Boys Basketball: Jaden Schutt, Yorkville Christian ride another fast start to semifinal blowout win

CHAMPAIGN – Jaden Schutt gave a concise answer Thursday when asked if playing in the huge State Farm Center arena felt different than other gyms.

“Rim is 10 feet,” Schutt said.

Schutt and Yorkville Christian, on the other hand, have towered over the Class 1A field ever since the postseason began. With six wins by an average margin of 44 points, it’s fair to wonder if any small-school team will challenge the Mustangs.

By the time Schutt threw down a one-handed dunk in transition to finish the first quarter, it was clear that the answer Thursday would be a resounding no.

[ Photos: Yorkville Christian vs. Steeleville ]

Schutt scored 13 of his 16 points in a spectacular first quarter, and Brayden Long scored a game-high 23 points.

Yorkville Christian raced out to a 19-point lead after a quarter and went on to their seventh straight postseason blowout win, 70-27 over Steeleville in the Class 1A state semifinal.

It’s almost unheard of that a Class 1A team would face an opponent with a Duke recruit.

Steeleville coach Aaron Fiene said the Mustangs, Schutt specifically, were as good as advertised.

“A school like us, we’ve never seen those kinds of athletes. We may never again,” Fiene said. “[Schutt] is as good as publicized. A lot of people get a lot of hype. He’s a stud. They’re all good.”

Schutt wasted no time Thursday putting on a show.

He hit his first three 3-point attempts, starting with a pull-up three for the game’s first basket less than a minute in. When Yorkville Christian ran a clear-out, Schutt blew by his defender for a one-handed slam.

His steal and two-handed jam capped off an 18-0 run, for a 21-2 lead after a quarter. Schutt also grabbed 13 rebounds and had six assists.

Yorkville Christian (24-13), with another “shock and awe” start, jumped on Steeleville before it could gets its feet on the ground.

“Jaden hit a few shots right out of the gate and that kind of set the tone,” Yorkville Christian coach Aaron Sovern said. “That’s been big for us all year to get some good looks, and then our defense was connected all game and put forth a tremendous defensive effort which has really been our fuel all postseason, driving our offense.

“We talk about ‘shock and awe’ as a slogan. We have a reputation among the Class 1A community that we can get after it and we want to show that we can actually do that. It’s not just a myth.”

In Yorkville Christian’s first-ever state appearance, the Mustangs looked like a team that’s been in plenty of big games this year, which they have.

“Coach got us ready with a great schedule, we’ve played in a lot of big games with a lot of good teams,” Schutt said. “It’s kind of normal at this point playing in this type of environment.”

Not normal is playing a game with a 10 a.m. tip-off, which Yorkville Christian did in the first of four games being played Thursday in Champaign.

If the early start had any effect on the Mustangs, it didn’t show.

Yorkville Christian senior K.J. Vasser said he set his alarm Thursday for 5 a.m.

“I’m an early riser, anyway,” Vasser said. “We were ready to play.”

Long certainly was.

The Mustangs’ junior dominated in the paint, making 8-of-9 shots and also made 6-of-7 free throws. Long missed 8-9 months with a Jones fracture in his foot, but returned in December. Sovern jokingly referred to him as Yorkville Christian’s “trade deadline acquisition.”

Long made his presence felt Thursday with one of his best games to date.

“It’s just a great honor to be down here at state and finally playing,” Long said. “Maybe I’m not to my full potential yet but I’m starting to feel more like I felt my freshman and sophomore year.”

Sovern is glad to have him back.

“Early in the season we faced a lot of teams with size and not having Brayden as a rebounder and knockdown shooter, but more importantly a strong defender and a strong kid and just his floor vision opens things up,” Sovern said. “It can open up the floor for Jaden and for K.J. Teams can’t overplay them. Getting him back and now in his groove for us just completes the puzzle.”

Jehvion Starwood added 10 points for Yorkville Christian, which shot 54% for the game and out-rebounded Steeleville 37-23. Zach Mevert scored 10 for Steeleville (29-7), which was ranked seventh in the final AP poll.

Carter Wasson, who guarded Schutt, added eight points. He said Schutt was the real deal.

“[Schutt] was just ridiculous,” Wasson said. “He’s a great player.”

Yorkville Christian will look to complete its season Saturday, when the Mustangs play fourth-ranked Liberty at 11 a.m. Liberty blew out off second-ranked Scales Mound 75-41 in Thursday’s second semifinal.

Yorkville Christian can win its first state basketball title, and second state title this school year. Its wrestling team won the Class 1A team title in February.

Vasser made clear his thoughts on it.

“We didn’t drive all the way down here to lose,” Vasser said.