I felt terrible for Gordon, bound for Western Kentucky, who was put in a very difficult situation. Nationally televised Primetime Shootout game, down 1 to the preeminent high school program in the country, all eyes on you. It’s a very tough spot for a high school kid, and his nerves showed as he short-armed the first free throw and then had no chance on the second, disappointing a capacity crowd eager for overtime and leaving him crestfallen.

His teammates wouldn’t let Gordon feel he completely let them down, as they were quick to console him. But it probably wasn’t that easy for him to get to sleep tonight. Luckily, tomorrow is another day – and another game, against No. 29 Rice in Trenton.

Before the inauspicious finish, the fans at Kean University were treated to wonderful theater, as the play on the court matched the college atmosphere and setting.

This was the fourth time I’ve seen brilliant St. Patrick’s lead guard Kyrie Irving live, and he was easily the most explosive I’ve seen him. Irving has been compared to Jay Williams, and I really saw that tonight with his ability to score inside and out. His creativity on the break means he can get to the rim whenever he wants, and when he’s able to fully square up from long distance he won’t even graze the rim, as evidenced by two huge threes down the stretch. His vision allowed him to feed the post effectively and set up teammates on the break.

If I have one criticism of Irving’s game on Friday, it’s that he was actually too unselfish, dishing it to Gordon, who was fatefully fouled, with plenty of time left on the final play. Even Kyrie’s father told me he would have been better off taking it himself, but it’s difficult to find fault in the way Irving played. And he did, after all, set up a teammate with the chance to shoot for the victory.

St. Pat’s forward Michael Gilchrist – No. 1 ESPNU Junior – didn’t have a very impressive first half, and though he was scoring inside on nice feeds from Irving in the second half, we didn’t realize just how impressive he was until we looked at the scoreboard and he had 24 points. He matched Irving with 28, and it became apparent that he simply makes the game look effortless enough that you don’t realize the impact he’s having.

Gilchrist got brilliant position all night and finished well after contact, even dunking over 7-foot-1 Latvian mountain-with-feet Martins Abele. Gilchrist’s jumper also was effective; though there was a slight hitch to it, it goes in. It was pointed out to me by St. Pat’s aficionado Ryan Biddulph that Gilchrist is forced to play inside to suit St. Patrick’s needs, but he has impressive slashing ability that he routinely shows in summer leagues.

Forward Chase Plummer has caught my eye in a few games, but this was easily the best he’s played, as he rose to the occasion with 15 points. Biddulph’s father, Keith, tells us that Plummer wanted to play at Princeton, where his brother is a student, but he didn’t quite have the grades, so he’ll play at Maryland-Baltimore County next year. They’re getting a solid player who seems to turn it up when the heat is on.

As for Oak Hill, which is always a treat to see live, we were most impressed by the outstanding play of forward Roscoe Smith (ESPNU No. 29 senior), who demonstrated a solid outside shot, outstanding athleticism, shot blocking ability and plenty of passion for the game. SportsAngle architect Terry Rains of TruthBegins thought he’d be a perfect player for UConn, and he’s right, but with Duke still in need of both a small forward and more athleticism next season, I can’t help but wish as an alum (in hindsight) that they hadn’t been so invested in Harrison Barnes so they could have pursued Smith more closely.

Undecided guard Doron Lamb was also solid, though unspectacular to us, and I rather liked Maryland-bound guard Pe’Shon Howard. His jump shot was decent, he’s solidly built and had great passion to win. That said, Irving made him look like he was moving in slow motion.

Back to St. Pat’s: I’ve seen Irving after games look despondent – even after wins – as he’s particularly hard on himself when he doesn’t live up to his own lofty expectations. But he was relaxed after the game, joking with friends and fans in the hallway outside. St. Patrick’s played the most decorated program in the country to a standstill; just because the final result wasn’t positive doesn’t mean it wasn’t a positive experience. And though Boyle is reportedly furious his team won’t get to play in the states, they obviously have bigger fish to fry nationally.

