Ten Best: Canton McKinley v. Massillon Jackson
Just a month ago, Massillon Jackson beat Canton McKinley 75-64, in a game where Butler commit Kyle Young tallied 32 points. Friday night, Young dropped a mere 30 to complete the season sweep over their Federal League foe. With last…
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Continue ReadingJust a month ago, Massillon Jackson beat Canton McKinley 75-64, in a game where Butler commit Kyle Young tallied 32 points. Friday night, Young dropped a mere 30 to complete the season sweep over their Federal League foe. With last night’s 83-65 victory, the Polar Bears improve to 13-1 on the season.
Massillon Jackson, Division I’s #5 ranked team, out-muscled their much smaller counterpart throughout. While Canton McKinley held a quickness advantage, they had no answer for Jackson’s above-the-rim athletes. Headlined by Young and Logan Hill, a future Toledo Rocket, Jackson dominated the paint on both sides of the ball.
Although Jackson led the entire game, McKinley made a run with their two best players on bench in the late third/early fourth. During the run, they gave up on trying to match Jackson’s size by going to a five guard lineup and implementing a full-court trap. Jyon Johnson, a 5’9” sophomore, led the effort by scoring 9 of his 13 points in the third quarter.
Upon bringing the game within six points, Jackson snatched the momentum back halfway through the third. Young and company outscored McKinley 21-9 in the final 7:14 of the game to secure the victory. McKinley’s record is now 11-6.
Now, for the Ten Best individual performances of the night…
MVP: Kyle Young (Massillon Jackson)
In retrospect, McKinley’s opportunity came in the second quarter. Logan Hill sat the entire quarter with two fouls, taking away Jackson’s low-post presence. Instead of McKinley taking advantage, Young went for 18 points in the quarter, including this game-changing sequence.
So this just happened ????????
@kyleyoung_35 with the block/put back dunk combo #MrOhio @NEO_Spotlight @1480whbc @PrepHoopsOH @3HSsports pic.twitter.com/VF1wAiRT6U— Jackson Basketball (@PurpleNGoldCrew) January 28, 2017
Best offensive performance: Kyle Young (Massillon Jackson)
He totaled 30 points and got them every which way: from beyond the arch, with his back to the basket, and with the face-up game. The future Butler Bulldog was simply the difference.
Best defensive performance: Logan Hill (Massillon Jackson)
The defensive possession isn’t completed until there’s a change in possession. The most common way that’s accomplished is by the rebound, and Hill dominated that category when he was in the game. The other, less common way, is by forcing a turnover or blocking a shot.
Whether it was by rejecting shots while the ball was suspended 11.5 feet in the air, or snaring rebounds from the same height, Hill’s finishing of defensive possessions was elite.
Final – @PurpleNGoldCrew 83 @McKinleySports 65. Kyle Young led the way with 30 & Logan Hill added 12 including this monster dunk! pic.twitter.com/5CeFyt9mM6
— News-Talk 1480 WHBC (@1480whbc) January 28, 2017
Best moment: Easily the play from the first tweet. Young blocked that ball from way high in the air and came out of nowhere for the dunk. Fitting for that play to come during the 2nd quarter, the quarter which Jackson imposed their will.
Best unsigned prospect: Darryl Straugher (Canton McKinley)
Straughter definitely did not have his best night. He finished with twelve. Furthermore, the lack of production was a key reason that McKinley couldn’t make this more competitive.
The 5’10” point guard can already penetrate at will, but the next step is finding more creative ways to finish around large defenders. Straughter will be an effective college player, as he’s very quick and can shoot the jay when he draws separation.
Best player off the bench: Anthony Mazzeo (Massillon Jackson)
Jackson used Mazzeo as their creator with the second unit. Though the 6’0” sophomore looks like a point guard, he’s really a scorer. They put him in situations where he can excel. Mazzeo finished with five points in limited action.
Best underclassman: Jyon Johnson (Canton McKinley)
While the sophomore is only 5’9”, his ability to break down defenders one-on-one was extraordinary. As soon as he got the defender to lean, he rose for a beautiful pull-up jumper. Only player on the team who wasn’t playing hero ball in the second half.
Best under-the-radar performance: Jaret Pallotta (Massillon Jackson)
The 6’5” wing did not create much with the ball in his hand, but he was fantastic off-ball. Pallotta finished with 18 points, most of which came off back-door cuts. Pallotta is a creative finisher, often going to the reverse lay-up.
Best intangibles: Ethan Stanislawski (Massillon Jackson)
The 6’2” point guard directed traffic all night for Jackson. Even though he’s one of two non-seniors in the starting lineup, Stanislawski clearly had the respect of his teammates from the point guard role. Additionally, he was able to use his size to see over smaller opponents when they pressured him.
Other: Deontae McCollum (Canton McKinley)
McCollum, a 5’10” junior, led the Bulldogs in scoring with 18 on the night. While most of McKinley’s guys tried to jump with Jackson for tough lay-ups, McCollum intelligently converted floaters. He plays a cerebral game and has an outside shot that forces the defense to respect him from deep.