Basketball Game Preview: American Leadership Academy Eagles vs. Draper APA Eagles

The American Leadership Academy Eagles will venture away from home to take on the Draper APA Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in American Leadership Academy's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last five matchups.

It was a Battle of the Birds when American Leadership Academy duked it out withWaterford on Wednesday. American Leadership Academy put the hurt on Waterford with a sharp 61-37 victory. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 11 contests by 21 points or more this season.

American Leadership Academy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Kannon Huntsman led the charge by almost dropping a double-double on 13 points and nine boards. Huntsman is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down nine or more in the last seven games he's played. Grant Jackson was another key player, going 7 for 9 on his way to 16 points and eight boards.

Meanwhile, Draper APA was just a bucket shy of victory on Wednesday and fell 53-52 to Rowland Hall. The Eagles haven't had much luck with the Winged Lions recently, as the team's come up short the last two times they've met.

American Leadership Academy will have to contain Max Jacobsen as he made an impact in Draper APA's last game. He posted 13 points and six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Urban Baldwin, who went 5 of 10 en route to 13 points.

Draper APA's loss dropped their record down to 10-5. As for American Leadership Academy, their win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-4.

Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's game: American Leadership Academy has been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 37.2% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Draper APA, though, as they've only made 24% of their threes this season. Given American Leadership Academy's sizable advantage in that area, Draper APA will need to find a way to close that gap.

Everything came up roses for American Leadership Academy against Draper APA when the teams last played on January 8th, as the squad secured a 71-43 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for American Leadership Academy since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.