As for the self-maligned Gordon, we ran into him on the way to our car, complimented his overall game and told him to keep his head up, and the smile he offered in return told us he’d surely be able to do just that.

The Dunn Center at Elizabeth High School was packed to the rafters to see St. Patrick (No. 3 in the nation) face off with St. Benedict’s (No. 10). Besides the elite coaches involved – Kevin Boyle and Danny Hurley, two guys who could find themselves in the college ranks before too long – the marquee matchup was at the point, where Duke-bound Kyrie Irving of St. Pat’s faced off with St. Benedict’s junior Myck Kabongo, who is heading to Texas.

St. Patrick, No. 1 in America until last Monday’s one-point loss to Findlay Prep, was without forward Michael Gilchrist, the No. 1 junior in the country, who missed the game with a family illness, continuing a tough run that has included knee and ankle injuries. As it turned out, that – and the fantastic play of Kabongo – was the difference in the game.

With most considering Irving the best guard in New Jersey – and one of the top two or three in the nation – it was obvious Kabongo came into the game with a chip on his shoulder. In the first half, Kabongo demonstrated an ability to penetrate and create for others, while Irving had a difficult time in the first half as his shots just weren’t falling, though he had St. Pat’s ahead by 2 at the half.

Right before the half, Irving elevated for a dunk attempt but was administered a very hard foul, leading to the first of two tenuous moments between the two teams. To the credit of Boyle, Hurley and the two schools’ administrations, the situations were effectively diffused. But it just went to show how important a statement game it was for these local and national powers.

St. Benedict’s wore down a Gilchrist-less St. Pat’s team and eventually took a nine-point lead with about six minutes left. That’s when Irving took over the way he did down the stretch against Findlay, scoring 12 points on a variety of slick moves and flawless free-throw shooting. His signature play came with St. Ben’s clinging to a three-point lead, when he blocked a shot emphatically, drove coast to coast and fed Derrick Gordon for a three-point play to tie the game.

But Kabongo was outstanding as well, with St. Pat’s unable to keep him out of the paint. Kabongo singlehandedly kept St. Ben’s afloat in a back-and-forth game, getting to the line twice in a row and then finishing off a 65-64 win with a dazzling leaning layup after driving the length of the court. It appears Texas might be getting the second coming of T.J. Ford. After leading a raucous celebration, Kabongo spoke his mind:

Now I want to know who the best guard in New Jersey is? Everybody says it’s him and I got a case for it.

As impressive as Kabongo was, it’s hard to make a case against Irving, who ended with 26 points. Irving’s personal credo is famously “Hungry and Humble,” and this translates on the court, as he follows the most spectacular of plays with little to no animation, even after the stunning game-tying block-assist combo. (Kabongo could do well to take notes on his demeanor) This characteristic reminds me of current Duke guard Nolan Smith, as they will surely form one of the coolest, most collected backcourts in the country next year.

But make no mistake, Irving will develop the fire he’s going to need to thrive in the ACC. His first game against North Carolina will draw that out of him – as could a potential rematch with St. Benedict’s in the state tournament. Watching him confidently bringing the ball down the court with his team down one late and all eyes on him, I could actually picture him excelling in that very situation next season.

I feel as if Irving carries a great deal of the burden of his team’s lofty ranking and expectations on his own shoulders. After a shot rims out on a sensational drive, you actually can see on his face how much it wears on him, and how much he expects of himself. I think for Irving, nothing is ever good enough; he’s the rare sort of player for whom nothing will ever make him content.

And that is exactly why you can tell already that he is destined for great things.

After watching Duke lose to Georgia Tech on Saturday, I felt like envisioning better times ahead, so I headed to Kean University to watch future Duke star Kyrie Irving and No. 1 nationally ranked St. Patrick vs. Westfield. It was also great to see Michael Gilchrist up and about after a scary knee injury on Tuesday. Here are my observations:

– The first time I saw Irving in person, on Tuesday against Union, he didn’t look particularly comfortable, likely a function of a recent illness, a taxing series of games in California and the need to adjust after a knee injury to superstar forward Michael Gilchrist.

