All-Conference Team: GWOC National West
Photo Credit by Ron Nunnari With the postseason upon us and the regular season winding down, it is time to start awarding all-conference honors. I will be honoring several all-conference teams in the Dayton area. Today I am honoring…
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Continue ReadingPhoto Credit by Ron Nunnari
With the postseason upon us and the regular season winding down, it is time to start awarding all-conference honors. I will be honoring several all-conference teams in the Dayton area. Today I am honoring my 1st team all-conference for the GWOC National West division. (Note: The GWOC is split into four separate divisions: American North, American South, National East and National West. This specific article will focus on one division and future articles will cover the other three).
Rodney Richardson (Northmont)- 12.4 PPG, 4.8 AST, 2.7 STL, 4.4 REB
Rodney was one of the key reasons why Northmont won their first GWOC title in several years. One of the senior leaders on roster, Rodney can score in large amounts. His season high was 26 points against Miamisburg. Rodney is better known for his defense. He finished in the top 3 in steals in the conference and also the top 5 in assists. Rodney will be hard to replace next season as Northmont looks to defend their GWOC title.
Duncan Hall (Miamisburg)- 11.7 PPG, 2.3 BLK, 10.2 REB, 51.6% FG
Duncan was a menace for opponents this season. Only a sophomore, he led the conference in rebounds per game with 10.2 and also finished in the top 3 in blocks. Duncan has shown he is a future defensive star, but what some opponents may not know is he is the type of player that will finish offensively in the paint. He had several games this season where he shot 75% from the floor and even had one game where he didn’t miss a single shot. Considering he is only a sophomore, it’s safe to say the rest of the GWOC will hear this young man’s name a lot during the next two seasons. Duncan is a player to keep an eye on.
Christian James (Springboro)- 12.0 PPG, 5.1 AST, 2.0 STL, 4.6 REB
Christian was a major contributor to the Panthers offensively this season. Although he did not lead the team in scoring, Christian did lead in assists, and he was one of the top 5 players in assists in the conference. Christian is a great point guard and possesses skills with the ball that most high school point guards do not have. His unselfish style of play and ability to make his teammates better is what is most impressive about him.
Vinson Walker (Northmont)- 11.9 PPG, 9.1 REB, 1.8 AST, 0.4 BLK, 64.6% FG
Vinson was another senior that helped Northmont earn a GWOC title this season. Vinson averaged nearly a double-double per game. His season highs were 20 points against Father Tolton and 13 rebounds against Chaminade-Julienne. Vinson is similar to Duncan Hall of Miamisburg in regards to finishing the ball. Vinson had several games of shooting 50% or better and even had a game against Bethel where he shot 100% from the floor. Vinson will be looked to for leadership during the postseason as Northmont tries to add a district title to their already impressive season.
Parker Smith (Lebanon)- 13.6 PPG, 1.3 AST, 5.1 REB, 0.8 STL
Parker was the scoring leader for the Warriors this season. He was capable of scoring upwards of 20 points on any given night. His season high was 27 points twice against a very talented Springfield team and Fairmont. As Lebanon looks to pull an upset during the playoffs, look for Parker to have another big game and lead the Warriors.
Nick Pluta (Springboro)- 13.6 PPG, 6.3 REB, 1.2 AST, 0.8 BLK
Nick was a senior leader for the Panthers this season and led the team in scoring for the season. At 6’6” and weighing 210 lb., Nick was a physical presence for the Panthers and gave them a strong inside game alongside teammate Thomas Arrington. Thomas will be looked to replace Nick next season as Nick graduates at the end of the season. He is part of a strong senior class that the Panthers will miss next year.