Lima Super Scrimmage Notebook
Saturday, Lima Senior was home to many of the most prestigious basketball programs in the state. Just a week into practice, the teams aren’t fully groomed — players were missing for football and there wasn’t the type of chemistry we can expect to see in a month or two. So, there’s no conclusions to draw from the Lima Super Scrimmage. But, we did see a few things that caught our eye and could be building blocks for the long-term. (Go check out Brock Howe’s coverage of the event too.)
Wapakoneta’s backcourt
Wapakoneta’s senior point guard Nick Cook was tremendous in a couple of scrimmages. He finds a way to scoot by his defender at the top of the key and sneaks in bounce passes once the defense helps over. His forwards and spot-up shooters were the beneficiaries of a ton of dimes from Cook, including junior guard Aaron Good. Good impressed us in the summer with NWO Club, but he was even better in a more featured role. He was all net on open shooting chances throughout the day and showed the ability to create shots for himself with pump fakes.
Cook looks like a prospect that could make a Division III roster and Good could see recruitment from the NAIA or D-II level eventually.
Shaker Heights’ perimeter defense
Shaker Heights’ opponents didn’t look comfortable handling the ball on Saturday because of the defensive intensity of Dale Bonner and Christian Guess. Bonner, a Fairmont State signee, has been heralded as an elite defender for years. But Guess surprised us a bit with his commitment to that end of the floor. Their collective length and athleticism on defense could be something to watch heading into the season.
Pickerington Central is fast and big enough
Whenever you graduate a near 7-footer that is now playing for Roy Williams at North Carolina, there’s a couple questions to be answered about the interior. If Saturday was any indication, the Tigers will be just fine. Adrian Nelson, Juan Elmore, and Coleton Landis give them enough defensive resistance and rebounding. Also, Pick Central is going to play fast, as they have enough guard talent and speed to compensate for Sterling Manley’s loss.
Princeton looks for real
The most exciting scrimmage of the day that I saw was between Princeton and the extremely talented Detroit East English Village. It was a physical and chippy game that felt more high-stakes than a scrimmage with the way the two were competing with shortened benches.
Princeton not only came out on top, but they did so by being more physical. At 6’9”, Darius Bazley was able to bail them out of full-court presses by standing at midcourt and catching jump balls if guards got trapped. Also, Gabe O’Neal was a beast inside. O’Neal won position with his back to the basket and was fouled plenty of times on left-handed hooks. They can also bring in sophomore Darrion Henry to beat up the defense when O’Neal needs a rest. Darweshi Hunter was awarded wide open looks at times because the defense sinks onto the high-low of Bazley and O’Neal, and Hunter was money on those open looks.
Stock-risers
Dunbar is going to struggle this season with the loss of two Division I prospects at the guard position and a coaching change. But their bright spot was junior center Jonathan Allen (2019). Allen is huge, standing around 6’8”. He’s not going to beat many guys up the floor, but he makes up for it with touch around the basket. If Dunbar can slow games down and find him in the post, Allen should convert on a lot of high percentage shots.
St. Vincent-St. Mary is also replacing a few extremely talented players at the guard spot this season. Chris Painter (2019), a 5’9” junior guard, looks ready for the challenge. Painter hit shots consistently from deep, including some off the dribble. He was also aggressively driving the lane and defending. Expect him to provide scoring alongside freshman Seth Wilson and senior Scott Walter in that backcourt.
Marcus Johnson (2020), a forward for STVM, also showed a couple flashes on Saturday. He looks bigger, probably standing around 6’5”-6’6” right now. His interior scoring ability could be crucial for them, as STVM lacks size. Johnson is a big kid but he the crafty forward has strong foot-work in the paint. They’ll also need him on the boards this year too.