Irving didn’t have that problem against Westfield, scoring 25 points in a 78-36 victory. He combined excellent handle – he has a behind-the-back dribble to his left that is particularly lethal – with a fantastic pull-up jumper. In addition, he flashed some of the lockdown defense and athleticism on the boards that make him a complete player.

I respect his midrange game the most; though Irving clearly has the ability to blow past people and get to the rim, that won’t always be an option on the next level depending on who’s waiting for him under the basket. And having a solid midrange jumper, truly a lost art in the sport, will make him that much more creative and potent.

Everyone I talked to at the game had the same words to say: “Duke’s getting a good player.” After watching Irving for a second time, I’d have to say that’s an understatement.

– Gilchrist went down in a heap after a collision with a Union player on Tuesday, unable to put weight on his right knee, but an MRI showed only a strain. Three days later, the No. 1 player in the country was walking with a noticeable limp and had a brace on the knee, but did not need to use crutches.

A couple of us briefly talked to Gilchrist following the game; he said he’s going to begin rehab on Tuesday in the hopes of returning sometime in the next 1-2 weeks, depending on how much progress he makes. He admitted he was initially pretty upset when he first went down, but appeared very relieved that the injury was minor.

However, the scuttlebutt in the gym was that Gilchrist could potentially be out as much as four weeks, which would put him on track to return a little before the Primetime Shootout in Trenton on Valentine’s Day weekend. While St. Pat’s is of course eager to defend its No. 1 ranking, it would make sense to tread lightly so as not to cost him a lengthy setback.

That said, I can’t wait to watch Gilchrist get back on the court, and that could happen a lot sooner than it appeared on Tuesday.

– St. Patrick’s coach is not the only Kevin Boyle making a large impact, as his son of the same name was absolutely stellar on Saturday. From what I understand, the senior leader has had a tough season, with the passing of his grandfather less than a month ago weighing heavily on him, but he broke out of it in a big way against Westfield.

When you hear a player is a coach’s son, particularly one playing for his own father, you expect to see fundamentals, and Boyle doesn’t disappoint. He has a nice, easy shooting stroke and tremendous range, nailing four threes in a row at one point and scoring 14 points, second on the team to Irving. Boyle plays solid face-up defense and makes intelligent decisions. He plays with intensity and fits in seamlessly on a team chock full of talent.

Despite the fact that he’s just 5-foot-9, Boyle makes the most of his abilities. I think his leadership, basketball IQ, tenacity and skill set would make him an excellent contributor for a team on the next level. I definitely look forward to getting to a game if he’s playing in this area, and I’m sure many fans of St. Patrick share that sentiment.

— Gilchrist’s injury opened the door for two players to step up and open some eyes, one on each team. On St. Patrick, freshman Austin Colbert took full advantage of the extra playing time to do his best Marcus Camby impression. The 6-foot-8 (!) freshman from Virginia scored just four points, but he blocked four shots with ease, rebounded strongly and ran the floor well. He’s already one of the most touted freshmen in the country, and when he grows into his body and adds some muscle, a given as he gets older, it seems he’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

And on Westfield, Pat Sabatino took full advantage of Gilchrist’s absence to score a team-high 18 points. The 6-foot-6 senior was fierce on the boards and inside the paint, though he did misfire badly on a jump shot. If he were to play college ball, he’d have to develop that aspect of his game, as a player his size could not assert himself physically the way he can in high school, even against a team as good as St. Patrick. But he has a motor and a knack around the basket, impressing the St. Pats faithful, and could be quite solid with a bit more work.

– Even the staunchest St. Patrick enthusiasts don’t feel as if the team can run the table; in addition to several tough Jersey teams, they play – among other national powers – Oak Hill, Rice and Findlay Prep. But that’s to Boyle’s credit: In basketball, as in any other competitive venture, you only get better by facing competition better than you, or at least on your level.

St. Pats risks losing some games by virtue of a hellacious schedule, but Irving and Co. will advance in their basketball careers that much more prepared – not to mention, they’ll take with them great memories of playing against the best competition the country has to offer.