Five Takeaways: Oak Hill Academy vs. Ensworth
Following a sparkling Friday win, Ensworth (13-9) took a drubbing Saturday evening against Oak Hill Academy (34-0), 87-61.
Oak Hill Academy is not a normal foe. Though McCallie put a true scare into the Warriors the night before, OHA came out with fire and fury against Ensworth.
Several factors contributed to the blowout.
Uncommon Athletes
Keyontae Johnson bounced out the gym over and over. The Florida-signee rattled the rims with bizarre hops.
Because the Warriors turned Ensworth over repeatedly they routinely found 2-on-1 and 3-on-1 opportunities.
By the late third quarter, Oak Hill guard Johnson was scoring within 3-4 seconds after made baskets. His end-to-end speed shares few peers.
Yikes. Keyontae Johnson pounds home alley-oop and then accepts backboard pass from Keldon Johnson on the break. Two dunks, both revealing Keyontae's staggering leaping ability. On the second his head was obnoxiously above the rim, haha. Wow. 28-15 Oak Hill Academy. 5:21 2Q.
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) February 3, 2018
Pressing Concerns
Ensworth is well-schooled. They typically make smart decisions. Still, the Oak Hill Academy Warriors created significant problems for the Tigers early.
With three long, mobile guards stuffing the backcourt, Ensworth needed to make crisp, timely passes. When they did the Tigers set up a formidable offensive set. When it did not dunks landed on heads.
Oak Hill boasts the most frightening leapers in the region.
Keyontae Johnson (Oak Hill) beats the buzzer with a 3. 18-7 OHA up. Top problems for Ensworth are ball-handling and outside shooting. The shots might fall, but handling the press could be systemic tonight.
— Prep Hoops Tennessee (@PrepHoopsTN) February 3, 2018
Keyontae finished with 22 points to lead all scorers.
Keshawn Lawrence Again
The Tigers of Ensworth feature a very balanced team. Without fail they rely on multiple passes and crisp execution to score. This is beautiful basketball to watch and reeks of unselfishness. Still, there comes a time when a singularly-driven attack is needed.
Facing Oak Hill Academy most guards don’t have the explosion to create separation. Lawrence is not most guards.
The sophomore started slowly, but started to slash with purpose. Lawrence worked hard in cutting to the basket. Unlike most players his height, Lawrence springs off the deck and capably contorts his body against centers like David McCormack (Kansas signee).
Lawrence matches confidence to his athletic abilities. Like a young Dwyane Wade, Keshawn fearlessly barges into traffic and somehow gets the ball up on the rim. Toughness is one of Lawrence’s greatest attributes.
Shooting Touch
When charged with competing against Oak Hill Academy a team must shoot well from the outside. Space is at a premium.
Ensworth did well moving the point of attack most of the night. Outside shots did not fall early. As the game wore on and the scoring gap opened up several Tigers found the range.
Jaylan Clemmons hit two three-pointers. Dominic Wynn knocked down two triples and so too did Chaz Lanier.
Handling Business
In the opening half, Ensworth really struggled to beat the press. Deflections are a big part of defensive schemes and Ensworth was unable to limit the intercepted passes Saturday night.
Without Keyonte Calloway, Ensworth coughed up a disturbing amount of turnovers.