’ ” Lockridge said. “And now he’s big and he’s strong, and his confidence is going. I’m excited for his future, because I don’t know what the limit is.”
Cuello scored 15 points and Zaba Bangala had 12 points and six rebounds for Trinity, which forced 30 turnovers.
Kalauini Keyes led Basic with eight points.
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Contact prep sports editor Damon Seiters at dseiters@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4597. Follow @DamonSeiters on Twitter.
