Stock Risers: Region 9 Semi-Finals
With victories by Salem Northwestern and Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s (VASJ) last night, the Region 9 Championship is set. On Saturday at 7PM, these two teams will carry their momentum onto the same court for chance to reach the Final Four.
There was a lot of work and moments that went into this journey. Most recently was last night: a tight win for Northwestern, and a blow-out by VASJ. Within those victories were some stand-out individual performances, so let’s check those out.
Derek Koch (2017), 6’9” F, Salem Northwestern
Given the stakes, this was the best performance I’ve seen all year (sorry, Kyle Young). The Bowling Green commit dominated physically and mentally. He flew across the lane for boards; he created for others in the high post; he scored with either hand and dropped in a three. Defensively, particularly in the 2-3 zone, Koch was calling out cutters and vocalizing encouragement in a tight game. Also, Koch drew many fouls against St. Thomas Aquinas, putting Northwestern in the bonus early for both halves.
We could truly write an entire game recap centered around Koch. He was just impressive as hell. Ohio’s all-time leader in rebounding definitely secured his spot as the #5 prospect in the 2017 class.
The individual matchup between Koch and this next guy is going to be highly entertaining.
Alonzo Gaffney (2019), 6’8” F, VASJ
Confident in saying that Gaffney is a high-major prospect after last night’s limited action in a blow-out win. VASJ started the game with an alley-oop after winning the tip, one of Gaffney’s three dunks. He did most of his work inside, finishing at a high rate. The #3 sophomore in Ohio also dominated the glass with his extraordinary leaping ability. Gaffney also used his length in passing lanes, coming up with some momentum-grabbing interceptions.
To be critical, the sophomore could use some more bulk. He showed defensive perimeter skills, but his jump shot isn’t quite there. Regardless, expect the high-major offers to start rolling in if Gaffney has a solid summer.
Parker Smith (2018), 5’11” PG, Salem Northwestern
Smith is excellent at finishing through contact. He was moved off-balance in the air many of times, and finished all of them. Parker, the leading scorer with 26 points, also hit from way deep a couple times in this one. He is a very capable second option behind Koch on this Northwestern team. Smith is reportedly more of a football prospect.
Logan Newman (2017), 6’ G, St. Thomas Aquinas
Although Newman wasn’t aggressive during his final high school game, he played well in flashes. Newman is mostly a shooter, who uses the deep ball to set up the occasional drive. He’s a tough kid. Again, he didn’t shoot the ball too often here, but he shot it efficiently.
Jerry Higgins (2018), 5’9” G, VASJ
Higgins is a true point guard, looking to set up his teammates before getting his own. For a moment, it seemed like he was having a quiet night until close inspection. Higgins just keeps the ball moving by limiting his dribbles and making snap decisions. He also compensates for his lack of height by pressuring the ball at a high level — he has the ability to pick up full-court.
Daniel McGarry (2017), 6’4” F, VASJ
McGarry doesn’t have a lot of bulk, and plays with a European-style in the post. He’s crafty with pump-fakes and step-throughs which gets the defense unbalanced. McGarry came down with the rebounds that Gaffney was out of position for. Also, he has a decent outside stroke. Division III schools may want to give the senior a look.
Ryan Brown (2018), 6’1” G, Garfield
Unfortunately, Brown was taken off in a stretcher during the first half of the game. It was a scary moment after he went up to contest a Gaffney dunk attempt. Good news is, according to VASJ head coach Babe Kwasniak, Brown is now home with his family.
When Brown was on the court, he appeared to be on his way to special night, scoring 11 of their total 21 points. He was aggressive in the paint without forcing shots up against taller opponents. Brown also hit a triple. It was a short sample size, but it’s clear Brown is a competitor.
William Butler (2017), 6’1” G, VASJ
Garfield was content with Butler shooting from NBA range, and he made them pay. He was truly not being guarded on these shots, giving him the opportunity to set up and hit from deep. He also showed some craftiness on two lay-up attempts. It will be interesting to see if Northwestern decides to live with Butler’s outside shot next round, which I wouldn’t recommend.